Summary
- The reboot of The Naked Gun starring Liam Neeson may differ in comedic elements from the original.
- Director David Zucker expressed regrets after watching the remake’s trailer and compared it to “2 Girls 1 Cup.”
- Fans are excited about Neeson’s new role, but loyalists feel the remake may lack the original’s spirit and humor.
The Naked Gun is set to return to the big screen after numerous decades away from the limelight. However, the director of the original movie isn’t thrilled with even the idea of a reboot.
A reboot of The Naked Gun has been in development for a long time and will finally be released in August. Paramount just dropped the trailer for the new film starring Liam Neeson. It successfully retains the original movie’s comedic elements but feels somewhat different, most likely due to The Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer being at the helm this time around. David Zucker, who directed the first film and is known for slapstick, absurd humor, and fast-paced gags, saw the trailer of the reboot and shared his reaction.
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Paramount dropped the first look at Neeson as Lt. Drank Drebin Jr. in The Naked Gun trailer on Thursday. In the new film, Neeson’s character is the son of Leslie Nielsen’s Lt. Frank Drebin. However, the Airplane! filmmaker was seemingly not impressed with The Naked Gun remake and even regretted seeing the teaser. He also revealed that he would not watch the movie upon release. Here’s what Zucker told TMZ after watching the trailer:
I never saw ‘Airplane 2’ because you can’t unsee that stuff. I’m not planning on seeing the ‘Naked Gun’ remake either. I regret having seen the trailer for it. It’s like watching ‘2 Girls 1 Cup.’ I can’t unsee it.
Zucker comparing Neeson’s The Naked Gun reboot to “2 Girls 1 Cup” is not a compliment as the latter is an extremely graphic and disturbing video involving two women, a cup, and bodily fluids. It went viral because people filmed their reactions, often showing shock, disgust, and confusion. The vast majority of people who came across the infamous video regretted watching it. TMZ added that Zucker’s response wasn’t a complete surprise. They spoke with the filmmaker in 2024 about the remake, and he said that no one had reached out to him for advice about it. Also, he and his partners, Pat Proft and Mike McManus, reportedly submitted a script to Paramount in 2018, and they thought the studio loved the concept. So, they were surprised when the project was given to another creative team.
Liam Neeson Is Getting Into Slapstick Satire With The Naked Gun
The new Naked Gun movie is a reboot and is still a screwball comedy police procedural. This is evident in the trailer, where Neeson pretends to be a schoolgirl and infiltrates a bank where a robbery is in progress. However, the comedic element is noticeably different from Zucker’s original movie. The teaser of the original film was hilarious because it was packed with a lot of light and funny moments.
Despite that, many enjoyed the remake trailer. Several were happy to see the Star Wars actor in a comedy movie because he played serious characters in his previous projects. Neeson’s role in The Naked Gun is new to many, and plenty of fans are enthusiastic about it. Some are reticent, claiming this new flick will never be as good as the original movie, which is deemed by many as among the funniest movies of all time. The mixed opinion is not surprising, especially because many are loyal to the original movie. Hopefully, the remake is as good as the first one, despite Zucker seemingly giving it a thumbs-down.
The Naked Guy hits theaters on August 1, 2025.
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Source: TMZ