The Naked Gun 2025: What to Know About the Comeback Comedy Starring Liam Neeson

The Naked Gun 2025, a comedy reboot, stars Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr., hitting theaters August 1, 2025. Directed by Akiva Schaffer and produced by Seth MacFarlane, it follows Drebin Jr. solving a murder to save Police Squad. Expect slapstick humor, a star-studded cast, and modern twists.

Get ready to laugh again — The Naked Gun is coming back. The cult classic spoof series is being revived with a brand-new movie, The Naked Gun 2025 , set to hit theaters on August 1, 2025. And yes, Liam Neeson is playing the lead.

It’s a wild idea on paper — the action star known for throat punches and revenge missions stepping into the shoes (well, the son’s shoes) of the famously clueless detective Frank Drebin. But that’s exactly what this reboot-slash-sequel is doing. Here’s everything we know so far — from cast and plot to trailers and fan reactions.

So, What IsThe Naked Gun 2025?

It’s technically a sequel, but with enough of a reboot vibe to give it a fresh start. Think of it like passing the torch. The original trilogy, led by the legendary Leslie Nielsen, spoofed police dramas with nonstop sight gags, puns, and completely ridiculous situations.

This new version follows his son, Frank Drebin Jr., played by Neeson, as he tries to keep the Police Squad alive while solving a major case. The tone? Still absurd. The style? Still slapstick. But with a new cast and a modern twist.

Akiva Schaffer, known for SNL and Popstar, is directing, and Seth MacFarlane (yes, Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane) is producing. That combo alone gives you a pretty good idea of what kind of comedy they’re going for.

When Does It Come Out?

The movie’s set to release in U.S. theaters on August 1, 2025. It was originally planned for mid-July, but Paramount bumped it back slightly — likely to give it more room to breathe in the packed summer lineup.

Here’s a quick breakdown of international release dates:

Country	Release Date
United States	August 1, 2025
United Kingdom	August 1, 2025
Italy, Indonesia	July 30, 2025
Australia	August 21, 2025
Spain, Taiwan	August 22, 2025

---

Who’s in It?

There’s a solid mix of big names, cult favorites, and a few surprises in this cast:

• Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr.
  Probably the biggest surprise of all — Neeson leans fully into the parody, and if the trailers are anything to go by, he’s pulling it off. His dead-serious delivery might be exactly what this kind of humor needs.
  
• Pamela Anderson as Beth
  She plays Drebin’s love interest and partner-in-investigation. She’s trying to find out who killed her brother, and Drebin’s the guy (kind of?) helping her do it. It’s a fun return for Anderson, and she seems game for the chaos.
  
• Paul Walter Hauser as Captain Ed Hocken Jr.
  A nod to the George Kennedy character from the originals. Hauser brings his own weird energy, and fans of Black Bird or Richard Jewell know he can walk the line between oddball and sincere.
  
• Kevin Durand is playing the villain (though we don’t know who exactly)
  He’s a big guy with a knack for playing bad guys, and you can expect his character to be as over-the-top as everyone else.
  
• Danny Huston is also in the cast, but his role is still under wraps.
  

Other cast members include Liza Koshy, Busta Rhymes, CCH Pounder, Moses Jones (as Nordberg Jr.), and wrestler Cody Rhodes.

What’s the Plot?

The core setup is simple: Police Squad is on the chopping block, and Frank Jr. has to prove it’s still useful — by solving a headline-grabbing murder. He teams up with Beth to crack the case, but obviously, nothing goes smoothly.

The movie is packed with classic Naked Gun-style chaos: awkward one-liners, visual gags, parodies of cop dramas, and modern references. Early reports suggest the script touches on real-world issues — including a not-so-subtle joke about O.J. Simpson’s controversial involvement in the original films.

It’s not trying to reinvent comedy. It just wants to make people laugh like they did in the ‘80s and ‘90s — but with a 2025 twist.

What’s in the Trailer?

Paramount has released two trailers so far:

• The teaser dropped during CinemaCon and mostly introduced the tone and cast. It gave us a taste of Neeson’s comedic timing — surprisingly solid — and set the stage for the absurdity to come.
  
• The full trailer, which came out in June, dives deeper into the plot and shows off some of the gags, including bodycam-style POV shots and police clichés turned on their heads. There’s even a wink-wink O.J. reference that had fans talking.
  

If you want to see for yourself, both trailers are available on Paramount’s YouTube channel and the movie’s official site.

Behind the Scenes

Here’s a quick look at who’s making this all happen:

Role	Name
Director	Akiva Schaffer
Producers	Seth MacFarlane, Erica Huggins
Writers	Akiva Schaffer, Dan Gregor, Doug Mand
Cinematographer	Brandon Trost
Editor	Brian Scott Olds
Composer	Lorne Balfe
Filming Location	Atlanta, Georgia (May–June 2024)
Studio	Paramount Pictures

The movie was filmed under the working title Law Of Toughness, which is just vague enough to sound like an actual cop movie.

How Are Fans Feeling About It?

Fans are… cautiously hopeful.

Online reactions to the trailers have been mostly positive, especially on Reddit and film forums. Some longtime fans are skeptical — because let’s be honest, Leslie Nielsen left some very big shoes to fill — but Neeson’s straight-faced approach seems to be winning people over.

There’s also a general appetite for good spoof comedies again. After years of gritty reboots and superhero fatigue, something like The Naked Gun feels almost refreshing.

How Does It Stack Up to the Originals?

The tone seems pretty close to the original trilogy — rapid jokes, deadpan acting, and cartoonish scenarios. But this version doesn’t try to copy-paste Nielsen’s performance. Neeson’s Drebin Jr. is cut from the same cloth, but he brings a different energy — less goofy, more intense, which ironically works for this kind of comedy.

Quick FAQs

Final Thoughts

The Naked Gun 2025 is shaping up to be a ridiculous, self-aware, and possibly very funny revival of a classic comedy brand. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and neither should you. Liam Neeson as a clueless cop might just be the unexpected comedy hit of the summer.The film hits theaters August 1, 2025. Whether you’re revisiting an old favorite or discovering the franchise for the first time, it might be worth putting this one on your radar.