'Taken' star Liam Neeson in talks to lead 'Naked Gun' reboot
Oct 15, 2022
Washington [US], October 15 : 'Taken' star Liam Neeson is in talks to lead the modern version of the '80s slapstick film 'Naked Gun' reboot.
According to Variety, the movie will be directed and executive produced by Schaffer, the 'Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers' director and Lonely Island member. Together with 'Chip 'n Dale' writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, Schaffer wrote the film's script. Through their business Fuzzy Door, MacFarlane and Erica Huggins produce.
Earlier this year, Neeson stirred internet discussion about bringing the '80s comedy back by saying 'People (The TV Show)' that McFarlane and Paramount had been courting him to bring the 'Naked Gun' movies back to life. But the actor hasn't actually signed anything yet.
"It'll either finish my career or bring it in another direction. I honestly don't know," Neeson told "People (The TV Show)".
Leslie Nielsen played Franklin 'Frank' Drebin, a kind-hearted but credulous detective at the centre of the original 'Naked Gun' trilogy from Paramount. Positive reviews and $140 million at the box office proved that the 1988 film 'The Naked Gun: From the Files of a Police Squad' was a box office success. Given its success, the studio successfully marketed two sequels: 'The Naked Gun 212: The Smell of Fear' in 1991 and 'Naked Gun 3313: The Final Insult' in 1994.
Since 2013, Paramount has been working to revive the series. Ed Helms was originally playing Frank Drebin in a revival of the film, but that version ultimately failed. Early in 2021, McFarlane declared he has been recruited to retool the movie. Unknown at this moment are the precise narrative specifics, the production schedule, and the release date. Furthermore, it's not obvious what role Neeson will play in the movie.
Neeson, the current patron saint of action movies, most recently played a government operative in 'Blacklight.' The 70-year-old Irish actor has appeared in an unexpectedly large number of action thrillers just during the pandemic, including 'Memory,' 'The Marksman,' 'The Ice Road,' and 'Honest Thief.'
According to Variety, Neeson has starred in popular films like 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,' 'Schindler's List,' and 'Batman Begins,' but he's probably best known for the 'Taken' series, in which he played a former CIA agent with a specific set of skills.
