A long-pending reboot of the Naked Gun franchise with Liam Neeson is finally moving forward at Paramount, landing a release date of July 18, 2025. The film was first announced back in 2022.
The currently untitled project will be directed and executive produced by Akiva Schaffer, who co-wrote the draft script alongside Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, reprising their partnership from the Emmy-winning film Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers.
In 2014, reports of a reboot cropped up, with The Hangover actor Ed Helms reported to star as Nielsen’s character Frank Drebin. However, in 2021, Neeson told People magazine that McFarlane and Paramount Studios approached him to star in The Naked Gun reboot. Now, roughly 14 years after reports of Naked Gun 4, The Naked Gun reboot has evolved from casting rumour to a sure thing.
According to Deadline, Neeson committed to starring in the role after being approached by MacFarlane, whom he worked with on other films like Ted 2, The Orville, and A Million Ways To Die In The West.
The Naked Gun films, derived from the TV series Police Squad!, were high-water marks for slapstick comedy. They ran over six years: The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988), The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991) and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994).