The Naked Gun franchise has been the holy grail of American slapstick comedy since Leslie Nielsen first took on the role of the sharp, suave, and idiotic Lieutenant Frank Drebin back in 1988. Now, nearly 40 years later, action star Liam Neeson has stepped into Nielsen’s shoes with director Akiva Schaffer’s 2025 reboot, The Naked Gun.
This latest addition to the franchise follows Neeson as Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., who, after following in his legendary father’s footsteps, must solve a case in order to save his police department. Honorable highlights of the action-comedy include Neeson scantily clad in schoolgirl attire (complete with a hiked-up miniskirt and lollipop), and the great detective going toe-to-toe with mysterious femme fatale Beth Davenport, played by the indomitable Pamela Anderson.
Serving as the comedy blockbuster’s co-producer is Seth MacFarlane, the American comedian, actor, and writer who’s best known for creating the hit animated sitcom Family Guy (and, well, I guess Ted). In this interview exclusive to Rolling Stone Philippines, MacFarlane spoke on why he chose Neeson — who, with an oeuvre that includes Taken and Schindler’s List, isn’t the funniest actor — as his leading man and why the old Naked Gun movies are such timeless classics.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Are you a fan of the original Naked Gun movies?
I was a huge fan of the Zucker brothers [David and Jerry] growing up. I loved Airplane! I loved the Naked Gun. I loved Police Squad! The first time I saw Naked Gun, I had already seen Airplane! and was already a huge fan. I tracked down the six episodes of Police Squad! and found that they were just as funny as the movie. And so that that variety of humor, the Zucker Brothers, Mel Brooks, became just kind of a staple of my childhood and I kind of sought it out wherever I could. It informed a lot of the comedy that I produced later on in my career.
What was your original idea for this Naked Gun?
My part of this was really just having the thought a while back that Liam Neeson [as Frank Drebin Jr.] would be really funny in a Naked Gun reboot. That was kind of the extent of my contribution to this iteration. And Akiva Schaffer and his team came along, and as far as this iteration and how it came about and how we were able to find our way in, 100 percent of the credit goes to him.
How would you describe Akiva Schaffer as a director?
He really had a sense of how to write for Liam. [Akiva] was really good about playing by his own rules that he had established. The world does have to have some sort of grounding at its core, and Akiva was really good about being really, really true to the world that he had created, and you don’t see a lot of inconsistencies in his script. It really does feel like there’s a discipline that harkens back to what the Zucker Brothers did.
What was it like working with Liam Neeson?
Liam is game for a lot. If he trusts you, he’ll try anything. And the first time I spoke to him, he said, “Listen, you know, I’m not a comedian. This is not what I do. I’m not a comic. So if we go into it with that understanding, that the lines that I’m doing will be dramatic lines that are funny because of the way I’m delivering them. And that’s how it’s got to work.” And luckily, that’s the essence of what these kinds of movies are. So it was perfect. It’s like, “Yeah, this is exactly what we want you to do.” He’s a really smart guy who understands his own talents and his own abilities. That’s why the idea of Liam doing this was so exciting.
Can you talk about the casting for this movie?
For these kinds of movies, it really is just about casting the person who’s already there, the person who just doesn’t really need a whole lot of instruction as far as how to be that character. They kind of come in already—I mean, Liam Neeson, you know you’re going to get Liam Neeson, and that’s the key. I think it’s the same thing with Pam. If what you want for that character is Pam Anderson, so why not get Pam Anderson? What she’s giving you is sincere and completely real. She’s not trying to play the comedy, but at the same time there’s just enough of that kind of natural Marilyn Monroe-ishness that she brings to the table.
How would you recommend people watch The Naked Gun?
All storytelling is communal. I mean, it goes all the way back to Greek theater, where the theater is a communal experience, and it’s more fun with people. I think particularly with comedy, watching a comedy by yourself is not as much fun as watching it with other people. Particularly if it’s something with a lot of hard laughs. It’s just more fun to watch it with a group. And certainly, this movie and this kind of comedy lends itself to an audience. It’s just more fun to have that communal experience of sharing a laugh.
What makes The Naked Gun different from other comedies?
People are always kind of ready to laugh. There aren’t a lot of comedies out there that, even on television, are just out to make you laugh. There are a lot of television comedies that are out to win awards and to be thoughtful and to be important with a capital I, and not a whole lot that are like, “we’re a comedy, that’s our job above all else.” And I think people are kind of starved for it. And I think they’re starved for something like The Naked Gun. I think they’re starved for that kind of movie. It’s been a while.
Disclaimer: The article was provided by a third-party content partner, published on Rolling Stone Philippines with permission as an exclusive for the Philippines.
