Liam Neeson is gearing up to show us his very particular set of skills. And this time around, the actor is going to prove to the world that he can also do comedy. How you ask? Well, would you believe that he Neeson was just cast to play the role of Frank Drebin Jr. in the reboot of The Naked Gun.
Yes, you read that right. Neeson will be breathing new life to the role in the classic slapstick comedy franchise that was popularized by Leslie Nielsen. Only this time around, he'll be playing Nielsen's son.
When the role was first offered to Neeson, the actor was hesitant about it and told People (The TV Show) in February 2022:
"It'll either finish my career or bring it in another direction. I honestly don't know."
But since then, it looks like Neeson has made a decision since the show has been greenlit by Paramount Studios.
In a more recent interview with Collider, Neeson confirmed the project and said that they plan to get started this year:
"Yes, we're waiting on a script. Yeah, we're hoping it'll happen this year, maybe in the summertime."
In the same interview, Neeson was asked whether the project is considered a priority for those involved. Neeson answered:
"Yeah, Paramount Studios, I think. I approached Seth MacFarlane, he and his team are working on it, the scripts. So, we're hoping to go in the summertime, you know?"
What Will The Naked Gun Reboot Story Be About?
As of this writing, plot details of the reboot are kept under wraps. The only thing we know about the project right now is Neeson's role in the movie.
The Naked Gun was a big hit in the late 80s. The franchise spawned a total of three movies entitled The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, and The Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult. The first movie was based on the ABC series Police Squad!, which was released in 1982 and canceled after six episodes. In the same year that the first movie was released, Police Squad! was rebooted as a feature film.
Leslie Nielsen starred in all three films as the gullible Detective Frank Drebin, who would often make everyone around him do a facepalm due to his antics.
In the reboot, it appears that Neeson will be playing Drebin's son with Jane Spencer (played by Priscilla Presley).
The Naked Gun Reboot Crew
The plan to reboot The Naked Gun has been ongoing for years, specifically after Nielsen's death in 2010. Paramount first planned to reboot the movie in 2013 with Ed Helms starring as Frank Drebin. Unfortunately, those plans did not materialize.
The project was then moved to MacFarlane's lap in early 2021. Joining MacFarlane are Akiva Schaffer and Dan Gregor who will be directing the film. The screenplay will be written by Doug Mond.
Who Are the Stars Joining The Naked Gun Reboot?
Apart from Neeson, no announcement has been made on who will be joining the movie as cast members.
When reports first came out that Neeson was being tapped to star in the reboot, Priscilla Presley was asked by NME about whether she would be joining the film. The former wife of Elvis Presley answered:
"It was such a great success and I'm going to leave it as that. It's hard to believe anyone else could be Frank Drebin and play that role. I think that Liam Neeson -- I don't know if he has a sense of humour, I heard he did -- but I can't put the two together."
"I don't want to be judgmental and I wish them luck with it."
In another interview with Standard, Presley said that she doesn't want any part in the reboot of the classic 80s film.
"No, I won't [be in it]! I wouldn't do it really if I was asked because you don't fix something that's already fixed. “That movie I don’t think can be rebooted in the way that Leslie Nielsen and I did it. It was just a great relationship and friendship and we got along great on the set and that was just all fun and what a great experience. Now, in this one, gosh, the actors who are playing the characters, I can’t see it visually. Maybe it will come across great, but I wouldn’t be a part of it."
Is There a Trailer for The Naked Gun Reboot?
Right now, they are still waiting on the script and a date on when to start working on the project. This means that there is no material to use for a trailer of The Naked Gun reboot.
In the meantime, you can watch the best moments of Leslie Nielsen being Detective Frank Drebin in the three movies here:
We'll update this post once more information becomes available.
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