Summary

Moranis’s rise to fame through comedy films like
Ghostbusters
and
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
made him a household name in the ’80s.
After taking a long hiatus from live-action acting to focus on family and his children, Moranis is being wooed for a potential comeback.
Despite his reluctance to return to the spotlight, Moranis may be persuaded to reprise iconic roles in reboots like
Honey
or
Spaceballs
.

Rick Moranis was part of a lineage of Canadian talent that funneled through comedy radio and SCTV, first gaining widespread attention in America for his role in Strange Brew in 1983. Just a year later, he leveled up, playing Louis Tully in the paranormal comedy Ghostbusters, which became a smash hit and helped make Moranis a movie star. Further supporting roles in hilarious films like Spaceballs and Parenthood galvanized his star before he wound up leading the family adventure comedy Honey, I Shrunk the Kids in 1989. The film was a box-office smash, earning $212 million and making Moranis a household name as it grew into a trilogy of successful movies.

After the third installment of the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise, Rick Moranis stood at a crossroads. “I’m a single parent and I just found that it was too difficult to manage to raise my kids and to do the traveling involved in making movies,” Moranis said in an interview with USA Today, adding “so I took a little bit of a break. And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn’t miss it.” While Moranis still did some voice acting in animated films (given the ease of scheduling), he hasn’t acted in a live-action movie ever since.

After an Abrupt Disappearance, Moranis Is Being Wooed for a Comeback

With the potential for an upcoming reboot, Shrunk — Moranis is poised for a comeback nearly three decades after last appearing on a movie screen. His long absence dwarfs even that of Ke Huy Quan, who won an Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once after returning from a 19-year hiatus. Whether Moranis can reproduce that type of sensation is yet to be seen, and given the nature of the family-friendly franchise he starred in for three films, that type of outcome is unlikely. That doesn’t diminish the nostalgic desire to see the preternatural comedic talent on screen again — even three decades later. But Shrunk got shelved during the pandemic, and it’s unclear whether Disney is still pursuing the project.

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Moranis first took a step back from acting in 1992 after his wife, costume designer Ann Belsky, passed away due to breast cancer. By then, Moranis had already risen to an A-Lister, fronting a high-grossing franchise with Honey after joining SCTV alums John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Catherine O’Hara in ’80s stardom. His children then became his priority, but the actor still delivered 5-more-years of occasional acting roles, capping his big-money Honey franchise with some less-than-stellar sequels that netted exceptional fees. This period saw Moranis appear at the top of the call sheet in cult comedies like Little Giants and finding big paydays like The Flinstones.

Moranis’ Humble Life After Acting

Moranis had already made more well-regarded work in the ’80s, but his star shone brighter in the ’90s, making his abrupt shift from stardom to selective voice roles all the more surprising. Moranis was unwavering in his retirement from live-action acting work. During his long hiatus, Moranis still worked in an advisory position for Humber College’s comedy program and released some musical comedy albums, but when it came time for a Ghostbusters reboot, he didn’t want to be involved. He cited not wanting to do the same roles again, but when Disney sought to reboot Honey with Josh Gad linked, Moranis reportedly signed onto the project. That was in early 2020, but when the world shut down mere weeks later, the project was put on the back burner, and to this day, it hasn’t entered the shooting stage.

2020 was tough on Moranis in other ways, as the actor was attacked in an incident in Central Park, the first notable news coverage about him in some time — and a situation that may have reaffirmed his distaste for publicity. Still, the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise could be a potentially valuable property for Disney — more so if the original star is involved. Moranis’ unique brand of wholesome humor is also sorely missed in Hollywood, meaning any appearance by the actor could produce extreme nostalgia.

Despite Agreeing to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Reboot, Moranis May Still Shun the Spotlight

Another Moranis-related property is also in the works, with the recent news that a Spaceballs sequel is also in the works at Amazon/MGM, with Josh Gad attached to this reboot, as well. No announcement has been made as to Moranis’ inclusion in this sequel, but it would certainly be hard to imagine anything from the Spaceballs-verse not including Moranis’ character, Dark Helmet. Still, Moranis successfully resisted many advances to appear in Ghostbusters films again, with co-star Ernie Hudson revealing that even Ivan Reitman tried to convince Moranis to return before his death in 2022.

Related Best Rick Moranis Movies, Ranked With reports of a long-awaited return to acting from the beloved entertainer, take a look back at Rick Moranis’ greatest movies.

It’s clear that Moranis is still wary of the spotlight, but the fact that he was the star of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids inevitably led to a feeling of responsibility towards the franchise. That was not the case with Ghostbusters, and one would assume Moranis will attempt to resist Spaceballs — although the prospect of again working with Mel Brooks, now 98 years old, could sway the diminutive funny man. Moranis did appear in a 30-second commercial for Mint Mobile with Ryan Reynolds recently, but that may have been simply for a tidy payday.

With the recent popularity of reboots and Moranis’ stellar early career still fresh in our minds, expect the powers-that-be to come knocking, hoping for at least one more timeless performance from Moranis. Stream Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on AppleTV+.