Quick Links
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 ofThe Naked Gun. Widely considered to be some ofthe best work byDavidandJerry ZuckerandJim Abrahams, the same minds behindAirplane!,Naked Gun’s journey began withthe 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 theNaked Gunfilms. The films take everything that worked about the original show and turn things up to 11, featuring some truly hysterical titles withThe Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!,The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear, andNaked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult. Whether the new reboot will be calledThe Naked Gun 4 1/4remains 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 Gunfranchise 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 memberAkiva Schaffer, but it also boasts a talented cast led by action iconLiam 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 aboutThe Naked Gunreboot.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Does ‘The Naked Gun’ Reboot Have a Release Date?
Officer Drebin and his questionable driving skills will officially return whenThe Naked Gunreboot premieres on Friday, August 03, 2025. While there’s always the potential for a change in release date, that’s looking possible for theNaked Gunreboot 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:
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 ofSouth Park. Since theNaked Gunfranchise is under the ownership of Paramount, we’ll likely seeThe Naked Gunreboot come to Paramount+ at a later date for a streaming release.
Does ‘The Naked Gun’ Reboot Have a Trailer?
Akiva Schaffer and Liam Neeson’sThe Naked Gunreboot 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?
The cast ofThe Naked Gunreboot is led by legendary action movie starLiam 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 likeTaken, Neeson has had a role in several major film franchises, like Ra’s Al Ghul inThe Dark Knighttrilogy andQui-Gon Jinn in theStar Warsprequel trilogy. While he’s flirted with comedic appearances in films likeTed 2andA Million Ways to Die in the West, a full-blown comedy likeThe Naked Gunis new territory for Neeson.Liam Neeson himself even admitted his nervous excitementabout doing a feature-length comedy in an exclusive interview with Collider’s ownRobert Taylor.
Also in the cast ofThe Naked Gunreboot isPamela Anderson- the ’90s icon best known for her role as C.J. Parker inBaywatch. The cast also includes the upcomingBlack Bird’s Paul Walter Hauser,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' antagonistKevin Durand, and WWE superstarCody Rhodes. Other stars from the original trilogy who could return includePriscilla Presley, who could reprise her role as Frank Drebin’s wife and Frank Drebin Jr.’s mother Jane Spencer, andWeird Al Yankovic, who had a cameo in all three of the original movies.
What Is ‘The Naked Gun’ Reboot About?
Plot details on the upcomingThe Naked Gunreboot are fairly sparseas 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 ofLeslie Nielsen and his classic work in the world of comedy.
Who Is Making ‘The Naked Gun’ Reboot?
Many likely know Akiva Schaffer as a member of the comedic music trio The Lonely Island along withAndy SambergandJorma Taccone, but he also has a reputable career as a comedy filmmaker. Schaffer’s most recent film wasthe surprisingly excellent live-actionChip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, which boasted the same kind of meta-detective humor that is perfectly fitting of theNaked Gunfranchise. Another comedy star is attached to the film as well, asFamily GuyandAmerican DadcreatorSeth MacFarlaneis credited as the film’s story writer. Schafer is also credited with writing the screenplay along withDan Gregor(How I Met Your Mother),Mark Hentemann(Family Guy),Doug Mand(Dolittle), andAlec Sulkin(Ted).
Where Can You Watch the Other ‘Naked Gun’ Movies?
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.
Watch 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 Fearis available to stream on Max.
‘Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult’ (1994)
The third and formerly final installment can be seen inNaked 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 Insultis available to stream on Max.
