Who thought this was a good idea?
According to Deadline, Liam Neeson is in negotiations to star in a reboot of The Naked Gun franchise, which is in development at Paramount Pictures.
Akiva Schaffer is set to direct with a script set to be written by Dan Gregor & Doug Mand. Does that trio of names sound familiar to you? Well, that’s because the three are coming off of the Emmy-winning Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers movie. So for anyone who loved that Disney+ reboot, get ready for more of that probably in their Naked Gun film.
Schaffer also will executive produce. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via their company Fuzzy Door. Plot details are scarce, but sources are saying that Neeson will play Detective Frank Drebin Jr., the song of the character made famous by the late Leslie Nielsen. Apparently, MacFarlane is responsible for getting Neeson to star. The two have built a friendship following Neeson’s appearances in MacFarlane’s comedy films.
If you’re unfamiliar with The Naked Gun franchise (shame on you), here’s a quick history lesson. Nielsen originally starred in a short-lived ABC comedy series in 1982 called Police Squad!, which was canceled after six episodes. The property was revived in 1988 with a feature film. Titled The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, the film was a major box office success leading to two further films: The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) and Naked Gun 33 1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994).
Paramount has been trying to reboot the franchise since 2013 with Ed Helms at one point attached to the reboot. Thankfully, that iteration was thrown in the trash. Apparently, after the success of Top Gun: Maverick, Paramount started ramping up development on a new Naked Gun. So now we have two beloved ’80s properties that have been revived in recent months thanks to the bonkers success of Top Gun. Hollywood truly is living in the danger zone (or safe zone, considering how unwilling they are to take actual storytelling risks).
The Naked Gun reboot does not have a release date at this time.
What do you think about another Naked Gun movie? Is this a bad idea or what?
