The Naked Gun Reboot: Everything We Know So Far

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After fifteen years of false starts, a new entry in the beloved spoof series "The Naked Gun" is finally in the can and set to head to cinemas worldwide. What's interesting is that this movie is not really a reboot in the traditional sense, but rather a sequel to 1994's "Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult." Action movie star Liam Neeson leads the line as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen's Frank Drebin, kicking off a new era in a franchise that dates back to the 1982 TV series "Police Squad!"

While it looks like there'll be plenty of shenanigans to witness and a whole lot of sight gags to behold, comedy fans will have to wait a little bit to finally dig their teeth into more larks from the boys in blue. But when can audiences expect to see the "Naked Gun" reboot? What will it be about? Who will star in it alongside Neeson? And what can you watch to prepare yourself for the film's debut? Here's everything you need to know.

"The Naked Gun" will make its big screen debut on August 1st, 2025. That's a fairly bold move from Paramount; it's pretty much in the middle of the summer moviegoing season, when the biggest blockbusters are usually released. In theory, it may have been wise for the studio to wait one more month and drop the film over the traditionally fruitful Labor Day weekend, but it will instead take its chances against a slate of family fare. Domestically, the film will be in direct competition with the animated sequel "The Bad Guys 2," which drops on the same day. Just a week later, on August 8, another sequel hits cineplexes: "Freakier Friday."

There's no word on what "The Naked Gun" will be rated yet, but execs at Paramount appear to be confident that they will be able to scoop up adult audiences during the first two weeks of August. Though, to be fair, there are plenty of things that only adults noticed in "The Bad Guys," and there are actually other options for grown-ups in this release window. For example, the comedy drama "My Mother's Wedding" with Scarlett Johansson and Sienna Miller also comes out on August 8. Is releasing "The Naked Gun" in early August a wise strategy? Time will tell.

A teaser trailer for "The Naked Gun" dropped online just before Paramount presented the film at CinemaCon, "where extended footage was revealed to huge laughs and resounding applause," The Hollywood Reporter confirmed, adding that the "footage teases a tone that should please fans of the original series, including a moment in which Neeson beats a man with his own dismembered arms." The teaser trailer also contains some wacky violence, showing Frank entering an active bank robbery convincingly dressed as a little girl before pulling off his mask and using his lollipop as a surprisingly effective weapon. It also sets up the premise: The trailer discloses that Frank Drebin Jr. is the son of the original Frank Drebin.

In the trailer, Frank is seen mourning his late dad at the station's so-called "Hall of Legends." It turns out plenty of other officers are there doing the exact same thing. A Black officer is shown staring at a plaque dedicated to the memory of the hapless Norberg (O.J. Simpson). He then breaks the fourth wall by turning to the camera and shaking his head before walking away. It looks like a movie willing to make fun of any target — even itself. The trailer contains no footage of Pamela Anderson, though she was shown during the extended footage at CinemaCon, per The Hollywood Reporter, as was Busta Rhymes, who apparently plays an ex-con. "It says you've served 20 years for man's laughter," Frank tells Rhymes' character. "Must have been quite the joke."

Besides Busta Rhymes' unnamed character and Pamela Anderson's Beth (who is seemingly the female lead and Frank's love interest), there are a few well-known faces appearing in "The Naked Gun." Paul Walter Hauser will play Frank's right-hand man Capt. Ed Hocken Jr., the son of George Kennedy's Ed Hocken. Danny Huston (known for films like "The Aviator" and "The Constant Gardener") will also appear in the film, as will "Locke & Key" star Kevin Durand. The latter is "taking on one of the film's villain roles," Deadline confirms. "The Naked Gun" will also feature Liza Koshy and CCH Pounder, both in currently unnamed roles, and wrestler Cody Rhodes is slated to have a minor role in the film. Rhodes has dabbled in the acting game in the past, most notably playing drug dealer and crime boss Derek Sampson in the DC show "Arrow." Michael Beasley ("The 5th Wave") has also been cast as a character called Officer Taylor.

As of this writing there's no word on whether or not Priscilla Presley will appear as Jane Spencer Drebin, the wife of Frank Sr. and, presumably, the mother of Frank Jr. (the couple welcomed a baby boy at the end of "Naked Gun 33⅓," so we can assume that this was Frank Jr., but this has yet to be confirmed). Presley has been dismissive about the long-gestating reboot in the past, reiterating that she wants no part of it, but that was when the project was assumed to be a full reboot rather than a sequel. Perhaps they're keeping a cameo from Presley under wraps? It seems like a long shot given her staunch opposition to the project over the years, but you never know. Also missing thus far is Weird Al Yankovic, who cameoed in all three previous "Naked Gun" films. 

Akiva Schaffer directed the 2025 version of "The Naked Gun." He also co-wrote the film and co-produced it. Schaffer has a rich history in the comedy world and might best be known to audiences for his work with the internet famous comedy music group The Lonely Island. He has rapped and performed on multiple tracks with them and has acted in their shorts and music videos. His largest acting role thus far is that of Lawrence in "Popstar: Never Stop Stopping."

His previous directing credits include a plethora of Lonely Island digital shorts for "Saturday Night Live" and music videos for the band. Film wise, Schaffer directed "Hot Rod," "The Watch," "Popstar: Never Stop Stopping," and, more recently, "Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers." His television director credits include two episodes of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," almost a dozen episodes of "I Think You Should Leave," and Netflix's "Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special."

As stated above, Akiva Schaffer co-wrote and co-executive produced "The Naked Gun." The film was co-written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Gregor, a former member of the Upright Citizens Brigade, co-wrote some episodes of "How I Met Your Mother" and served as the sitcom's executive story editor during Season 7 and Season 8. On the big screen, he co-wrote the script for "Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers." Mand also co-wrote "Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers" and Gregor's episodes of "How I Met Your Mother." In summary, they're very much used to working together. Original "Police Squad!" and "Naked Gun" trilogy writers and creators Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker get "based on" credits. Zucker has already expressed his dislike for the film. "I'm not planning on seeing the 'Naked Gun' remake," he told TMZ. "I regret having seen the trailer for it."

Joining Schaffer on the executive producer side is Daniel M. Stillman, who started out as a production manager and has executive produced "Leave the World Behind," "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga," "Krampus," and "Maze Runner: the Death Cure." The biggest name behind the scenes is without a doubt Seth MacFarlane of "Family Guy" and "American Dad" fame, who co-produces. He's very happy with how the film has turned out, telling Collider that Schaffer "has done a hell of a job." Erica Huggins, who worked with MacFarlane on his "Ted" prequel series, is also a producer on the film.

The "Naked Gun" franchise began with "Police Squad!" in 1982, a slapstick crime series that only lasted for a single season. The Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams then resurrected "Police Squad!" as the 1988 feature film "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" The movie transports Frank Drebin to modern-day Los Angeles and assigns him a major task — he must figure out who's brainwashing people to assassinate major public figures while protecting Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley), who might just be the key to Drebin's survival.

1988's "The Naked Gun" was a big enough hit to spawn two major sequels. 1991's "The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear" pits Frank against a group of shady energy tycoons who kidnap the eco-friendly Dr. Albert S. Meinheimer (Richard Griffiths) and replace him with an imposter before he can put his plans to revolutionize the energy sector into place. 1994's "Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult" sees Frank come out of retirement and go undercover to catch some terrorists planning on blowing up the Academy Awards. The movie ends with Jane and Frank having a son, which seemingly leads into the upcoming fourth feature film.

If you'd like to brush up on the "Naked Gun" franchise to get ready for the upcoming sequel, there's good news and bad news. "Police Squad!" is no longer available on streaming, nor can the episodes be bought individually on VOD. You can, however, purchase the show on DVD if you want to rewatch the original series in full before heading to the movies in August. The standard edition of "Police Squad!" is available to buy on Amazon for less than $10 at the time of this writing.

As for the "Naked Gun" trilogy itself, here's where you can stream the movies: You can watch "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" for free on Tubi, but the two sequels are only available for purchase for $3.99 via the likes of Google Play, Apple TV, Fandango and Amazon Prime Video. Of course, seeing as the upcoming Liam Neeson-led sequel comes from Paramount, it will likely end up on Paramount+ once its theatrical run comes to an end, though that may not be for some time. If you want to see it sooner rather than later, then you'll need to head to a cineplex and see it on the big screen.