You’d probably expect to hear about Taken 4 before ever reading the following sentence, but Paramount Pictures are close to finalising a deal for Liam Neeson to headline their reboot of classic Leslie Nielsen spoof The Naked Gun.
The Grey actor revealed almost two years ago that his A Million Ways to Die in the West director Seth MacFarlane was trying to convince him to enrol in Police Squad, and now sources close to Deadline reveal that Neeson is in negotiations to play the son of Detective Frank Drebin, with Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer set to direct.
MacFarlane will produce alongside Erica Huggins via their production company Fuzzy Door, while Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, who have just worked with Schaffer on Disney+ movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, will write the script.
Neeson has shown glimpses of being able to handle the kind of deadpan comedy with which Leslie Nielsen made his name, most notably his hilarious cameo in Ricky Gervais sitcom Life’s Too Short, but the world created by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker requires a different level of slapstick altogether, so it’ll interesting to see if the action star can make the transition to broad comedy.
The Naked Gun franchise started out as the 1982 TV series Police Squad!, with Nielsen then going on to star in the feature films The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult between 1988 and 1991, with the trilogy grossing over $275 million at the box-office.
SEE ALSO: Liam Neeson’s Enduring Action Hero Appeal
Let us know whether you think Neeson can step into the shoes of Frank Drebin, or if you’re thinking that Shirley they can’t be serious by heading to our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Originally published October 13, 2022. Updated October 14, 2022.
