Paramount Pictures is reviving one of comedy’s most absurd franchises, and this time, it’s Liam Neeson stepping into the chaos. The Naked Gun returns to theaters on August 1, 2025, with Neeson starring as Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., the bumbling son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic detective from the original film series. He’s joined by a stacked comedic cast including Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Danny Huston, Kevin Durand, Liza Koshy, Cody Rhodes, Eddie Yu, and Busta Rhymes.
Directed by Akiva Schaffer (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers), the film is penned by Schaffer alongside Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, and produced by Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins. This legacy sequel blends deadpan absurdity, physical gags, and generational callbacks in a slapstick revival aiming to win over both longtime fans and newcomers.
A Familiar Case, A New Set of Skills
In the reboot, Drebin Jr. faces the ultimate ultimatum: solve a case or watch Police Squad be permanently shut down. Unfortunately, Drebin Jr. is just as accident-prone as his father — and just as convinced he’s the man for the job.
The film’s newly released trailer features Neeson in prime parody form: shooting off his weapon in a café bathroom line, misreading “manslaughter” as “man’s laughter,” and driving off in a police vehicle with the charging cable still attached — triggering a massive explosion.
Pamela Anderson plays Beth, the sultry and suspicious woman at the center of Drebin’s investigation. She brings the femme fatale energy once embodied by Priscilla Presley in the original films, telling Drebin, “I think someone murdered my brother.” When he asks her to take a seat in his office, she picks up the chair and walks out.
Hauser plays the son of George Kennedy’s original character, Captain Ed Hocken, while Moses Jones plays the son of O.J. Simpson’s Detective Nordberg. The film also includes nods to legacy characters, with Drebin Jr. addressing a wall of portraits — including one of Leslie Nielsen — with a heartfelt “Hi, Daddy. It’s me.”
A Comedy Legacy Rebooted
The Naked Gun reboot has been in the works for over a decade. Initially conceived in 2013 with Ed Helms attached, the project gained traction when Seth MacFarlane came aboard in 2021 and brought in Schaffer to direct. Together with Gregor and Mand, they crafted a script that walks the line between reverence for the original and absurd updates for modern audiences.
The film is based on the beloved Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker property Police Squad! and the Naked Gun film series, which began in 1988 and produced two sequels by 1994. Nielsen’s deadpan performance as Frank Drebin helped define the franchise’s tone, with absurd wordplay, slapstick action, and rapid-fire gags. This reboot seeks to preserve that spirit with a fresh cast and new stakes.
Anderson and Neeson: “Professionally Romantic”
Pamela Anderson, fresh off her critically acclaimed performance in The Last Showgirl, said preparing for The Naked Gun was surprisingly similar. “I worked hard on the role. Every film, it seems, tackles a deep-seated issue that needs to be expressed and surfaced in ways other than anything else,” Anderson shared in an interview.
She also praised Neeson, calling him “a true gentleman,” “mysterious,” and “inspiring,” and noted their chemistry was “electric in a way.” Their dynamic is central to the reboot’s blend of spoof and sincerity.
The Verdict? Expect Ridiculousness
Whether Neeson is decked out in a schoolgirl disguise, dodging explosions, or earnestly delivering nonsense with a furrowed brow, the trailer suggests that The Naked Gun isn’t toning down the absurdity. From high-speed chases to high-stakes bathroom breaks, the slapstick is alive and well.
And if Drebin Jr. fails? The punishment is almost too much for him to bear: Police Squad HQ might be turned into a Spirit Halloween.
The Naked Gun opens in theaters on August 1, 2025. Get ready — because only one man has the “particular set of skills” to save the day, even if he doesn’t quite know what he’s doing.