Action star Liam Neesondiscusses the possibility of making anotherNaked Gunmovie. This long-running comedy franchise began with the 1982 seriesPolice Squad!,starring Leslie Nielsen as incompetent Detective Frank Drebin. Nielsen reprised his role for the1988 feature filmThe Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!along with its two sequels.
The Naked Gunreturned this year after a multi-decade hiatusas a reboot starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Nielsen’s late character. Neeson’s Frank is joined by Pamela Anderson, who plays Beth Davenport, the sister of a man whose murder Frank is trying to solve.
PerNewsweek,Neeson discussed the possibility of making a fifth overallThe Naked Gunmovie after this reboot film.While Neeson spoke highly of his experience working onThe Naked Gun, he noted that he “think[s] it’s a one-off.” Check out the full quote from Neeson below:
I think it’s a one-off, yeah. And if it succeeds, good.
I think the film’s going to have a few giggles and a few laughs in it, and God, we all need that at the minute. I think it’s probably a one-off. Not that the experience wasn’t great, it was. It’s terrific, working with Pamela, Danny Huston, all these terrific guys.
What Liam Neeson’s Response Means For The Naked Gun Franchise
Neeson’s feeling thatThe Naked Gunseries will end with his installment is somewhat surprisinggiven the movie’s response. The film has an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, and an also-positive 75% Popcornmeter from audiences. This score is even higher than the 1988 comedy, which got an 88% Tomatometer.
Among the positive responses was a fairly glowingreview fromScreenRant’s Zachary Moser.Moser gaveThe Naked Gunan 8 out of 10-star rating, and noted that it was “old-fashioned but still feels fresh"and consistently funny.
These reviews were matched with a $16.8 million opening for the film. Overall, the movie has amassed over $38.2 million worldwide. While there is still a way to go to make up its estimated $42 million budget, this is a respectable initial haul for a comedy film. That, combined with its positive reviews, would make a sequel otherwise seem likely.
Our Take On Liam Neeson’s The Naked Gun Comments
While I thoughtThe Naked Guncould have been funnier at points, the film was a genuinely entertaining ride. In a world that nominates very dramatic work for comedy Emmys (e.g.The Bear) and leans into dark comedy,it is so rare to see a genuinely comedy-first movie hit the big screen.
This madeThe Naked Guna refreshing genre return, and a film that many would like to see sequels to. It is possible that Neeson himself might want to focus on other work at this stage of his career, but nonetheless, the studio would be remiss not to at least consider making anotherNaked Gunmovie.
