MOVIE NEWS – Hopes are high that the new Naked Gun film won’t just be a worthy successor to the VHS-era classics, but might also breathe life into the long-dormant genre of cinematic parody.

The upcoming Naked Gun reboot could mark the return of a comedy style that once ruled Hollywood, thanks to the iconic ZAZ trio – David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. These pioneers kick-started their absurdist reign with Airplane!, a movie so densely packed with jokes it delivered punchlines in practically every frame. They also made the late Leslie Nielsen a comedy legend, casting him as the stone-faced and blissfully clueless Detective Drebin in the Naked Gun trilogy – and before that, in the short-lived but brilliant series Police Squad!

Now it’s Liam Neeson’s turn to take up the mantle, playing Drebin’s son in the new film. And if his performance delivers the same deadpan brilliance – muses ScreenRant journalist Padraig Cotter – we might just witness the rebirth of the parody genre. The early signs are promising, with fans already raving over the trailer and teaser footage. There’s clearly a demand – all that remains is for Neeson’s Junior Drebin to blast through the already wide-open doors… if you’ll pardon the intentionally misplaced metaphor that fits the genre all too well.

The Naked Gun – theatrical release: August 7, 2025