Everything we know about The Naked Gun reboot: Release date, cast, and how it acknowledges O.J. Simpson’s role in the original

Liam Neeson is ready to get silly in The Naked Gun.

The actor will star in an upcoming reboot of the iconic franchise from director Akiva Schaffer, the Lonely Island alum behind cult classics like Hot Rod (2007) and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016). 

Released in 1988, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! parodied police procedurals via rapid-fire jokes, zany slapstick, and a deeply committed lead performance by Leslie Nielsen as the sweet (and dim) Lt. Frank Drebin.

The reboot has been in the works since 2013, but it picked up steam once Family Guy and Ted creator Seth MacFarlane came on as a producer in 2021.

So, is it a sequel or a new story? What's it about? Who's joining Neeson in the cast? Will they address the O.J. Simpson of it all? Read on for everything we know about The Naked Gun reboot.

Is there a Naked Gun trailer?

There is. In April, a teaser trailer for The Naked Gun debuted at CinemaCon, an annual event for Hollywood studios and exhibitors.

The teaser finds a little girl walking into an active hostage situation, where she confronts the armed criminals while holding a lollipop.

“What do you want, little one?” asks a gunman. The girl is then revealed to be Neeson's Frank, who rips off his oddly realistic mask and replies, "Your ass." Oh, and that lollipop? It's now a weapon used to subdue the villains.

When a hostage asks his name, he declares, “Frank Drebin, police squad. The new version!”

Later in the teaser, we meet Paul Walter Hauser's Capt. Ed Hocken Jr., who sets up a well-executed joke involving Simpson, the elephant in the room from the original film. (One of the most notorious cultural figures of the last several decades, Simpson was a key part of the original franchise as Det. Fred Nordberg.)

What is The Naked Gun about?

The Naked Gun is a direct sequel to the original trilogy, with Neeson playing Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., son of Nielsen's character.

In an amusing send-up of Hollywood's penchant for making reboot characters related to original franchise players, the teaser introduces children of George Kennedy's Ed Hocken and Simpson's Nordberg.

We don't have a synopsis for The Naked Gun yet, but the trailer makes it clear that the acorn hasn't fallen too far from the tree. Neeson's Frank is engaging in the same types of straight-faced lunacy as his father (though we'll admit he seems much more adept at hand-to-hand combat).

That said, CinemaCon showcased footage from the film that isn't available to general audiences yet, per The Hollywood Reporter. "Naked Gun’s 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," reads the THR report. "There are also scenes suggesting sexual activity between Neeson and Pamela Anderson‘s character that are not quite what they seem."

It continues, "In one scene, Neeson interrogates a character played by Busta Rhymes. 'It says you’ve served 20 years for man’s laughter,' the detective says. 'Must have been quite the joke.'"

Who's in the new Naked Gun cast?

As mentioned, Neeson leads The Naked Gun as Frank Drebin Jr. It's an inspired casting choice, as Neeson's steely countenance and dramatic background make him the perfect straight man for the franchise's token zaniness. Lest we forget, Nielsen was similarly a dramatic actor who found a second life in comedy thanks to Airplane! (1980).

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Neeson has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and three Golden Globes. He achieved critical success in films like Sam Raimi's Darkman (1990) and Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993). He's also notably portrayed Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace (1999) and Ra's al Ghul in Batman Begins (2005). After starring in Taken (2008), he shifted his focus to hard-edged action and revenge films like The Grey (2011), Non-Stop (2014), and Retribution (2023).

Speaking with MovieWeb in 2024, Neeson admitted he was "a bit nervous" about the role since comedy isn't his wheelhouse. In that same interview, though, he notes his comedic appearance on the HBO mockumentary Life's Too Short (2011).

Hauser costars as Ed Hocken Jr., the son of George Kennedy's captain from the original franchise. The actor first made waves in I, Tanya (2017) and as the title character in Clint Eastwood's Richard Jewell (2019). He's since won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his turn as convicted murderer Larry Hall in the Apple TV+ series Black Bird (2022).

"I have the feeling we did a good job in honoring our source material, Naked Gun," Hauser told MovieWeb. "And there aren't that many people that would fearlessly walk into that Leslie Nielsen-type role, and Liam did it incredibly well. I had times where he made me break character because he's just doing the deadpan thing that he's able to do with action and intensity, but the content of what he's saying is so ridiculous. There were times where they yelled 'cut,' and it was like letting a balloon out, where I was just like, 'Oh my god,' you know? Just an exhausted laughter because you're trying to keep it together during the take."

Rounding out the cast are Pamela Anderson (Baywatch, The Last Showgirl), Liza Koshy (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Danny Houston (Yellowstone, Children of Men), and Kevin Durand (Lost, Abigail).

Also appearing? WWE star Cody Rhodes and rapper Busta Rhymes, per The Hollywood Reporter. The latter previously appeared in films like Halloween: Resurrection (2002) and Narc (2002).

When is The Naked Gun coming out?

The Naked Gun will hit theaters on Aug. 1 via Paramount Pictures.

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