Few comedy franchises are as instantly recognizable as The Naked Gun. Built on a foundation of deadpan slapstick, rapid-fire visual gags, and gloriously absurd crime-comedy plots, the series became a cultural touchstone thanks to Leslie Nielsen’s iconic performance as bumbling police lieutenant Frank Drebin. Decades after the original trilogy wrapped, The Naked Gun made a triumphant return in 2025 with a new reboot starring Liam Neeson, introducing the franchise to a whole new generation while delighting longtime fans. Here’s a complete look at the franchise’s legacy and everything to know about the new film.
The Original Naked Gun Trilogy
The Naked Gun franchise traces its roots back to the short-lived but beloved television series Police Squad!, which parodied police and crime procedurals with a distinctive blend of deadpan humor and rapid-fire sight gags. That format was adapted into the first feature film, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, released in 1988 and directed by David Zucker. The film starred Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin, a hopelessly incompetent yet strangely effective police detective, and became both a critical and commercial success.
Two sequels followed: The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear in 1991 and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult in 1994. Together, the trilogy helped define a distinct style of parody comedy, packed with puns, visual gags, and absurd non sequiturs, and cemented Nielsen’s status as one of comedy’s most beloved deadpan performers.
Bringing Naked Gun Back: The 2025 Reboot
After more than three decades away from the big screen, The Naked Gun returned in 2025 with a new film simply titled The Naked Gun, directed by Akiva Schaffer and produced by Seth MacFarlane. The film served as a continuation of the franchise’s legacy rather than a full remake, following Frank Drebin Jr., son of Nielsen’s original character, as he works to solve a murder case and save his struggling police department from closure.
Liam Neeson stepped into the role of Frank Drebin Jr., marking a notable departure from the action-hero image he had built over the previous two decades in films like Taken. The film also starred Pamela Anderson as Drebin’s love interest, along with Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, Kevin Durand, and Liza Koshy in supporting roles.
Why Liam Neeson Took on the Role
Casting Liam Neeson as the lead in a broad, gag-driven comedy franchise initially raised eyebrows, given his reputation as a dramatic and action-oriented performer. However, Neeson has long been known among colleagues and fans for his sharp comic timing, something the new film aimed to fully showcase. Speaking at the film’s New York premiere, Neeson offered a characteristically deadpan explanation for why the reboot felt necessary, joking that audiences needed “a few giggles” given the state of the world, delivered in the same dry tone that defined his on-screen character.
Reviews of the film ultimately praised Neeson’s performance, with many critics noting that his commitment to the material and comedic delivery helped honor Nielsen’s legacy while making the role his own.
Box Office Performance and Reception
The Naked Gun reboot opened strongly, earning more than $28 million globally on its opening weekend, a particularly strong result for an original comedy release in the current box office landscape. The film went on to gross more than $100 million worldwide, becoming the first Liam Neeson film to cross that milestone in six years, since his appearance in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker in 2019.
The film also received largely positive critical reception, with many reviewers praising its commitment to old-school slapstick and joke density, especially compared to more restrained modern comedies. Fans and critics alike noted that the film successfully balanced nostalgia for the original trilogy’s humor with a fresh, contemporary energy.
Is a Naked Gun Sequel Happening?
Despite the reboot’s strong box office and critical performance, the future of the franchise remains uncertain. Shortly after the film’s release, Liam Neeson suggested in an interview that the film would likely be a “one-off,” expressing doubt that he would return for a sequel. However, in more recent comments made in early 2026, Neeson offered a slightly different tone, noting that he hadn’t been formally approached about a follow-up but would be open to returning if the script was strong and if co-stars like Pamela Anderson and Danny Huston were also involved.
Behind the scenes, there are signs that a sequel could still be in early development. Screenwriters Dan Gregor and Doug Mand have indicated that they’ve already begun jotting down ideas for a potential follow-up, suggesting that while nothing has been officially greenlit, the creative team remains open to continuing the story if the opportunity arises.
Where to Watch The Naked Gun
Following its theatrical run, The Naked Gun became available for at-home viewing through premium video-on-demand shortly after its release, allowing audiences who missed it in theaters to catch up on the reboot’s blend of nostalgia and fresh comedic energy. The film’s strong home viewing performance further reinforced its status as one of the standout comedy releases of the year.
Why The Naked Gun Reboot Resonated With Audiences
Part of what made the 2025 Naked Gun reboot so successful was its clear reverence for the original trilogy’s style of comedy, at a time when broad, joke-dense theatrical comedies had become increasingly rare. Rather than modernizing the humor into something more subdued or ironic, the film leaned fully into the franchise’s signature blend of absurdist gags, sight jokes, and deadpan delivery, giving longtime fans exactly the kind of comedic chaos they remembered while introducing new audiences to the franchise’s unique sensibility.
Neeson and Anderson’s on-screen chemistry, paired with a strong supporting cast, also helped ground the film’s more outlandish comedic elements, giving it a level of charm that resonated with both critics and general audiences.
Final Thoughts
More than three decades after Leslie Nielsen last donned Frank Drebin’s badge, The Naked Gun proved that the franchise’s brand of absurdist comedy still has a place in modern moviegoing, thanks to a strong box office run, positive reviews, and a career-redefining comedic turn from Liam Neeson. While the future of a direct sequel remains uncertain, early signs of creative interest behind the scenes suggest fans may not have seen the last of Frank Drebin Jr. Whether or not a follow-up materializes, the 2025 reboot has already cemented itself as a worthy continuation of one of comedy’s most beloved franchises.
