'Galaxy Quest' director Dean Parisot still unsure how to do sequel without Alan Rickman (exclusive)

Galaxy Quest director Dean Parisot still hasn't "solved the problem" of how to put together a sequel to the cult 1999 comedy without the late Alan Rickman.

The film depicts the cast members of a fictional sci-fi series with a resemblance to Star Trek, who are inadvertently drawn into a very real space conflict. Rickman portrayed Alexander Dane, who played the role of hyper-intelligent alien science officer Dr Lazarus in the show.

In a new interview with Yahoo Movies UK to promote Bill and Ted Face the Music, Parisot said Rickman's death in 2016 "threw us for a loop" as the team were in the process of following up the film with a 10-part television series for Amazon Prime Video. The director said no decision has been made on whether Rickman would be replaced if a sequel ever did come to fruition.

Read more: Bill and Ted are ‘ludicrous’ but relatable, says director

"I'm not quite sure. We haven't solved that problem," said the 68-year-old filmmaker.

"Part of it is also our love of Alan. He was a dear friend — not to mention brilliant — and everybody quite loved Alan. He's a hard person to replace."

In 2018, the writer of Galaxy Quest’s TV reboot Paul Scheer told The Wrap that the show would combine a new cast with the classic characters.

“We want to create this kind of thing that feels like this epic sequel, but a continuation. I compared it to what The Force Awakens is to Star Wars. It is continuing a story but bringing in new characters,” he said.

Galaxy Quest celebrated its 20th anniversary last year and received an outpouring of affection, having become a cult classic in the decades since it first hit cinemas to a fairly unremarkable $91m (£70m) worldwide gross.

Read more: Radcliffe ‘scared’ of Rickman on Harry Potter

The film also starred Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Sam Rockwell and Tony Shalhoub.

Parisot said he was "pleasantly surprised" to see so much love for Galaxy Quest among fans, particularly among those calling for a sequel.

He added: "You make the film and then you move on to the next thing and it takes on a life of its own.

"It's certainly gratifying that it continues to play 20 years later. It's lovely to see.

"I enjoyed making that movie quite a bit and I've stayed good friends with everybody involved.

"It's nice to see something you worked hard to do still out there and not disappearing in one weekend."

Parisot went on to direct Jim Carrey comedy Fun With Dick and Jane and action-comedy Red 2 before nabbing the job at the helm of the belated third entry in the Bill and Ted trilogy.

The film skipped multiplexes in the United States in favour of a video-on-demand release due to the continued impact of the coronavirus pandemic, but it has now arrived in UK cinemas.

Critics have greeted Bill and Ted Face the Music warmly, with an 81% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Watch a clip from Bill and Ted Face The Music - in UK cinemas now - below.