5 Directors We Want To Work With Rick Moranis After His Return In Spaceballs 2

40 years after the "Star Wars" parody "Spaceballs" entered our atmosphere, fans will be graced with what's been described as "A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part Two but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film," also known as the currently untitled "Spaceballs 2." Creator Mel Brooks and star Bill Pullman have already been announced as returning to the franchise, but the real excitement is that Rick Moranis will be making his long-awaited return by reprising his role as Dark Helmet. Moranis was an unstoppable force in the 1980s and early 1990s, but famously chose to focus on raising his children after the untimely passing of his wife, Anne. While Moranis hadn't stopped acting completely (and he even put out a Grammy-nominated comedy album), he certainly wasn't performing with the same visibility as his heyday.

"Spaceballs 2" is undoubtedly the highest-profile project he's signed onto in decades, which has film fans ecstatic at the prospect of a "Moranissance," myself included. Sure, I only want my forever Seymour Krelborn to return to the big screen if it's what he wants, but I'm nothing if not a fantasy booker when it comes to my favorite performers. If this new venture back into the world of live-action feature films allows the chance for more Rick Moranis, here are five directors who would certainly know how to welcome him back with open arms.

Given the way Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) resurrected the career of Ke Huy Quan and helped mainstream audiences finally understand that Michelle Yeoh has been one of the best performers working in the industry for decades thanks to their Oscar-winning "Everything Everywhere All at Once," it seems like a no-brainer for Rick Moranis to join forces with the filmmaking duo. Daniels' filmography has a very particular sense of absurdist humor blended with emotional depth, giving performers a space to explore both comedy and drama.

This is an avenue where Moranis thrives, with a natural knack for comedy but a level of sweetness simmering beneath the surface. No matter how wild the premise of a Daniels movie, there's always meaningful, character-driven storytelling at play. Not to mention they're known for being collaborative, inventive filmmakers, which is the ideal gateway back into the industry for someone with a history of working in sketch comedy. I guarantee whatever weird character Moranis and Daniels could come up with together would be an all-timer.

While Zach Cregger is currently the hottest new voice in horror, he's also a creative who cut his teeth with the sketch comedy group "The Whitest Kids U Know." He, like fellow comedian-turned-horror-director Jordan Peele, understands the structural relationship between comedy and horror, and would be an excellent person to put Moranis in his first, true horror movie. The closest thing Moranis has ever come to the genre is with Frank Oz's immaculate "Little Shop of Horrors," but he'd be right at home in the nightmarishly offbeat mind of the guy who gave us "Barbarian" and the upcoming "Weapons." Given the public's love for Moranis, he'd be an instantly empathetic protagonist audiences would root for to survive, but subverting the inherent trust inspired by his twinkly eyes and soft smile and letting him play a real sicko would be the stuff of horror legend.

The reason the horror of "Barbarian" was so successful was because Cregger is a master of misdirection, and having Moranis involved in a project would add a meta layer to whatever the story called for. Would we expect him to be the good guy or anticipate the heel turn, knowing he's always the good guy? That preconceived notion alone already does plenty of heavy lifting. Or perhaps there's no subversion at all and it's pure nightmare fuel from the jump? Regardless, this is a director/actor combination of all of our dreams.

Cringe comedy has exploded in popularity in recent years, and I'd argue that no one is doing it quite like Emma Seligman. Like Moranis, Seligman was born and raised in Toronto before settling in New York City, so there's an inherent kinship between their lived experiences. Chances are, Seligman will get Moranis just as he will get her sense of humor and comedic stylings. Her breakthrough film, "Shiva Baby," is a dynamite exercise in cringe comedy, as Rachel Sennott's Danielle is thrust into the emotional turmoil of a shiva where attendees include her well-meaning but disappointed parents Joel (Fred Melamed) and Debbie (Polly Draper), her successful (secret) ex-girlfriend Maya (Molly Gordon), her suggar daddy Max (Danny Deferrari), his wife Kim (Dianna Agron), their screaming baby, and a community of friends and family poking, prodding, and pressuring Danielle about her lot in life.

I need to see Moranis in this sort of pressure-cooker environment, especially if he's the one putting the pressure on a protagonist. But if that sort of cringe comedy doesn't appeal to him, there's always the borderline farcical satire of something like "Bottoms," where Moranis could swing for the fences and play a character as big as he wants. There aren't a lot of modern directors making movies where a character like Louis Tully in "Ghostbusters" could believably exist, but Seligman absolutely is.

Most people know Cord Jefferson for his Academy Award-winning dramedy "American Fiction," but the former Gawker editor turned writer-director has one of the most interesting resumes of anyone working in Hollywood. Before his breakthrough feature film, Jefferson served as a writer for "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," "Master of None," "The Good Place," "Watchmen," "Station Eleven," and was even a consultant on HBO's "Succession." Jefferson has a solid grasp on the way mainstream comedy has evolved since Moranis stepped out of the public eye, and he fortunately loves mild-mannered characters caught in absurd situations. It also means that if Moranis wanted to focus on more dramatic work, Jefferson could provide him that outlet as well.

Because Moranis gained fame during a time when actors weren't often given the chance to branch out beyond typecast roles, there's a chance he might want his return to include something that feels a bit out of character. A project like "Station Eleven," which is equal parts bleak and hopeful, might be appealing to him after all of these years. Jefferson's work, no matter what, is always trying to say something important about life and incorporates comedy to get the message through to the audience. Given the reason behind Moranis' decision to step out of the limelight in the first place, the types of projects Jefferson is drawn to could be a perfect fit.

Wes Anderson is known for picking from a repertory roster of frequent collaborators when casting his movies, but he's also a genius in the art of ensemble casting and has exquisite taste in character actors. One of the best examples of this was when he nabbed frequent Christopher Guest comedian Bob Balaban for "Moonrise Kingdom" and brought him back for "Isle of Dogs," "The French Dispatch," and "Asteroid City." Anderson has a specific deadpan patter inherent in his comedy scripts, and it takes a true master of the craft to make a meal out of his inane dialogue. Moranis is a god in this department, and considering he had to sing in slow motion to get his timing right with the Audrey II puppet in "Little Shop of Horrors," the precision required for Anderson's cinematography and timing is certainly within his wheelhouse.

As for characters? The sky is the limit with Anderson. He could have Moranis lean into his wackier antics as shown in performances like "The Flintstones" or "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," or he could play against type as he did in "Streets of Fire." Anderson loves to cast actors like Michael Cera in "The Phoenician Scheme" or Jason Schwartzman in "Rushmore," who look like unassuming nerds to play highly sought-after romantic interests. This is undoubtedly something Moranis could pull off with ease, and given his history acting with familiar faces in SCTV, maybe a troupe of frequent collaborators would be enough to keep him coming back to act on screen.