The teaser trailer for the new Naked Gun film has finally been revealed and, between unforgettable images of Liam Neeson’s underwear and references to OJ Simpson, it’s a wild ride.
Liam Neeson famously has “a very particular set of skills”, and in the upcoming reboot of Naked Gun, it looks like these will include disguising himself as a schoolgirl and attacking people with a sharpened lollipop.
The reboot will see Liam Neeson play Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., son of Lt. Frank Drebin, the lead character of the first three films played by Leslie Nielsen.
The Naked Gun franchise began with the Police Squad! series in 1982 before it became a film franchise, famous for sending up cop drama tropes and ridiculous visual jokes.
The reboot of the action-comedies was confirmed by Paramount Pictures in 2013, but the project seemed to have been forgotten until October 2022 when the film was officially greenlit with The Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer directing.
Paramount are keeping the details close to their chests, but here’s what you need to know so far.
Who’s confirmed?
Taken’s Liam Neeson is confirmed in the main role of Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., and if the trailer is anything to go by, he’s taken his first full length comedy in his stride.
The 72-year-old actor has an impressively long CV, and is known for his roles as Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, as well as featuring in blockbusters such as Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
It’s not his first go at comedy though – he played himself in BBC 2’s Life’s Too Short and more recently Chief Constable Byers in Derry Girls.
When asked about how he felt about testing out his comedy skills, Liam Neeson told ComingSoon: “It has to be proven. So I’m slightly nervous of it. A little Stephen Colbert sketch or Ricky Gervais, I’m okay with because it’s short. But a whole film, we’ll see.”
Pamela Anderson has also been confirmed in a ‘femme fatale’ role, after her most recent role in indie-drama film The Last Showgirl saw her nominated for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
The ex-Baywatch star’s autobiography Love, Pamela was published in 2023, coinciding with her recent Netflix documentary, Pamela, a Love Story.
Her role is not revealed by the trailer, but Neeson told PEOPLE: “She’s funny and so easy to work with. She’s going to be terrific in the film.”
Paul Walter Hauser will play Captain Ed Hocken Jr., son of, naturally, Captain Ed Hocken, originally played by Alan North in the TV series and George Kennedy in the films.
Hauser is best known for playing Stingray in the Netflix series Cobra Kai as well as voicing Embarrassment in last year’s Pixar blockbuster Inside Out 2.
He is an actor and wrestler and is set to play a role alongside Jeremy Allen White in the upcoming biopic about Bruce Springsteen, Deliver Me from Nowhere.
Also confirmed for the new film are The Strain’s Kevin Durand, Youtuber and actress Liza Koshy, Succession’s Danny Huston and The X-Files’ CCH Pounder.
What is it about?
Very little has been revealed about the plot for the reboot, but it is thought it will follow similar lines to the originals, where Frank Drebin accidently discovers a sinister plot and must attempt to resolve it.
In the trailer released on April 3, Neeson strolls into a hostage situation at a bank, dressed as a schoolgirl. After being confronted by one of the bank robbers, he removes a ridiculous latex mask and reveals himself as Frank Drebin Jr.
The teaser also reveals the lead characters and other police officers paying tribute to their dads, showing pictures of the original Naked Gun actors.
As many viewers will remember, OJ Simpson played a big role as Detective Nordberg in all three original films. In an on-the-nose move, when it comes to the son paying tribute to his dad, Nordberg’s picture, he looks knowingly to the camera and shakes his head.
When can I watch it?
The film is now confirmed to be released in the United States on August 1 later this year, but in the meantime, we’ve attached the trailer so that you too can be slightly disturbed by the sight of Liam Neeson in some strawberry pink bloomers.
