Naked Gun Remake - Release Date, Cast, Director, And More Info

It was announced all the way back in 2022 that Paramount was going to be remaking "Naked Gun" with Liam Neeson as the star. There was little movement on the project in terms of additional cast members or a projected release window throughout all of 2023, leading many to believe the film had been scrapped or entered a new circle of Hollywood production hell. While many view the "Naked Gun" films as sacred comedy texts that dare not be remade, it's happening, and there's a pretty incredible team behind it. The "Naked Gun" films famously changed the trajectory of star Leslie Nielsen's career, so perhaps the new film could do the same for the gruff, action antics of Neeson. We're still quite a ways away from the release of the film, so here's everything you need to know about the upcoming remake.

The "Naked Gun" remake currently has a projected release date of July 18, 2025, putting the film in between two massive summer blockbusters. James Gunn's "Superman" hits theaters on July 11, while Marvel's "The Fantastic Four" arrives on July 25. While there's nothing else currently slated for July 18, I can only imagine it'll be a busy week of films trying like hell to avoid the superhero showdown.

As the film is still early in production, there's no information regarding the plot of the "Naked Gun" remake, other than the obvious source material. "Naked Gun" got its start as a series called "Police Squad!" which spawned three films under the "Naked Gun" banner. All were hilarious spoofs of American crime films and police TV, made famous by the comedy collaborations of Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Pat Proft. The latter two spoke with The Hollywood Reporter in honor of the first film's 35th anniversary in December of 2023 and said that they were not involved in the making of the new film.

"Pat, Mike, and I wrote a script for 'Naked Gun 4,' and we heard Jon Gonda at Paramount had read the script and laughed all the way through it," Zucker said. "But somewhere along the line, they decided not to go with Pat and Mike and me. So that's when they got Seth MacFarlane, and he has Akiva Schaffer directing Liam Neeson. I was never able to meet with Seth." Profit then told THR that the movie could very well "come out and may be great," but seemed disappointed that he was not involved in writing in some way.

Liam Neeson seems to be picking up the mantle left by Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin, and for my money ... this is a fantastic idea. Folks often forget that Nielsen was not known for his comedy skills before getting cast in "Airplane!" in 1980, and then became synonymous with hilariously deadpan characters. It's why so many people were shocked when people go back and see Nielsen playing a villain in "Creepshow," now thinking of him as a comedic actor. I'm just hoping there's an in-movie joke about how Liam Neeson was cast because he's got the closest name in Hollywood to Leslie Nielsen. But perhaps that's wishful thinking on my part.

As of publication, Neeson is the only confirmed cast member of the "Naked Gun" remake, but if there's any justice in the world, Weird Al Yankovic will make an appearance. Director Akiva Schaffer and his Lonely Island cohort Jorma Taccone both appeared in Yankovic's "Weird" biopic as Alice Cooper and Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens, respectively, so there's a definite possibility that Yankovic can continue his streak of playing random characters throughout the franchise.

The "Naked Gun" remake is going to be co-written, executive produced and directed by Akiva Schaffer. Known for his comedy work with The Lonely Island, Schaffer has also become one of the most consistent comedy directors working today. "Hot Rod" is an endlessly quotable classic, "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping" (which was co-directed with Jorma Taccone) is one of the best mockumentaries ever made, and the world was shocked with how ridiculously good the direct-to-Disney+ live-action/animation hybrid "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers" wound up being. Schaffer has more than proven he is capable of pulling off something great and as far as this writer is concerned, the Lonely Island are the true successors to the Zucker, Zucker, Abrahams, and Proft comedy empire. Anyone other than Schaffer, Taccone, or Samberg would feel wrong.

Paramount is once again putting out the "Naked Gun" film, with Schaffer having co-written the script alongside Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. The duo also wrote the script for the Emmy-winning "Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers," which was likewise a crime comedy (and a biting satire of the entertainment industry). Schaffer is executive producing the film while Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via their company Fuzzy Door. That's a high-quality caliber of comedy above the line, which is exactly what a legacy remake like "Naked Gun" deserves.

All of the films in the "Naked Gun" franchise were rated PG-13 but certainly pushed the limits of that rating as best as they could. While there won't be a rating available for the "Naked Gun" remake anytime soon, it's doubtful that the film will push for the R-rating. Schaffer has worked with a variety of different ratings, with "Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping" getting an R-rating, "Hot Rod" earning a PG-13 rating, and "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers" at PG. We will update this article as more information becomes available, but I'm placing my bets on PG-13.