In an entertainment world where the term “underrated” gets bandied about far too often, let this writer just say: “The Naked Gun” media franchise is wildly underrated.
The slapstick take on far more serious police procedural shows began life in 1982 with the “Police Squad!” series on ABC.
That series, spearheaded by legendary actor Leslie Nielsen, garnered enough popularity where it spawned a trilogy of feature-length films.
(The movies all also starred Nielsen, as well.)
Those movies, in order of release, were:
- “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” – 1988
- “The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear” – 1991
- “Naked Gun 33 1⁄3: The Final Insult” – 1994
The movies all starred Nielsen as Detective Frank Drebin, who would stop various plots like a hypnotist trying to coerce people into assassinating Queen Elizabeth II.
And now, 30 years after the third (and a third) movie was released, Paramount is announcing some details about the eagerly-anticipated fourth movie in the franchise.
As Variety notes, Paramount announced that the still unnamed fourth “Naked Gun” movie would be releasing on July 18, 2025.
Were you a fan of “Naked Gun”?
The movie will focus on Frank Drebin’s son, Frank Drebin Jr.
Drebin Jr. is tapped to be played by notable action star Liam Neeson.
The 71-year-old Irish actor is well-known for his roles in the “Star Wars” and “Taken” franchises, among numerous other high-octane movies.
Of note, Neeson has recently expressed his intent to “retire” from action movies, which does beg the question of how that will impact or affect the upcoming “Naked Gun” flick.
That being said, the original Nielsen films weren’t known for the sort of blistering action you’d find in a franchise like “The Expendables.”
Those original films were known for their witty writing, as well as Nielsen’s impeccable comedic timing.
It remains to be seen if either of those can be reasonably replicated in the sequel.
Paramount isn’t just banking on nostalgia and Liam Neeson to bolster its studio business.
Per Variety, a third “Paw Patrol” movie is slated for July 31, 2026. A sequel to the successful “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is set for an Oct. 9, 2026 release date.
On Thursday, Paramount also released its 2023 earnings results and the aforementioned movies bolster a bold road map for the media conglomerate.
“Our disciplined execution and strong content offering drove our results in 2023, as we continue to evolve our business for profitable growth in 2024 and beyond,” Paramount president and CEO Bob Bakish said about those earnings.
