The upcoming Liam Neeson-led reboot of the iconic 1988 comedy film, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, is finally moving forward.
Paramount Pictures revealed yesterday (February 28) that the upcoming reboot has secured a premiere date in July 2025. The film, which will be co-produced by Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins via Fuzzy Door, is set for release on July 18 next year, per Variety. The Lonely Island member Akiva Schaffer, who is set to direct the reboot.
The project has been in the works for some time now, with Neeson in talks to lead the rebooted franchise as early as 2022. According to a Deadline Hollywood report published at the time, it was suggested that Neeson will be playing the son of detective Frank Drebin. Further information on the reboot are currently under wraps including the rest of its cast, its plot and more.
The original Naked Gun trilogy starred Leslie Nielsen as gullible detective Frank Drebin. The 1988 original film was followed by sequels The Naked Gun 2 1/2 : The Smell Of Fear in 1991 and Naked Gun 33 1/2 : The Final Insult in 1994.
In 2022, Neeson joked about joining the reboot, quipping that it could make or break his career: “I’ve been approached by Seth MacFarlane and Paramount Studios to maybe resurrect the Naked Gun films. It’ll either finish my career or bring it in another direction. I honestly don’t know.”
In recent years, Neeson has become known for starring in action films like Taken and Non-Stop, although he has discussed the prospect of leaving the action roles behind. Speaking on the Tonight Show back in 2022, he said: “I think the action movies will draw to a close, they have to. Audiences aren’t stupid, you know. They’re gonna go, ‘Oh, fuck, this guy, Liam Neeson. He’s got to be 71, 72, 73…’ I’ll stop at some stage.”
Neeson has previously collaborated with MacFarlane on A Million Ways To Die In The West, along with cameo appearances in Ted 2 and Orville.