Liam Neeson’s Naked Gun Reboot Is Finally Moving Forward, And It’s About Time

Liam Neeson in Marlowe
(Image credit: Open Road Films)

Depending on who you talk to, some feel that the world, and the 2024 movie schedule, is a lawless landscape. In times like those, someone needs to bring justice back, and put the villains on the run. Which is why it’s a fantastic thing to hear that Liam Neeson’s Naked Gun reboot is finally moving forward. Like a movie focused on the precision of Swiss timepieces, it’s about time.

The good news broke through Variety, which confirmed that the long in-development resurrection of the Leslie Nielsen-starring brand is now happening real soon. Neeson is the only participant cast so far, with July 12, 2025 being the current release date set for The Naked Gun’s new adventure. 

Previously, Paramount had taken big steps on the creative side with the hiring of the Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers team of director Akiva Schaffer and writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Combined with the powers of producer Seth MacFarlane, this project already looks quite promising, and it'll have only taken the franchise 31 years to return to theaters by time this picture's intended release date arrives!

Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun

(Image credit: Paramount)

The history behind The Naked Gun's potential reawakening is pretty long, if you know where to look. The would-be kickoff event for this iteration of The Naked Gun occurred back in 2021, when MacFarlane convinced Liam Neeson to be part of the project. However, that’s only part of the story, as Paramount has been trying to get the series back into action as far back as the 2013 Ed Helms-led reboot pitch that never came to pass.

Liam Neeson’s excitement for The Naked Gun reboot hasn’t died down in the slightest. Though he’s certainly kept busy with his run of action movies like Memory and Retribution, it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise to hear the man waxing poetic about revisiting Leslie Nielsen’s classics in preparation. With roughly three years waiting for this day to come, it looks like that prep is about to pay off.

So what could we see in the new era of The Naked Gun? Well, we still don’t know if this would be a legacy-quel that follows in the shadow of Nielsen’s Lt. Frank Drebin, or if Liam Neeson is supposed to be the “new” Frank. Either of those prospects would fit in this revamp of one of the best satirical screwball comedy franchises to ever hit the screen. But like Robin Hood at a drive thru, it’s gonna take a lot of concentration to hit the target.

Classic Naked Gun fans, don’t fret! Just because a reboot is on the way doesn’t mean the classics have gone out of style. In fact, at the time of this publication, you can catch the entire Naked Gun trilogy through access to a Max subscription.

Mike Reyes
Senior Movies Contributor

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.