Seth MacFarlane Delivers a New Twist on The Naked Gun

The Naked Gun is a laughing matter again. The comedy spoof franchise from back in the day is returning to cinemas this August 1, 2025, with actor Liam Neeson playing the title role in a “legacy sequel.” Instead of Leslie Nielsen reprising the role of Detective Frank Drebin, the original star, Neeson will be playing Drebin’s son. The franchise is being rebooted with the new installment.

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Originally premiered in 1988 and found a new home on home video after its theatrical release. It focused on Detective Frank Drebin and his attempts to protect the life of Queen Elizabeth II from assassination during her visit to the United States. It was quite the hit, partly due to Nielsen’s portrayal of the well-meaning bumbling detective. After two sequels, it was given its standalone sequel, which premiered in 1994.

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear followed Frank Drebin as he attempted to prevent the kidnapping of a top nuclear scientist in 1991. The Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult came out four years later in 1994 and centered on Drebin’s decision to come out of retirement to prevent a bomb plot during the Academy Awards.

There hasn’t been another Naked Gun movie since then, although there have been rumors of a reboot for years now. The last real push for a new film was in 2013 when Paramount floated the idea of a new film with The Office star Ed Helms playing “Frank Drebin, no relation.” But it didn’t pan out, and other filmmakers joined in to push for a new version. David Zucker, the original producer and director of the first two films, distanced himself from the project and other productions. “I don’t want anything to do with it,” he told Variety in 2023. “The only way I would is if it were an extension or continuation of the trilogy.” He also argued that a reboot would be “inferior” to the original films. Zucker briefly came back in 2017 and reworked an iteration of the Naked Gun reboot that had Drebin’s son as a secret agent. But that version still didn’t come to fruition.

In 2021, Seth MacFarlane decided to revive the franchise, with Neeson later announced to take on Drebin Jr.’s role. Frank Drebin Jr., played by Neeson, is a police lieutenant following in his father’s bumbling footsteps in crime-solving.

Paul Walter Hauser, best known for his portrayal of Iko, has joined the franchise and will be playing Captain Ed Hocken Jr., Drebin Sr.’s partner’s son. Paul Walter Hauser has another Marvel-related film set to arrive in 2025 with Fantastic Four: First Steps. Pamela Anderson will also be a part of the reboot and will play the role of Beth, who is referred to as a femme fatale in the latest trailer. It’s revealed in the trailer that Beth’s brother has been murdered, and it’s a running gag throughout that nobody can figure out the obvious clue to the killer’s identity.

The cast also includes Kevin Durand, Danny Huston, Liza Koshy, Cody Rhodes, CCH Pounder, Busta Rhymes, and Eddy Yu.

Back in April, a teaser was released for the film. The trailer was met with a mixed reception, but David Zucker is critical of it. Zucker told TMZ that he would have preferred not to have watched the teaser as “I can’t unsee it.” For some fans, there’s good news as well. Neeson seems like he’s at least going to embrace the tone of the series. He’s parodying his “particular set of skills” schtick from the Taken franchise for one part of the trailer, dramatically saying, “Once you kill a man for revenge, there’s no going back” before stripping off his attacker’s arms and using them to bludgeon the other criminals. “A voice in your head saying over and over ‘That was awesome,’” he says.

In another scene from the trailer, Frank and Ed Jr. seem to get choked up in front of some commemorative plaques honoring the legacy of their fathers. The trailer also offers some classic laughs, such as when Drebin explains to Beth that the reason he can’t solve the murder mystery of her brother is that they are lacking a suspect. Beth points out that the guy who put his hand through a window and ran is a suspect. Drebin Jr. then goes, “Yeah, but he said he served 20 years for ‘man’s laughter.’”

The first suspect is also asked by Drebin Jr. why he’s so “parsimonious” with his words. The suspect replies that “words are valuable” before Drebin Jr. clarifies that he didn’t say “manslaughter,” which he’s “been accused of” a few times in his life. The suspect corrects himself, and Drebin then follows up: “Must have been quite the joke.” That’s about as close to solving the case as Drebin Jr. is in this trailer.

A true Naked Gun movie doesn’t care about the plot as much as it cares about the gags. From holding up a coffee shop to use the bathroom for “police business” to giving completely deadpan one-liners with straight-faced confidence, Neeson looks more than ready to put on the badge or, at least, trip over a rug while wearing it.

The jokes might not be for everyone; they’re big, punny, and just plain dumb, but that’s also what fans fell in love with in the first place. After nearly 40 years, it appears The Naked Gun might just be back in time for a bit of mindless fun this summer.