Long-Awaited Naked Gun Reboot Finally Sets Release Date
After a decade and a half of troubled development, the Naked Gun remake is set to hit the screens. Liam Neeson steps into the iconic role as Frank Drebin's son, promising a fresh take on the classic comedy franchise.
Variety provides a long-awaited update on The Naked Gun remake, which has been stuck in development hell for over a decade. The classic crime spoof series, originally stemming from ABC's 1980's Police Squad! show, featured Leslie Nielsen as the lovable yet bumbling police officer Frank Drebin. His escapades included defending royalty, thwarting nuclear bombings, and evading assassination attempts. Initially announced in 2009, the upcoming film is now slated to star Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr, with Seth MacFarlane on board as a producer.
With numerous false starts, reimaginings, and abandoned plans plaguing the project over the years, the involvement of MacFarlane and Neeson in the Akiva Schaffer-directed reboot has finally been confirmed. A tentative release date of July 18, 2025 has been set for the movie, although the start date for filming remains uncertain at this time.
Can The Naked Gun's Reboot Live Up To The Original Three Movies?
Liam Neeson in a leather jacket looking tough and squinty eyed while pointing a gun, backdropped by Naked Gun star Leslie Nielsen making a hilarious comedy face - Can The Naked Gun's Reboot Live Up To The Original Three Movies?
With The Naked Gun's unique comedic stylings, it may be hard to imagine how any director could match the original film's fast-paced humor, where audiences are quickly subjected to joke after joke at an overwhelming rate. From the first moment where Drebin single-handedly takes down a covert meeting of the United States' greatest opponents of the 20th century, audiences are barraged with jokes ranging from crude and absurd, to longer, drawn-out slapstick. However, with Schaffer being an experienced veteran of various comedic productions including SNL and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the director may have the range to create his own comedic onslaught.
A more difficult challenge facing The Naked Gun'reboot may be whether Frank Drebin Jr. can live up to his father's legacy. Nielsen's portrayal of Frank Derbin saw the actor break type from his previous serious roles into a character that parodied his usual straight-man roles, before descending into further absurdity. As such, Neeson may be an ideal actor for the role, having his own history of serious, action-oriented lawmen that he has already parodied in The Lego Movie and Derry Girls, proving he can subvert these roles.
The latest update to Paramount's long-awaited Naked Gun reboot is a promising step out of development hell, despite being a tentative announcement. Since work began in 2009, finding a production that can capture the humor of the series has been a challenging journey. This new development, which includes a release date for the current Naked Gun reboot, suggests that Schaffer and MacFarlane's pitch may be worth exploring further by audiences.
Fans can now stream The Naked Gun on Max.
Source: Variety
Editor's P/S:
The long-awaited update on The Naked Gun remake brings a mix of excitement and skepticism. The involvement of Liam Neeson and Seth MacFarlane is promising, but the project's history of false starts raises concerns. Akiva Schaffer's experience in comedy gives hope that he can capture the original film's fast-paced humor, but the challenge of replacing Leslie Nielsen's iconic Frank Drebin remains.
Neeson's proven ability to parody his serious roles could make him a suitable choice for Frank Drebin Jr., but it remains to be seen if he can match Nielsen's absurd and bumbling charm. The tentative release date of 2025 provides a glimmer of hope, but fans will need to remain cautiously optimistic until more concrete details emerge.
