Taken star Liam Neeson is no stranger to kicking butts and taking names, but slapstick comedy The Naked Gun is sure to put a new spin on the actor’s very particular set of skills.
The Naked Gun serves as a reboot of the Police Squad! TV and film franchise, which starred Leslie Nielsen as Detective Frank Drebin. In the 2025 film, Neeson plays Drebin’s son, Frank Drebin, Jr. He’s trying to live up to his father’s legacy and stop Police Squad from getting converted into a Spirit Halloween.
Worried about whether this iteration of The Naked Gun can live up to the original’s ridiculous sight gags and deadpan lead detective? Allow the film’s creative team to lessen your fears. The Naked Gun is produced by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and directed by Akiva Schaffer, one of the members of the Lonely Island and co-director of the mockumentary gem Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. Schaffer wrote the film alongside Dan Gregor and Doug Maud (Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers).
The Naked Gun‘s trailer provides further proof of the film’s silliness, with Liam Neeson ripping a man’s arms off and promptly smacking him around with them. His gravelly seriousness in even the dumbest situations — like a high-octane rush to the bathroom — proves promising, as does Pamela Anderson’s turn as the film’s femme fatale. Watch the full trailer above for more gags, including Neeson absolutely slaying (literally and figuratively) in a schoolgirl disguise.
The Naked Gun also stars Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu, and Danny Huston.
The Naked Gun hits theaters Aug. 1.
