CINEMA NEWS – At first glance, it seemed like a bad idea to make a new version of The Naked Gun, because many people thought that the atmosphere of the classic comedy series could not be recreated. One of the secrets to the series’ success was that Leslie Nilsen played Lieutenant Drebin. The actor was long considered a dramatic character, but then came Airplane! in 1980, where he appeared in the most absurd scenes with a complete wooden face. This made Nielsen a comedian of epochal importance, and soon he carried the series Special Department on his back, which then moved to the big screen under the name The Naked Gun.

The frenetic success of the production with Nielsen seemed almost impossible to repeat, but the new team nevertheless took the plunge because they managed to find the ideal actor who, as Lieutenant Drebin’s son – Frank Jr. – could continue the rampage of his glorious predecessor. And he is Liam Neeson, who, like Nielsen, was a significant dramatic actor, then changed characters and became an action star, where he shreds bad guys with a wooden face – or rather a painful face.

Not everyone knows it, but Neeson also has comedic experience, although not very much. He has appeared in various sketches on TV shows and has not failed. However, he initially had reservations about the lead role in The Naked Gun. “These TV things were two or three minutes long, but The Naked Gun is a feature film, which is a different genre. So I’m a little nervous.”

(The Naked Gun – domestic release: August 7, 2025.)