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The Naked Gun returns this weekend hoping to relaunch a long-dormant subgenre with Scary Movie, Spinal Tap and Spaceballs sequels to follow

The Naked Gun, a sequel/reboot to the old movie series of the same name, represents the first of its kind in a long time. No, not a legacy sequel, nor a Liam Neeson movie; the in-demand Irish actor still does two or three of those a year. Like its predecessors, The Naked Gun is a spoof – part of a comedic subgenre with astonishing versatility, in that it can lay claim to some of the very best and very worst comedies of all time. Maybe that’s why these movies, despite relatively low budgets and decent success rates, will sometimes disappear for years at a time. Now, in a period when a pure comedy hasn’t crossed the $100m mark in the US in almost a decade, The Naked Gun...

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Slapstick is back. With The Naked Gun hitting theaters on Friday, Paramount Pictures is betting on the kind of broad comedy that was once a big draw at the box office. If you’re looking to catch the original films, they’re conveniently streaming in one place, Paramount+.

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Paramount+ is available with a one-week free trial and comes with two tiers. Paramount+ Essential is ad-supported, while Paramount+ Premium is ad-free,...

Let's be honest -- when "The Naked Gun" was first announced, we all shook our heads and asked a simple question: why? After all, the original trilogy, starring Leslie Nielsen as the clueless detective Frank Drebin, features some of the best comedies of all time, and those should never be touched, right? Well, maybe it's time for us cynical, old naysayers to go into Akiva Schaffer, Dan Gregor, and Doug Mand's sequel/reboot (requel? seeboot?) with an open mind, as the early reviews indicate that the movie is a hoot.

"The Naked Gun" stars Liam Neeson as Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Nielsen's legendary Police Squad detective. Unfortunately for him (but good for us), the younger Drebin has also inherited his old man's more inept qualities, and his violent way of handling perpetrators gets him into a spot of bother with his superiors. However, it's still...

Neeson plays the son of Leslie Nielsen’s Lt Frank Drebin, appearing opposite Pamela Anderson in this enjoyable, at times very bizarre, spoof of 80s LA action movies

Here is Liam Neeson doing a rumbly-menacing voice even sillier than the one he did in Taken – and he now presumably must decide whether, like Leslie Nielsen before him, he will pivot to spoof comedy full-time. To be fair, Neeson has more career capital to lose than Nielsen did. He deadpans it impeccably, but perhaps doesn’t quite have Nielsen’s eerie innocence. In any case, it doesn’t stop this reboot of the Naked Gun franchise from being a lot of fun: amiably ridiculous, refreshingly shallow, entirely pointless and guilelessly crass. It is a life-support system for some outrageous gags, including sensational riffs on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sex and the City, and one showstopping are-they-really-gonna-do-it reference to Oj Simpson,...

Over the past five years, seeing a straight-up comedy that puts big laughs first and foremost has become a rarity. Gone are the days when filmmakers like Judd Apatow and Adam McKay were given big summer blockbuster release dates for their star-studded comedies, and multiplex general audiences are far worse for it. There's nothing better than sharing a fit of laughter with a big group of people. While there are blockbusters that come with a fair share of jokes, whether it's something like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" or the video game-infused action of "Free Guy," rarely do we get to sit down in the theater for a movie that has the explicit goal of making us laugh.

Thankfully, "The Naked Gun" has the power to change that, as long as audiences give it a chance to tickle their funny bone. 

Directed by Akiva Shaffer (one-third of the "Saturday Night Live...

It takes a bold man to step into the shoes of Leslie Nielsen, former Hollywood matinee idol (see how heroic and gallant he is in 1956’s Forbidden Planet!) and late-in-life comedic genius. Thank God — or rather, thank the holy trinity of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker — for Nielsen’s reinvention as keeper of the big-screen, charismatic-idiot flame. Even within Airplane‘s cast of fellow actors previously known for their gravitas, Nielsen proved himself as a first-rate boob. His deadpan was deadly. Naturally, it was a no-brainer to cast...

Early on in the new version of “The Naked Gun,” there’s a moment that gives you that old “Naked Gun” feeling. Sgt. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson), a veteran L.A. cop of unorthodox methods, has just surveyed the scene of a fatal car crash that may have involved foul play. It’s time for the wrecked car to be hauled away, so to accomplish that task they use a vehicle attached to what looks like a giant version of one of those mechanical claws in an arcade game. The claw lifts the car halfway up and then, at the crucial moment, drops it. The joke is that Drebin and his colleagues all let out a disappointed “Ohhhhhh!,” the way a million parents have when the claw guided by their 7-year-old drops the plushie toy it’s trying to hoist (as happens just about every time). In its patented absurdity,...

Liam Neeson is Frank Drebin Jr in the brand new The Naked Gun. Sacrilege, then, or a surprise? Here’s our review.

I love the films of the late, great Carl Reiner as a rule, but 1993’s Fatal Instinct wasn’t one of his best. Riding on the coattails of the original The Naked Gun and the Hot Shots! films, it was one of a growing collection of spoof movies that misunderstood the ground rules. One: play it straight, and two: a visual reference to another film isn’t a joke. It’s just a visual reference to another film.

(See also: Epic Movie, Meet The Spartans, Date Movie et al.)

It’s no secret that the director of the original The Naked Gun, David Zucker, has thus hardly blessed this 2025 reboot with his best wishes, but I can’t help thinking he might be pleasantly surprised. As much as...

Writing about spoofs is sort of like dancing about architecture: Film critics almost never get paid to do it. Indeed, Akiva Schaffer’s “The Naked Gun” might be the first theatrically distributed movie of its kind since the likes of “They Came Together” (2014), “Fifty Shades of Black” (2016), and “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018), all of which already felt like relics from a time when audiences were accustomed to such gleefully absurd gag-a-thons — a time when men were men, women were women, and O.J. Simpson was a Scandinavian detective named Nordberg.

We used to live in a country where comedy was an entire genre unto itself, as opposed to a brief distraction that a squinty-eyed Chris Pratt tried in vain to search for between action scenes. But good news! Just like open political bribery and a monopolistic control over the entertainment industry, Paramount is taking a bold step towards making theatrical comedies viable again.

The three-man comedy factory that ruled the 1980s with their fusillades of slapstick, sight gags, loopy non sequiturs and winking innuendo was David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker — Hollywood’s Zaz before David Zaslav. Their legacy rivals that of Mel Brooks in the ’60s and ’70s, most notably via Airplane! and the Naked Gun movies, though I also have a soft spot for their swerve into more conventional farce with the acerbic dark comedy Ruthless People. Even the misstep of Top Secret! yielded its share of laughs, despite attempting to hit an unwieldy jumble of parody targets.

Having honed their skills in a college sketch-comedy troupe, the trio’s strategy was to throw as many jokes per minute at the screen as possible, the sillier the better, ensuring that enough of them stuck to cushion the ones that missed the mark.

Their 1982 ABC series spoofing crime procedurals, Police Squad!,...

Liam Neeson stars as the son of police lieutenant ‘Frank Drebin’ in a reboot of the comedy feature “The Naked Gun”, directed by Akiva Schaffer, releasing August 1, 2025 in theaters:

The original "The Naked Gun" movie aka "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!", is the 1988 'crime comedy' feature directed by David Zucker starring Leslie Nielsen as bumbling police lieutenant 'Frank Drebin'...

...featuring dead pan slapstick comedy including "Mad" magazine type, visual and verbal, puns and gags.

The film is based on the character portrayed by Nielsen in the TV series "Police Squad!" (1982).

"The Naked Gun" was a critical and commercial success, followed by sequels: "The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear" (1991) and "Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult" (1994).

Click the images to enlarge...

Roger Ebert wasn’t dismissing 1984’s Top Secret! for being a movie when he said it has no plot in his review; he was simply celebrating it (read his own words here). Directed by the comedic masterminds behind The Naked Gun movies, this Val Kilmer starrer is an action-comedy parody, which not only handed him his debut in Hollywood but also showed the world that he is more than just a stage actor.

Top Secret! is visually inventive and filled with hilarious gags that even some of the most seasoned and sophisticated film critics couldn’t resist. Despite not doing so well at the box office, Top Secret! was revived by respected critics, such as Ebert, who loved it for its smart and sophisticated jokes. Although it might have faded from the mainstream, the film remains a cult gem and a masterclass in parody.

Val Kilmer’s Debut Action Comedy...

The original Naked Gun is a sacred movie for many. It almost seems like an impossible task to tread the line between stupid and clever humor, which the Zaz group perfected many years ago with their Kentucky Fried Theater group. Add to that the dry delivery, which was perfected by former dramatic actor Leslie Nielsen. After his straight-faced, hilarious appearances in Life’s Too Short and Ted 2, Liam Neeson seemed to be a natural choice to take up the role of Frank Drebin, but it can also fall apart so easily.

The Naked Gun, which is directed by The Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer and produced by Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane, has had its premiere and the reactions from social media are in, including our own Chris Bumbray, who has said, “#NakedGun is really damn funny. It’s hard to pull off dopey comedy like this, and this is...

It’s been a 31-year wait, but the latest addition to the Naked Gun franchise is finally here. Full critics’ reviews for the film drop on Wednesday, but fans of the classic spoof comedy franchise can breathe a huge sigh of relief, as the early social media reaction from Monday’s New York premiere and press screenings is extremely effusive.

The new iteration of The Naked Gun, stars Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Police Squad legend Frank Drebin, played in the franchise’s previous projects by the late Leslie Nielsen. Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston, Liza Koshy, Cody Runnels and Cch Pounder round out the cast.

The Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer directs the reboot and Seth MacFarlane produces a project that Paramount has had in the works for decades. The film franchise is based on the 1982 ABC television series Police Squad!

Liam Neeson stars as the son of police lieutenant ‘Frank Drebin’ in a reboot of the comedy feature “The Naked Gun”, directed by Akiva Schaffer, releasing August 1, 2025 in theaters:

The original "The Naked Gun" movie aka "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!", is the 1988 'crime comedy' feature directed by David Zucker starring Leslie Nielsen as bumbling police lieutenant 'Frank Drebin'...

...featuring dead pan slapstick comedy including "Mad" magazine type, visual and verbal, puns and gags.

The film is based on the character portrayed by Nielsen in the TV series "Police Squad!" (1982).

"The Naked Gun" was a critical and commercial success, followed by sequels: "The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear" (1991) and "Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult" (1994).

Click the images to enlarge...

Watch The Naked Gun Films Online: Liam Neeson’s Reboot Sparks Nostalgia For Leslie Nielsen’s Cult (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson has delivered several memorable performances in acclaimed films like Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, Neil Jordan’s biographical drama, Bill Condon’s Kinsey, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, and Pierre Morel’s hit actioner Taken, among others. Now, he’s gearing up for a new and different kind of role in the action-comedy film The Naked Gun, which is set to hit theatres on August 1, 2025, including in India.

There’s nowhere to hide from the law… or a Coldplay kiss cam #NakedGun pic.twitter.com/auphADk5mj

— Naked Gun Movie (@NakedGunMovie) July 19, 2025

In the upcoming Naked Gun follow-up, Liam Neeson stars as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic character, who now leads the Police Squad in a mission to save the world.

Liam Neeson stars as the son of police lieutenant ‘Frank Drebin’ in a reboot of the comedy feature “The Naked Gun”, directed by Akiva Schaffer, releasing August 1, 2025 in theaters:

The original "The Naked Gun" movie aka "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!", is the 1988 'crime comedy' feature directed by David Zucker starring Leslie Nielsen as bumbling police lieutenant 'Frank Drebin'...

...featuring dead pan slapstick comedy including "Mad" magazine type, visual and verbal, puns and gags.

The film is based on the character portrayed by Nielsen in the TV series "Police Squad!" (1982).

"The Naked Gun" was a critical and commercial success, followed by sequels: "The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear" (1991) and "Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult" (1994).

Click the images to enlarge...

Noah Hawley, best known for creating “Fargo” for FX, has been pouring his heart into the new series Alien: Earth, a bold and risky expansion of the famous sci-fi franchise.

The show is led by Sydney Chandler, who plays Wendy, a new kind of character in the Alien world — a grown woman with the mind of a child. But despite how central she is to the show, Chandler was missing from a major promotional photo shoot. And Hawley wasn’t happy about it.

“The show is built around Sydney’s character, and the work she did as a professional was tremendous,” Hawley said later. “I’m disappointed that my female-centric show, based on a female-facing franchise, does not have my lead actress on the cover. It felt awkward to be there with Tim without her.”

He also said he hadn’t asked Chandler about her choice to skip the shoot,...

Liam Neeson stars as the son of police lieutenant ‘Frank Drebin’ in a reboot of the comedy feature “The Naked Gun”, directed by Akiva Schaffer, releasing August 1, 2025 in theaters:

The original "The Naked Gun" movie aka "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!", is the 1988 'crime comedy' feature directed by David Zucker starring Leslie Nielsen as bumbling police lieutenant 'Frank Drebin'...

...featuring dead pan slapstick comedy including "Mad" magazine type, visual and verbal, puns and gags.

The film is based on the character portrayed by Nielsen in the TV series "Police Squad!" (1982).

"The Naked Gun" was a critical and commercial success, followed by sequels: "The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear" (1991) and "Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult" (1994).

Click the images to enlarge...

Paramount+ is at it again with more movies added to their library, and we’re back again with the titles we think you should tune into first.

Truly, the platform is bringing in some heavy hitters, including the movie that features one of Denzel Washington’s most iconic performances and the film adaptation of Truman Capote’s popular novel “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” This month, Paramount+ is offering some of cinema’s most popular flicks, as well as some films that spawned from popular TV shows.

Here are the seven best new movies Paramount+ is rocking with in July 2025.

“Chicago” (Miramax Films) “Chicago”

In the first musical adaptation of the hit 1975 stage musical of the same name, Renée Zellweger stars as Roxie Hart, a woman whose dream is to one day be a famous vaudeville star, though she lives a lackluster life married to a lowly but loving mechanic husband. But...

A student at the Actors Studio, an academic in love with theater, a passionate admirer of dramatic arts…Yes, that’s Leslie Nielsen we’re talking about. Long after his extensive TV work and film performances in fare like The Poseidon Adventure and Forbidden Planet, Nielsen became solely tied to comedy, and for good reason. But it wasn’t just Airplane! and The Naked Gun that solidified him as a master of the genre – it was his beloved fart machine.

Leslie Nielsen loved a good prank, and what better way to break up a room than to break a little wind? As is well documented, he would carry around a fart machine to shock pretty much everybody around him. He also made it a habit of bringing his toy on the publicity circuit, surprising hosts with a squeak in the middle of a sentence or when crossing his leg, usually...

Liam Neeson stars as the son of police lieutenant ‘Frank Drebin’ in a reboot of the comedy feature “The Naked Gun”, directed by Akiva Schaffer, releasing August 1, 2025 in theaters:

The original "The Naked Gun" movie aka "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!", is the 1988 'crime comedy' feature directed by David Zucker starring Leslie Nielsen as bumbling police lieutenant 'Frank Drebin'...

...featuring dead pan slapstick comedy including "Mad" magazine type, visual and verbal, puns and gags.

The film is based on the character portrayed by Nielsen in the TV series "Police Squad!" (1982).

"The Naked Gun" was a critical and commercial success, followed by sequels: "The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear" (1991) and "Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult" (1994).

Click the images to enlarge...

Novelty popcorn buckets are in no way the "hail mary" savior of getting people to leave their homes and go see a movie in theaters, but I appreciate the effort anyway. The buckets act as this bizarro memento of the moviegoing experience that often takes all sorts of shapes, sizes, and utilities. While theater chains had participated in creating these elaborately designed snack receptacles prior to 2024, the infamous "Dune: Part Two" sandworm opened the floodgates for theater chains to just go buck wild. "Deadpool & Wolverine" didn't waste any time with its risque design of what you're able to do with, erm, the Marvel character's mouth.

I know some folks groan and scoff at the trendy concept behind these things, but I find them pretty amusing, especially if it's for a movie that has no business getting one. If you somehow never knew that "The Accountant 2" received a popcorn...

“It’s like a zoo but the animals got out.” That’s a line spoken in the trailer for the series “Alien: Earth” from creator Noah Hawley, which not only brings the franchise’s particular brand of terror to Planet Earth but also unleashes several new species of alien horrors. Another line from the trailer? “This ship collected five different lifeforms from the darkest corners of the universe. Monsters.” We know that one of those monsters is of course the Xenomorph, but what about the others? Hawley teases them in the latest issue of SFX Magazine.

Of particular note, Hawley discusses the way in which the new species have allowed him to make the franchise’s monsters surprising – and terrifying – again. After all, we’re quite familiar with the way the Xenomorph life cycle plays out by now, but these brand new monsters are completely foreign to even the most...

Exclusive: Ridley Scott has tapped Justin Alvarado Brown to become co-ceo at Scott Free, effective immediately. He had most recently been president and COO of the company. Based in Los Angeles, Brown will serve in the new role alongside co-ceo Luke Scott, who is based in London.

“I’m excited and honored to assume the role of co-ceo with Luke, and to work closely with him to chart the company’s course while navigating a time of significant transition in the industry. I’m grateful to Ridley and Luke for the trust they’ve placed in me to carry on the incredible legacy they’ve built over the past 50-plus years,” said Brown. “I have the utmost faith and confidence in the truly unparalleled leadership we have across our film and television groups, including David Zucker, Clayton Krueger, and Michael Pruss, all of whom I’ve had the privilege of...

Liam Neeson’s upcoming comedy, The Naked Gun, is a reboot of the 1988 original starring Leslie Nielsen. The movie launched a franchise’s worth of sequels — The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear and The Naked Gun 33 ⅓: The Final Insult. But that movie comedy was also a reboot, a big-screen adaptation of the criminally short-lived TV series, Police Squad!.

Police Squad! was the unlikely follow-up to Airplane!, a film that landed at #10 on AFI’s list of the funniest American comedy movies of all time. Based on that success, why would David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker turn to television?

They didn’t want to. Like Airplane!, the funny guys envisioned Police Squad! as a spoof of a deadly earnest 1950s drama. But unlike Zero Hour, the overwrought disaster movie that lent its plot to Airplane, the episodic police adventures of the TV show M Squad...

In just a few weeks, The Naked Gun will return to theaters, reviving the classic slapstick police comedy franchise that first debuted in 1982. Given that the film satirizes law enforcement, Andy Samberg's involvement in the project is notable, especially since he starred in the police sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, is part ofThe Lonely Island alongside director Akiva Schaffer, and frequently collaborates with him on comedic projects.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Samberg shares that despite him not having any role in The Naked Guy, he has seen it early via private/test screenings. And just like producer Seth MacFarlane, he too misses the comedy style of the 80s and gives the upcoming movie his praise, especially for Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson's performances.

"We're not in Naked Gun, but Naked Gun is so good. It's just pure joy. I mean, I'm biased, obviously; Akiva is my guy. But everyone...

Four decades ago, Police Squad! didn’t log much time with viewers but still lined up an impressive legacy.

Following the success of 1980 spoof film Airplane!, which made $78 million at the box office ($214 million today) co-directors David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker hoped to make a similar comedy about police officers inspired by the 1950s Lee Marvin drama series M Squad. Then-Paramount exec Michael Eisner, who had championed Airplane!, offered them six episodes on ABC and promised that the process would be free of network meddling.

Police Squad! centered on bumbling officer Frank Drebin as played by Leslie Nielsen, known for dramatic roles before his crackup part in Airplane! “Leslie never let on that he was in a comedy,” David Zucker tells The Hollywood Reporter of the late star’s knack for deadpan humor.

Co-starring Alan North, each episode kicked off with the murder of a notable guest,...

At first glance, Jerry Zucker wouldn't seem like the kind of filmmaker to have a ghost of a chance at crafting a Best Picture-nominated film. But that unlikely event came to pass 35 years ago when the codirector of spoof comedies like Airplane! and The Naked Gun made the supernatural romance Ghost. Released on July 13, 1990, the film went on to become the year's biggest domestic box-office hit and a surprise Oscar powerhouse.

Zucker rose to Hollywood fame as a member of the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker trio that included brother David Zucker and their friend, the late Jim Abrahams. Together, they wrote The Kentucky Fried Movie before helming seminal comedies Airplane! and Top Secret!.

Hot on the heels of their 1986 non-spoof comedy hit Ruthless People, the team locked down a two-year deal with Paramount Pictures. That deal launched with a bang thanks to The Naked Gun, based on their short-lived TV series, Police Squad.

Paramount Pictures has released a brand new poster for The Naked Gun, giving fans the first official peek at Liam Neeson’s return to comedy. The movie is coming to theaters on August 1, 2025, and it’s being called a “legacy sequel” to the original film series, continuing where things left off after Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, which came out in 1994.

Via Paramount Pictures

This time, Neeson is playing Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of the iconic cop character originally played by Leslie Nielsen. The film is directed by Akiva Schaffer, who also helped write the script with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Schaffer is known for his work on Popstar and Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, so this movie looks like it’ll be heavy on the laughs and over-the-top action.

The cast is packed with big names. Pamela Anderson plays Beth Davenport. Paul Walter Hauser takes...

Paramount Pictures has just released the new official poster for The Naked Gun, giving fans a new look at Liam Neeson stepping into the shoes of Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. The action-comedy film is coming to theaters on August 1, 2025.

Via Paramount Pictures

This new movie is being called a legacy sequel, continuing the story from Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, which came out way back in 1994. Now, over 30 years later, the franchise is back with a fresh lead and some new faces, but it’s still full of the same silly and chaotic energy the old films were known for.

Liam Neeson stars as Frank Drebin Jr., the son of the original detective made famous by Leslie Nielsen. The cast also includes Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston, and Moses Jones. Wrestling fans might be surprised to see Cody Rhodes in the lineup, along with appearances by Liza Koshy,...

Actor Liam Neeson stars as the son of police lieutenant ‘Frank Drebin’ in a reboot of the comedy feature “The Naked Gun”, directed by Akiva Schaffer, releasing August 1, 2025 in theaters:

The original "The Naked Gun" movie aka "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!", is the 1988 'crime comedy' feature directed by David Zucker starring Leslie Nielsen as bumbling police lieutenant 'Frank Drebin'...

...featuring dead pan slapstick comedy including "Mad" magazine type, visual and verbal, puns and gags.

The film is based on the character portrayed by Nielsen in the TV series "Police Squad!" (1982).

"The Naked Gun" was a critical and commercial success, followed by sequels: "The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear" (1991) and "Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult" (1994).

Click the images to enlarge...

The Naked Gun is hardly the first beloved ‘80s comedy to get the Hollywood reboot treatment, there was also Vacation, Coming 2 America and several new additions to the Ghostbusters franchise. And while those movies likely had their fair share of challenges to deal with, it’s not like Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy or Dan Aykroyd ever went on trial for first-degree murder.

The original Naked Gun trilogy, on the other hand, famously featured football star, accused murderer and one-time prank show host O.J. Simpson as Frank Drebin’s best friend and partner, Officer Nordberg.

In retrospect, it’s pretty weird that Simpson, who was ultimately acquitted of all murder charges, has a prominent role in one of the funniest movies of all-time. But rather than avoiding the issue, the new Naked Gun movie immediately let us know that O.J. jokes were on the table.

The reboot’s first teaser...

Filmmakers like Mel Brooks and the trio of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker (also known as Zaz) once made spoofs the cream of the comedy crop with hits like "Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles," "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun." Sadly, the popularity of "Scary Movie," a truly great horror parody from 2000 that followed in similar footsteps and kicked off a franchise of its own, resulted in a swath of far worse copycats from two of the film's co-writers, Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. "Date Movie," "Epic Movie," "Disaster Movie," "Vampires Suck," and more all tried to cash-in on spoofing popular blockbusters of the time, but the comedy left plenty to be desired, and the poor reception essentially killed the greatness and the appeal of spoof comedy — at least for a little while.

Thankfully, there have still been bright spots in the years since, such as the music biopic-skewering "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,...

It's been over 40 years since the Police Squad! franchise began, and it's set to make a comeback this August with The Naked Gun. Starring Liam Neeson, this action comedy is set to be a "legacy sequel" to Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, released in 1994. While there has been a fair share of comedies released in the past year or so, producer Seth MacFarlane has some big hopes for this 2025 film installment.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the creator of Family Guy believes that comedy is what people need, based on the current climate we're living in. He also believes that "true comedy" is a rarity these days and hopes that if The Naked Gun finds success at the box office, it will inspire other filmmakers to revive the comedic style that was prevalent in the 80s in today's media landscape.

"The environment that we're living in, I think,...

Pamela Anderson is finally suiting up for The Naked Gun reboot with Liam Neeson, but she almost brought her talents to the franchise over thirty years ago. In an interview with Empire, Anderson revealed she nearly popped up in The Naked Gun 33 1/3, proving good things do come to those who wait… decades.

“The part that Anna Nicole [Smith] played, I almost played,” Anderson said. “It was just scheduling. I couldn’t do it. But it’s good: I’d rather play this role.” Anderson’s character in the reboot-quel is modelled after a classic femme fatale. The character is named Beth, and she comes to the Police Squad for help after her brother is murdered.

Anderson quickly bonded with Neeson on set. “We just had a ball,” she said. “I was always showering him with loaves of bread and cookies and muffins. There was a little book-shop on the set, and...

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2025 is halfway over, and while there were unexpectedly great movies that were released this year, there were also many disappointments, but don’t lose hope, as they are nothing compared to what lies ahead. From the first DC Studios film, Superman, to the much-awaited Guillermo del Toro‘s Frankenstein. So, let’s find out which of the movies that are coming in 2025 are the most anticipated.

Upcoming Superman (July 11) Credit – Warner Bros.

Superman is an upcoming superhero action-adventure film written and directed by James Gunn. Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, the first DC Studios film follows Clark Kent, aka Superman, as he comes to terms with his alien heritage while finding his place amongst humans. Superman stars David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo,...

Ridley Scott's production company, Scott Free Productions, has announced its desire to adapt more of the legendary director's movies into television shows in the future. Through Scott Free, Ridley Scott has been working as an executive producer for two upcoming adaptations of some of Scott's best films. Those shows, Alien: Earth and Blade Runner 2099, however, may be just the first.

Per Variety, Scott Free chief creative officer David W. Zucker said the production company was going to look at adapting other movies made by Ridley and Tony Scott. Zucker said that the TV landscape has changed enough, in terms of budgets and scope, that adapting larger-than-life movies into shows according to Scott Free's vision is finally viable.

"[W]e are looking at a number of different [Ridley and Tony Scott movie titles] right now, and the point of entry is really: ‘What is its reason to be?’ because while it’s certainly [the case that] IP is ruling the day,...

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This July, Peacock is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated return of the post-apocalyptic action comedy series Twisted Metal to the streaming release of Drop. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Peacock next month and have an 80% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the twelve best films that are coming to Peacock in July 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Goodfellas (July 1) Rt Score: 91% Credit – Warner Bros.

Goodfellas is a biographical gangster film directed by Martin Scorsese, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Nicholas Pileggi. Based on Pileggi’s 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy, the 1990 film chronicles the rise and fall of mafioso Henry Hill over the course of 25 years. Goodfellas stars Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino.

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This July, Paramount+ is a little light on original content as nothing new is coming out on the streaming service aside from the new Dexter series and the third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Paramount+ next month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 13 best films coming to Paramount+ in July 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

A Soldier’s Story (July 1) Rt Score: 90% Credit – Columbia Pictures

A Soldier’s Story is a mystery drama film directed by Norman Jewison from a screenplay by Charles Fuller. Based on Fuller’s 1981 play titled A Soldier’s Play, the 1984 film is set during World War II, and it follows Vernon Waters, an officer of the United States Army,...

The Naked Gun has been absolutely killing it in the marketing department. Both trailers completely turned skeptics into supporters, while the posters have had visual gags that tease just how over-the-top ridiculous. First it was Liam Neeson doing a split, then it was Neeson and Pamela Anderson wrapping all of their arms around each other. Now, we have the Naked Gun latest poster, which sees Neeson making sure his fingerprints get all over his gun.

The latest Naked gun poster shows Liam Neeson’s Lt. Frank Drebin, Jr. equipped with his pistol, his fingers – all eight of them – gripping it tight. Accompanying the image is a one sheet-specific tagline: “No AI was used in the making of this poster”. This is a perfect companion to the Naked Gun poster one with Anderson, which featured just as many hands between the two characters (Anderson plays Beth opposite Neeson). It’s also...

A brand-new Naked Gun movie is on the way, and this time Liam Neeson is stepping into the world of silly crime-fighting as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. The film is set to come out in U.S. theaters on August 1, 2025, and it promises a mix of throwback jokes and new characters that aim to bring back the goofy fun of the original films.

The director is Akiva Schaffer, who also co-wrote the script along with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. According to Paramount Pictures, this will be the fourth movie in the series, following 1994’s Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult.

Instead of a reboot, it’s being called a legacy sequel, meaning it continues the story but with a new generation. Neeson plays the son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic detective character.

Related: 10 Worst Comedy Movies That Have Zero Laughs

The cast is packed with familiar faces and a few surprising ones.

The next chapter in the Naked Gun series is on its way, and fans have plenty to look forward to. The new movie is called The Naked Gun, and it brings back the famous goofy police comedy but with fresh faces and some familiar ones too.

Directed by Akiva Schaffer, who also helped write the script with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, this film acts as a legacy sequel to Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult from 1994. It is the fourth movie in the franchise and stars Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr.

The film is set to hit theaters in the United States on August 1, 2025, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Related: Here’s Every Movie Coming to Theaters This Week

Alongside Liam Neeson, the cast includes Pamela Anderson returning as Beth, Paul Walter Hauser playing Capt. Ed Hocken Jr., and a mix of other actors like Kevin Durand, Danny Huston,...

Actor Liam Neeson stars as the son of police lieutenant ‘Frank Drebin’ in a reboot of the comedy feature “The Naked Gun”, directed by Akiva Schaffer, releasing August 1, 2025 in theaters:

The original "The Naked Gun" movie aka "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!", is the 1988 'crime comedy' feature directed by David Zucker starring Leslie Nielsen as bumbling police lieutenant 'Frank Drebin'...

...featuring dead pan slapstick comedy including "Mad" magazine type, visual and verbal, puns and gags.

The film is based on the character portrayed by Nielsen in the TV series "Police Squad!" (1982).

"The Naked Gun" was a critical and commercial success, followed by sequels: "The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear" (1991) and "Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult" (1994).

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Akiva Schaffer’s reboot of The Naked Gun has been winning over a lot of skeptical fans with its latest trailer — but the director of the original film has yet to be convinced.

David Zucker, who co-directed classics such as Airplane! and Top Secret!, has been very critical of the new movie, recently telling Fox News that “just being a fan” doesn’t qualify the filmmakers to take on the goofy franchise.

Part of Zucker’s dissatisfaction with the new project seemingly stems from the fact that Paramount previously turned down his pitches for potential franchise continuations. In a new interview with Film Threat, Zucker confirmed that one rejected sequel idea was a spy movie spoof called Naked: Impossible, which had been preceded by a more straightforward continuation dubbed Naked Gun 4: Nordberg Did It.

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Zucker also noted that, after the latest trailer was released, he and collaborator Pat Proft...

The 1970s and 1980s were the golden age of the spoof. Mel Brooks was in peak send-up shape between 1974 and 1977 with the box office smashes "Blazing Saddles," "Young Frankenstein," and "High Anxiety," while David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker (aka Zaz) perfected the form with gag-a-second classics like "Kentucky Fried Movie," "Airplane!," "Police Squad!," and "Top Secret!" Of course, when studios noticed moviegoers had an appetite for such silliness, they also sought to cash in with decidedly lesser efforts like "The Big Bus," "Wholly Moses!," and "Spaceship" (aka "The Creature Wasn't Nice").

The trick to nailing the spoof has generally been to take a popular genre that's starting to verge on self-parody (like the Western or disaster movie) and amplify the most ridiculous tropes to an uproariously silly degree. The more humorless the genre, the better. Though there are big laughs to be found in the first three "Scary Movie" films,...

Now that the hype for the next installment in The Naked Gun series – starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin, Jr. – is real, we do all have to remember the time when we were all skeptical. Face it, without Leslie Nielsen and any of Zaz (Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers) at play, what good could possibly come of it? Really, couldn’t someone from the original writing team have had a hand in the movie? As it turns out, David Zucker says he was excluded entirely from the process of The Naked Gun.

For a little background here, Zucker was previously quoted as saying he did in fact get the script for The Naked Gun delivered to him, noting, “I read the script, and I politely told them I wasn’t going to put my name on it. They wanted nothing from me except my name.” With The Naked Gun...

Mel Brooks, who gave us classics like Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs and Blazing Saddles, was obviously a pioneer in the world of movie spoofs. Even before he directed a single film, Brooks parodied the art house animation world when he came up with the concept for the Oscar-winning short The Critic.

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One might assume that Brooks is therefore a fan of 1980’s Airplane!, one of the most beloved big-screen spoofs of all-time. And while he did commend David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker’s approach to humor, that praise came with a big caveat.

Back in 1981, Brooks sat for an interview with The New York Times to discuss his newest movie A History of the World, Part I. Today, the anthology comedy is widely beloved, and even inspired the recent pseudo-sequel streaming series History of the World, Part II, but when it was first released a number of critics went after Brooks’ film,...

If you had to choose between watching Liam Neeson’s upcoming movie, The Naked Gun, and the internet’s most infamous video, 2 Girls 1 Cup, most would choose the Liam Neeson film.

Well, of course, the comparison between the two is a little absurd, but this comparison was made by David Zucker, who was the original director of the Naked Gun films back in the 1980s and 90s. According to Zucker, some things aren’t meant to be seen by people, and Liam Neeson’s The Naked Gun just so happens to be one of them.

2 Naked Guns 1 Liam Neeson

For people living under a rock, The Naked Gun was a film series starring Leslie Nielsen in the lead role. There were three movies, and Liam Neeson is out here with a remake of the movie called… The Naked Gun.

Liam Neeson in The Naked Gun | Credits: Paramount Pictures

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The Naked Gun Trailer (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Fans of The Naked Gun film series are in for a treat with a reboot set for release in 2025. Paramount Pictures has unveiled the trailer of the upcoming spoof comedy The Naked Gun, bringing back Liam Neeson in the iconic role of Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. Directed by Akiva Schaffer, the film is touted to be a slapstick comedy featuring Pamela Anderson alongside Neeson. The film is set to hit Indian theaters on August 1, 2025.

The Naked Gun trailer is hilarious, giving a glimpse of Liam Neeson smashing WWE star Cody Rhodes. In the new film of the series, Neeson will lead the Police Squad to save the world, and he is said to be the only man with the particular set of skills to do so. Joining him is Pamela Anderson as Beth, a woman who turns to Drebin for help following the mysterious death of her brother.