Irish actor Liam Neeson is set to flex his comedic muscle in a long-awaited “Naked Gun” reboot.
Liam Neeson, pictured here in 2019. GETTY IMAGES
Liam Neeson is set to star in a reboot of the 1988 comedy “Naked Gun,” according to multiple reports.
Neeson’s “Naked Gun” reboot – currently untitled – is moving forward with Paramount, with a release date slated for July 18, 2024, according to Variety.
The reboot is reportedly based on the original “Naked Gun” film franchise and television series “Police Squad!” by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker.
The “Naked Gun” reboot will be directed and executive produced by Akiva Schaffer, who co-wrote the draft script alongside Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, reprising their partnership from the Emmy-winning film “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers.”
Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via their company Fuzzy Door.
Inspired by the 1982 television series “Police Squad!,” the “Naked Gun” film series consists of three installments – “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!”
(1988), “The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear” (1991), and “Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult.” (1994).
Leslie Nielsen starred as the lovable but incompetent Detective Frank Drebin throughout the franchise.
A reboot of the beloved series has been in the works for years. In 2009, it was reported that Nielsen was set to star in a fourth installment, but the project was never realized. Nielsen died in 2010, aged 84.
Later, in 2013, Variety reported that Ed Helms was set to star in a “Naked Gun” reboot, with a working title later revealed to have been “Episode IV: A New Hope.” Helms later confirmed in 2017 that the script was being rewritten and the plot was being reworked.
In 2021, it was announced that Seth MacFarlane, who had previously expressed interest in casting Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr, had been hired to further develop the project.
Speaking with “People (the TV show!)” in 2021, Neeson revealed: “I’ve been approached by Seth McFarlane and Paramount Studios to maybe resurrect the ‘Naked Gun’ films.”
He joked: “It’ll either finish my career or bring it in another direction. I honestly don’t know.”
Later, in 2022, Deadline reported that plot details for the reboot were being kept under wraps “except that Neeson might be playing the son of Detective Frank Drebin instead of stepping into the role made famous by Leslie Nielsen.”
Neeson is certainly known for action films, perhaps the most famous being the “Taken” series.
However, the Co Antrim native has masterfully used his tough-guy film persona to inform several hilarious comedic bits over the years.
In 2011, he played himself in the Ricky Gervais series “Life’s Too Short,” where he was looking to try his hand at improvisational comedy:
More recently, he appeared in “Ted 2” – directed, written, produced, and starring MacFarlane – apparently concerned about the concept of “Trix are for kids:”
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