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It's been over thirty years since we saw Sgt. Det. Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) and Police Squad embark on their wacky and hysterical adventures, but that's set to change with an all-new reboot of The Naked Gun. Widely considered to be some of the best work by David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, the same minds behind Airplane!, Naked Gun's journey began with the cult-favorite television series, Police Squad! The beloved show expertly brings the Zucker Brothers' signature brand of surrealist humor to TV, following the exploits of Officer Drebin as he solves absurd cases in Los Angeles.
The show eventually spun off into one of the funniest film trilogies ever created with the Naked Gun films. The films take everything that worked about the original show and turn things up to 11, featuring some truly hysterical titles with The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear, and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult. Whether the new reboot will be called The Naked Gun 4 1/4 remains to be seen, but it's already clear that the film will introduce the zany adventures of Police Squad to an all-new generation of comedy fans.
The Naked Gun franchise hasn't had a bad entry yet, but there are plenty of more reasons to be excited about the dramatic reimagining. Not only is a talented comedic filmmaker at the helm with The Lonely Island member Akiva Schaffer, but it also boasts a talented cast led by action icon Liam Neeson. To find out more about the Liam Neeson-led reboot, as well as its cast, release date, plot details, and more, here is everything we know so far about The Naked Gun reboot.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Release Date December 2, 1988 Director David Zucker Cast Leslie Nielsen , Priscilla Presley , Ricardo Montalban , George Kennedy , O.J. Simpson , Susan Beaubian Main Genre Action Writers Jerry Zucker , Jim Abrahams , David Zucker , Pat ProftDoes 'The Naked Gun' Reboot Have a Release Date?
Officer Drebin and his questionable driving skills will officially return when The Naked Gun reboot premieres on Friday, July 1, 2025. While there's always the potential for a change in release date, that's looking possible for the Naked Gun reboot since July 2025 is primed to be one of the most stacked months in movie history. In addition to Liam Neeson's reboot, the astounding film slate for 2025 currently includes:
- James Gunn's franchise-starting Superman reboot.
- The long-awaited arrival of the MCU's The Fantastic Four.
- The latest installment in the Jurassic World franchise.
- Trey Parker and Matt Stone's first feature film since Team America: World Police
Where Can You Watch 'The Naked Gun' Reboot?
Following the confirmation of the film's July 2025 release date, we also learned that the film will indeed be premiering in theaters. Again, Officer Drebin will have some stiff competition that month, dealing with heavyweights like Superman (David Corenswet), the Fantastic Four, T-Rexes, and the creators of South Park. Since the Naked Gun franchise is under the ownership of Paramount, we'll likely see The Naked Gun reboot come to Paramount+ at a later date for a streaming release.
Does 'The Naked Gun' Reboot Have a Trailer?
Akiva Schaffer and Liam Neeson's The Naked Gun reboot is still in very early development, so we'll have to wait and see how this long-dormant piece of comedy history will find new life.
Who Stars in 'The Naked Gun' Reboot?
CloseThe cast of The Naked Gun reboot is led by legendary action movie star Liam Neeson, who will reportedly be playing Frank Drebin Jr. - the son of Leslie Nielsen's protagonist from the original trilogy. Best known for his thrillers like Taken, Neeson has had a role in several major film franchises, like Ra's Al Ghul in The Dark Knight trilogy and Qui-Gon Jinn in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. While he's flirted with comedic appearances in films like Ted 2 and A Million Ways to Die in the West, a full-blown comedy like The Naked Gun is new territory for Neeson. Liam Neeson himself even admitted his nervous excitement about doing a feature-length comedy in an exclusive interview with Collider's own Robert Taylor.
Also in the cast of The Naked Gun reboot is Pamela Anderson - the '90s icon best known for her role as C.J. Parker in Baywatch. The cast also includes the upcoming Black Bird's Paul Walter Hauser, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' antagonist Kevin Durand, and WWE superstar Cody Rhodes. Other stars from the original trilogy who could return include Priscilla Presley, who could reprise her role as Frank Drebin's wife and Frank Drebin Jr.'s mother Jane Spencer, and Weird Al Yankovic, who had a cameo in all three of the original movies.
What Is 'The Naked Gun' Reboot About?
Plot details on the upcoming The Naked Gun reboot are fairly sparse as of now, though it does seem clear that this will be a continuation of the original three films rather than a complete remake. The casting of Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. rather than Frank Drebin seems to be fairly evident of that. In Neeson's interview with Robert Taylor, he also went on to say that the film will function as a tribute to the legacy of Leslie Nielsen and his classic work in the world of comedy.
Who Is Making 'The Naked Gun' Reboot?
CloseMany likely know Akiva Schaffer as a member of the comedic music trio The Lonely Island along with Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone, but he also has a reputable career as a comedy filmmaker. Schaffer's most recent film was the surprisingly excellent live-action Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, which boasted the same kind of meta-detective humor that is perfectly fitting of the Naked Gun franchise. Another comedy star is attached to the film as well, as Family Guy and American Dad creator Seth MacFarlane is credited as the film's story writer. Schafer is also credited with writing the screenplay along with Dan Gregor (How I Met Your Mother), Mark Hentemann (Family Guy), Doug Mand (Dolittle), and Alec Sulkin (Ted).
Where Can You Watch the Other 'Naked Gun' Movies?
'The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!' (1988)
Frank Drebin's first-ever feature film appearance, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! begins with a recently broken-up Drebin as he returns to L.A. after a mission abroad. Drebin soon uncovers a plot by one Vincent Ludwig (Ricardo Montalban) to assassinate the Queen of England (Jeannette Charles) on her trip to the city. While he cracks the case, Drebin falls madly in love with Ludwig's assistant, leading to a long-time love story between the two. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is available to stream on Max.
'The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear' (1991)
The second film in the series, The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear, once again sees Drebin struggle with love. Priscilla left him after Drebin couldn't escape his constant police work, but both still get embroiled in a new mystery. A dreaded cabal of oil barons, led by Quentin Hapsburg (Robert Goulet), have dastardly plans to eliminate the idea of solar energy to protect their own profits. The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear is available to stream on Max.
'Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult' (1994)
The third and formerly final installment can be seen in Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult. Here, Frank and Priscilla are now happily married, now that Frank has officially retired from Police Squad. However, he gets brought back into the fold when a serial bomber named Rocco (Fred Ward) begins plans for a new terrible attack. Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult is available to stream on Max.
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