Exclusive: Paramount has rounded out the cast for its untitled Naked Gun reboot with four additions: Liza Koshy (Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts), current WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes, Cch Pounder (Rustin) and Busta Rhymes.
No word on the roles they’re playing, but we’re told Rhodes will only be making a cameo. As previously announced, Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand and Danny Huston will also star. Neeson plays Detective Frank Drebin, with Hauser as his partner Ed. Roles for Anderson and Huston haven’t yet emerged, though it’s understood that Durand will be playing the film’s villain.
Akiva Schaffer is directing and exec producing the comedy, slated for release on July 18, 2025. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the draft script along with Schaffer. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via Fuzzy Door, with Daniel M. Stillman also serving as EP.
Known...
No word on the roles they’re playing, but we’re told Rhodes will only be making a cameo. As previously announced, Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand and Danny Huston will also star. Neeson plays Detective Frank Drebin, with Hauser as his partner Ed. Roles for Anderson and Huston haven’t yet emerged, though it’s understood that Durand will be playing the film’s villain.
Akiva Schaffer is directing and exec producing the comedy, slated for release on July 18, 2025. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the draft script along with Schaffer. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via Fuzzy Door, with Daniel M. Stillman also serving as EP.
Known...
- 5/23/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
In 1990, Demi Moore had her breakthrough role as Molly Jensen in the romantic fantasy thriller Ghost. In addition to receiving five nominations at the 63rd Academy Awards, it was the highest-grossing film of 1990.
Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore deliver unforgettable performances in ‘Ghost’, captured here in one of the film’s pivotal scenes (Credit: Paramount Pictures)
Praised for her performance and nominated for a Golden Globe, Demi was 26 years old when filming for Ghost began shooting in July 1989.
She was born on November 11, 1962, in Roswell, New Mexico, and turned 27 on November 11, 1989.
Patrick Swayze was born on August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas, and was 36 years old when filming started. He turned 37 on August 18, 1989. Paramount Pictures theatrically released the movie on July 13, 1990.
Iconic Film Moments
She took a few pot-throwing lessons to prepare for the pottery wheel scene, recognized as one of the most iconic moments of ’90s cinema.
According to Wendy Leigh...
Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore deliver unforgettable performances in ‘Ghost’, captured here in one of the film’s pivotal scenes (Credit: Paramount Pictures)
Praised for her performance and nominated for a Golden Globe, Demi was 26 years old when filming for Ghost began shooting in July 1989.
She was born on November 11, 1962, in Roswell, New Mexico, and turned 27 on November 11, 1989.
Patrick Swayze was born on August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas, and was 36 years old when filming started. He turned 37 on August 18, 1989. Paramount Pictures theatrically released the movie on July 13, 1990.
Iconic Film Moments
She took a few pot-throwing lessons to prepare for the pottery wheel scene, recognized as one of the most iconic moments of ’90s cinema.
According to Wendy Leigh...
- 5/13/2024
- by Anne De Guia
- Your Next Shoes
Exclusive: Danny Huston (The Dead Don’t Hurt) has signed on to star alongside Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser and Kevin Durand in the untitled Naked Gun reboot from Paramount Pictures.
Details as to the film’s plot, as well as Huston’s role in it, are under wraps. But Neeson will play Detective Frank Drebin, as previously announced, with Hauser as his partner Ed. It’s not yet clear who Anderson will be playing, though it’s understood that Durand will be taking on one of the film’s villain roles.
Akiva Schaffer is directing and exec producing the comedy, slated for release on July 18, 2025. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the draft script along with Schaffer. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via Fuzzy Door, with Daniel M. Stillman also serving as EP.
Known for their absurd scenarios and slapstick humor, past Naked Gun films centered on the misadventures of Drebin,...
Details as to the film’s plot, as well as Huston’s role in it, are under wraps. But Neeson will play Detective Frank Drebin, as previously announced, with Hauser as his partner Ed. It’s not yet clear who Anderson will be playing, though it’s understood that Durand will be taking on one of the film’s villain roles.
Akiva Schaffer is directing and exec producing the comedy, slated for release on July 18, 2025. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the draft script along with Schaffer. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via Fuzzy Door, with Daniel M. Stillman also serving as EP.
Known for their absurd scenarios and slapstick humor, past Naked Gun films centered on the misadventures of Drebin,...
- 5/7/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
After donning ape fur for his upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Kevin Durand is now getting Naked.
The actor, who is also currently on screens with horror movie Abigail, has joined Liam Neeson in Paramount Pictures’ untitled remake of Naked Gun, based on the crime spoof comedies that were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Pamela Anderson and Paul Walter Hauser are also on the call sheet for the feature that will begin shooting later this month.
Akiva Schaffer is directing the comedy, which has a script by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand and Schaffer. The trio were behind the popular and Emmy-winning Disney+ movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
The original movie, written and directed by Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker and based on their television series Police Squad! that lasted only six episodes, spoofed the tropes of police shows and films that...
The actor, who is also currently on screens with horror movie Abigail, has joined Liam Neeson in Paramount Pictures’ untitled remake of Naked Gun, based on the crime spoof comedies that were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Pamela Anderson and Paul Walter Hauser are also on the call sheet for the feature that will begin shooting later this month.
Akiva Schaffer is directing the comedy, which has a script by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand and Schaffer. The trio were behind the popular and Emmy-winning Disney+ movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
The original movie, written and directed by Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker and based on their television series Police Squad! that lasted only six episodes, spoofed the tropes of police shows and films that...
- 5/2/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paul Walter Hauser is ready to fight crime alongside Liam Neeson in the reboot of the Naked Gun franchise.
Hauser is set to play Captain Ed in director Akiva Schaffer’s untitled new Naked Gun film that Paramount Pictures plans to release July 18, 2025. George Kennedy previously played the role in the original film trilogy that kicked off with the 1988 comedy The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Dan Gregor and Doug Mand penned the new movie’s script with Schaffer. The two scribes previously wrote the director’s Emmy-winning Disney+ feature Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins of Fuzzy Door produce the project that is based on the Naked Gun film franchise and the television series Police Squad! from Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker. Daniel M. Stillman serves as executive producer.
Hauser joins the cast that includes Neeson and Pamela Anderson. While plot details are under wraps,...
Hauser is set to play Captain Ed in director Akiva Schaffer’s untitled new Naked Gun film that Paramount Pictures plans to release July 18, 2025. George Kennedy previously played the role in the original film trilogy that kicked off with the 1988 comedy The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Dan Gregor and Doug Mand penned the new movie’s script with Schaffer. The two scribes previously wrote the director’s Emmy-winning Disney+ feature Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins of Fuzzy Door produce the project that is based on the Naked Gun film franchise and the television series Police Squad! from Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker. Daniel M. Stillman serves as executive producer.
Hauser joins the cast that includes Neeson and Pamela Anderson. While plot details are under wraps,...
- 5/1/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Paul Walter Hauser’s hot streak continues. After seeing New Line lock up rights to the authorized Chris Farley biopic in which he’ll star for director Josh Gad, the actor has signed on to the untitled Naked Gun reboot from Paramount Pictures.
Hauser joins an ensemble that also includes Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, as previously announced. He’ll take on the role of Ed, Frank Drebin’s partner, which was inhabited in prior Naked Gun films by George Kennedy, and in the preceding series Police Squad! by Alan North.
Akiva Schaffer is directing and exec producing the comedy, slated for release in theaters on July 18, 2025. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the draft script along with Schaffer, with whom they partnered on the Emmy-winning film Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via Fuzzy Door, with Daniel M. Stillman also serving as EP.
Hauser joins an ensemble that also includes Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, as previously announced. He’ll take on the role of Ed, Frank Drebin’s partner, which was inhabited in prior Naked Gun films by George Kennedy, and in the preceding series Police Squad! by Alan North.
Akiva Schaffer is directing and exec producing the comedy, slated for release in theaters on July 18, 2025. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the draft script along with Schaffer, with whom they partnered on the Emmy-winning film Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via Fuzzy Door, with Daniel M. Stillman also serving as EP.
- 5/1/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
One cannot underestimate the enormity of Jerry Zucker's "Ghost" when it was released in 1990. In the film, Molly (Demi Moore) and Sam (Patrick Swayze) are a well-to-do couple in New York who are very, very much in love. Despite their closeness, not to mention their sexual chemistry, Sam cannot entirely commit, replying only with "ditto" when Molly says "I love you." When Sam is murdered by muggers, he returns to Molly as a ghost, using a medium named Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) to communicate. Can Sam figure out the rules of the afterlife in time to express his undying love for Molly?
"Ghost" was made for a modest $22 million, but made over half a billion dollars worldwide. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won Oscars for Whoopi Goldberg and Bruce Joel Rubin, its screenwriter. "Ghost" was a juggernaut, and it's unusual that it...
"Ghost" was made for a modest $22 million, but made over half a billion dollars worldwide. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won Oscars for Whoopi Goldberg and Bruce Joel Rubin, its screenwriter. "Ghost" was a juggernaut, and it's unusual that it...
- 4/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
10. Not Another Teen Movie (2001)
Tired of the repetitive teen rom-coms of the 1990s, director Joel Gallen decided to make his own — and arguably, one of the best by far. In perhaps the most classic teen movie tale, a popular high-school jock gets challenged by his friends to turn a shy and bullied girl into a prom queen… And hopelessly falls in love with her.
You can watch Not Another Teen Movie on Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video.
9. Scary Movie (2000)
A very similar thought occurred to Keenen Ivory Wayans, the director of Scary Movie who pumped his flick full with the most popular horror cliches of the 1990s — and still produced a greatly entertaining film. A group of teenagers who accidentally killed a man is haunted by a mysterious mumbling killer who picks them off one by one.
You can watch Scary Movie on Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video.
8. This Is Spinal Tap...
Tired of the repetitive teen rom-coms of the 1990s, director Joel Gallen decided to make his own — and arguably, one of the best by far. In perhaps the most classic teen movie tale, a popular high-school jock gets challenged by his friends to turn a shy and bullied girl into a prom queen… And hopelessly falls in love with her.
You can watch Not Another Teen Movie on Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video.
9. Scary Movie (2000)
A very similar thought occurred to Keenen Ivory Wayans, the director of Scary Movie who pumped his flick full with the most popular horror cliches of the 1990s — and still produced a greatly entertaining film. A group of teenagers who accidentally killed a man is haunted by a mysterious mumbling killer who picks them off one by one.
You can watch Scary Movie on Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video.
8. This Is Spinal Tap...
- 4/27/2024
- by dean-black@startefacts.com (Dean Black)
- STartefacts.com
When it was announced that Liam Neeson would be playing the lead in a reboot of The Naked Gun, the sound of people collectively going “Whaaaa??” was heard across every precinct. Liam Neeson? The guy who reinvented his career by pretty much only taking on action movies when he was in his mid-50s? Heck, even Neeson himself was a little nervous about whether he could handle such rapid-fire comedy. Now, original Naked Gun director and co-creator David Zucker is weighing in, casting his own skepticism on the project.
Speaking with TMZ, David Zucker said of the upcoming Naked Gun entry – the first in three decades – “We were not excited about having the franchise given to other people. At the time, I couldn’t believe it because we thought we had a great script, and they loved the script from what we heard. I don’t have any control over it.
Speaking with TMZ, David Zucker said of the upcoming Naked Gun entry – the first in three decades – “We were not excited about having the franchise given to other people. At the time, I couldn’t believe it because we thought we had a great script, and they loved the script from what we heard. I don’t have any control over it.
- 4/24/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
The best things come in threes, especially stories. In Western nations, we like a three-act structure in which we set a status quo, watch our heroes fall, and then see them return to greatness. Some of these stories cannot be held within a single movie. For those epics, those monumental narratives, the movie trilogy was born. Trilogies represent some of the best that cinema has to offer, movies that changed the culture and the art form. The trilogy might vary in quality from film to film, but together these three films tell a story that cannot be ignored.
Before we get too far, let’s lay out our criteria. The trilogies chosen here are those intended to be a trilogy, either from the outset or by the end of the third film. Thus we’re including things such as the Toy Story and Indiana Jones trilogies, even though those continued on with further entries.
Before we get too far, let’s lay out our criteria. The trilogies chosen here are those intended to be a trilogy, either from the outset or by the end of the third film. Thus we’re including things such as the Toy Story and Indiana Jones trilogies, even though those continued on with further entries.
- 4/20/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
‘Baywatch’ alumni Pamela Anderson has joined Liam Neeson in the forthcoming reboot of ‘Naked Gun’.
The movie is based on the ‘Naked Gun’ movie franchise which starred Leslie Nielsen as Lt. Frank Drebin. The original franchise was created by the creators of Paramount’s ‘Airplane!’, namely Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker. The Naked Gun trilogy was released during the early 1990s and was a big hit at the domestic box office, grossing over $216 million. Similar to Airplane!, the Naked Gun film series was famous for its outrageous parody, ridiculous set-ups, and on-screen sight gags.
Also in news – Pierce Brosnan set for Prince Naseem boxing biopic ‘Giant’
Akiva Schaffer is directing and executive producing. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the draft script along with Schaffer for the project. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via their company Fuzzy Door. Daniel M. Stillman is EP.
Anderson has previously...
The movie is based on the ‘Naked Gun’ movie franchise which starred Leslie Nielsen as Lt. Frank Drebin. The original franchise was created by the creators of Paramount’s ‘Airplane!’, namely Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker. The Naked Gun trilogy was released during the early 1990s and was a big hit at the domestic box office, grossing over $216 million. Similar to Airplane!, the Naked Gun film series was famous for its outrageous parody, ridiculous set-ups, and on-screen sight gags.
Also in news – Pierce Brosnan set for Prince Naseem boxing biopic ‘Giant’
Akiva Schaffer is directing and executive producing. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the draft script along with Schaffer for the project. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via their company Fuzzy Door. Daniel M. Stillman is EP.
Anderson has previously...
- 4/17/2024
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
When 1980’s Airplane! proved to be a massive hit, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the year – up there with The Empire Strikes Back and Best Picture winner Kramer vs. Kramer – it was inevitable that it would get a sequel. But how often are comedy sequels good anyway? When have they ever really recaptured the magic and the laughter of the original? Well, Airplane II: The Sequel gave it a go…by basically being the same movie. Except this time around, Zaz wisely opted out, leaving the production without the strong leaders who reinvented the spoof genre. Instead, they got the guy who wrote Grease 2, one of the most notoriously awful sequels ever! So, strap in – no, not to an airplane but a space shuttle – as we find out: Wtf Happened to This Movie?!…The Sequel!
1980’s Airplane! did incredibly well upon release, making just under $85 million on a $3.5 million budget,...
1980’s Airplane! did incredibly well upon release, making just under $85 million on a $3.5 million budget,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Pamela Anderson is dressing up for Naked Gun.
The actor has signed on to star opposite Liam Neeson in Paramount Pictures’ untitled remake of Naked Gun, based on the crime spoof comedies that were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Akiva Schaffer is directing the comedy, which has a script by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand and Schaffer. The trio were behind the popular and Emmy-winning Disney+ movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
The original movie, written and directed by Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker and based on their television series Police Squad! that lasted only six episodes, spoofed the tropes of police shows and films that had ingrained themselves into audience’s minds over the decades. It centered on an inept and clueless detective named Frank Drebin, played by Leslie Nielsen, who still somehow managed to solve the crime and save the day.
Plot details are...
The actor has signed on to star opposite Liam Neeson in Paramount Pictures’ untitled remake of Naked Gun, based on the crime spoof comedies that were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Akiva Schaffer is directing the comedy, which has a script by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand and Schaffer. The trio were behind the popular and Emmy-winning Disney+ movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.
The original movie, written and directed by Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker and based on their television series Police Squad! that lasted only six episodes, spoofed the tropes of police shows and films that had ingrained themselves into audience’s minds over the decades. It centered on an inept and clueless detective named Frank Drebin, played by Leslie Nielsen, who still somehow managed to solve the crime and save the day.
Plot details are...
- 4/16/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Leslie Nielsen’s Lt. Frank Drebin was wrong: Cops and women do mix, and with that we have Pamela Anderson joining Liam Neeson in Paramount Pictures’ untitled Naked Gun reboot, which Akiva Schaffer is directing and executive producing for a July 18, 2025 theatrical release.
The Baywatch actress of 110 episodes has the comedy chops; she’s starred in such big-screen titles as Scary Movie 3 and Superhero Movie, both satirical movies ala the spirit of Naked Gun. Anderson also reprised her TV role of C.J. Parker in Paramount’s big-screen 2017 redux of Baywatch that starred Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron and Alexandra Daddario.
Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the draft script along with Schaffer for Naked Gun. Gregor and Mand also wrote the Emmy-winning Disney+ movie Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing Naked via their company Fuzzy Door. Daniel M. Stillman is EP.
The movie...
The Baywatch actress of 110 episodes has the comedy chops; she’s starred in such big-screen titles as Scary Movie 3 and Superhero Movie, both satirical movies ala the spirit of Naked Gun. Anderson also reprised her TV role of C.J. Parker in Paramount’s big-screen 2017 redux of Baywatch that starred Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron and Alexandra Daddario.
Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the draft script along with Schaffer for Naked Gun. Gregor and Mand also wrote the Emmy-winning Disney+ movie Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing Naked via their company Fuzzy Door. Daniel M. Stillman is EP.
The movie...
- 4/16/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Paramount wasn’t messing around during their CinemaCon panel today, giving attendees previews of movies like Smile 2, Gladiator II, A Quiet Place: Day One, Transformers One, and If, revealing The Running Man casting news, and announcing several movies, including a live-action comedy from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Scary Movie 6, a Transformers / G.I. Joe crossover, and a live-action, R-rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. They also unveiled several titles on their 2024 – 2026 slate, and we can’t possibly cover them all… so we have gone ahead and dropped the full list into this article. Scroll down to see what Paramount has in store for us over the next couple years.
If
Release Date: May 17, 2024
Written and Directed by: John Krasinski
Producers: Allyson Seeger, p.g.a., John Krasinski, p.g.a., Andrew Form, p.g.a., Ryan Reynolds
Executive Producers: John J. Kelly, George Dewey, Kimberly Nelson LoCascio
Cast: Cailey Fleming,...
If
Release Date: May 17, 2024
Written and Directed by: John Krasinski
Producers: Allyson Seeger, p.g.a., John Krasinski, p.g.a., Andrew Form, p.g.a., Ryan Reynolds
Executive Producers: John J. Kelly, George Dewey, Kimberly Nelson LoCascio
Cast: Cailey Fleming,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Patrick Swayze was one of a kind. He’s the only actor I can think of who was as comfortable cutting a rug on the dance floor as demolishing a room full of bad guys with his fists of fury. When he passed away in 2009, we lost an icon who was never really recognized as the legend he is in his time. In the years since many Patrick Swayze movies have become cult favourites, and with a Road House remake due out on Thursday, we decided now would be a good time to pick the five best Patrick Swayze movies.
Red Dawn:
John Millius’s cold war “what if” thriller goes down in the history books as the first-ever PG-13 movie. It was also Patrick Swayze’s first major leading role, with him best known up to this point for a supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders.
Red Dawn:
John Millius’s cold war “what if” thriller goes down in the history books as the first-ever PG-13 movie. It was also Patrick Swayze’s first major leading role, with him best known up to this point for a supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders.
- 3/23/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
It was announced all the way back in 2022 that Paramount was going to be remaking "Naked Gun" with Liam Neeson as the star. There was little movement on the project in terms of additional cast members or a projected release window throughout all of 2023, leading many to believe the film had been scrapped or entered a new circle of Hollywood production hell. While many view the "Naked Gun" films as sacred comedy texts that dare not be remade, it's happening, and there's a pretty incredible team behind it. The "Naked Gun" films famously changed the trajectory of star Leslie Nielsen's career, so perhaps the new film could do the same for the gruff, action antics of Neeson. We're still quite a ways away from the release of the film, so here's everything you need to know about the upcoming remake.
Read more: The 15 Best Comedy Duos Of All Time...
Read more: The 15 Best Comedy Duos Of All Time...
- 3/6/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
The Naked Gun, also known as Police Squad!, is an American crime spoof-comedy franchise. Having started in 1982 with the TV series Police Squad! aired on the ABC Network, the franchise includes one TV series and three movies, adapted from an original story written by the comedy filmmaking trio Jim Abrahams, and brothers David and Jerry Zucker.
The lead role of Detective Sergeant Franklin ‘Frank’ Drebin in The Naked Gun is played by the late actor Leslie Nielsen. Several other characters appear in the films. One of them is Detective Fred Nordberg, who is portrayed by O. J. Simpson. Recently, creator David Zucker revealed why he had Simpson play the role of Nordberg.
A still from The Naked Gun (1988)
David Zucker on Why O. J. Simpson Was Cast in the Role of Detective Nordberg
O. J. Simpson is a former football running back who played in the NFL for 11 seasons. He...
The lead role of Detective Sergeant Franklin ‘Frank’ Drebin in The Naked Gun is played by the late actor Leslie Nielsen. Several other characters appear in the films. One of them is Detective Fred Nordberg, who is portrayed by O. J. Simpson. Recently, creator David Zucker revealed why he had Simpson play the role of Nordberg.
A still from The Naked Gun (1988)
David Zucker on Why O. J. Simpson Was Cast in the Role of Detective Nordberg
O. J. Simpson is a former football running back who played in the NFL for 11 seasons. He...
- 2/29/2024
- by Ankita
- FandomWire
Liam Neeson is going to try out a different particular set of skills. The “Taken” star will take a pratfall into slapstick comedy in an upcoming reboot of “The Naked Gun,” the supremely silly parody franchise about cops. On Wednesday, Paramount set a July 18, 2025 release date for the movie, Variety reports.
The film, which is currently untitled, will be directed and executive produced by Akiva Schaffer, Emmy-winning director of “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” and member of the musical comedy group The Lonely Island. Schaffer wrote the script with “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers” writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Seth MacFarlane (“Family Guy”) and Erica Huggins (“Ted”) are producing through their company Fuzzy Door.
“The Naked Gun” franchise was created by the comedy team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker with the 1982 TV series “Police Squad!”, which starred Leslie Nielsen as a dimwitted detective named Frank Drebin.
The film, which is currently untitled, will be directed and executive produced by Akiva Schaffer, Emmy-winning director of “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” and member of the musical comedy group The Lonely Island. Schaffer wrote the script with “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers” writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Seth MacFarlane (“Family Guy”) and Erica Huggins (“Ted”) are producing through their company Fuzzy Door.
“The Naked Gun” franchise was created by the comedy team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker with the 1982 TV series “Police Squad!”, which starred Leslie Nielsen as a dimwitted detective named Frank Drebin.
- 2/28/2024
- by Liam Mathews
- Gold Derby
Paramount dropped a slew of new release dates today. Chief of which is a Naked Gun reboot starring Liam Neeson is set for July 18, 2025. Akiva Schaffer will direct and executive produce. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the draft script along with Schaffer, with whom they partnered on the Primetime Emmy-winning film, Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via their company Fuzzy Door. Project is based off the Naked Gun movies and Police Squad! TV series from Jim Abrahams & David Zucker & Jerry Zucker.
Of note, as Deadline told you first, the Robbie Williams original music feature, Better Man from filmmaker Michael Gracey is getting a Christmas Day release this year with an expansion over MLK weekend of Jan. 17, 2025.
On March 14, 2025 next year’s it’s Novocaine from filmmakers Robert Olsen and Dan Berk and starring Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder. High concept action movie...
Of note, as Deadline told you first, the Robbie Williams original music feature, Better Man from filmmaker Michael Gracey is getting a Christmas Day release this year with an expansion over MLK weekend of Jan. 17, 2025.
On March 14, 2025 next year’s it’s Novocaine from filmmakers Robert Olsen and Dan Berk and starring Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder. High concept action movie...
- 2/28/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Naked Gun reboot is about to make 2025 a good year.
Paramount Pictures announced release dates Wednesday for a number of upcoming films. This includes director Akiva Schaffer’s new untitled installment in the Naked Gun comedy franchise hitting theaters July 18, 2025. The movie, first announced back in 2022, stars Liam Neeson and includes Seth MacFarlane as a producer.
The studio also announced that Paw Patrol 3 will launch July 31, 2026, as a follow-up to the studio’s September sequel Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie that topped $200 million globally. The new film hails from Spin Master Entertainment in association with Nickelodeon Movies. Another animation feature — director Jeff Rowe’s Tmnt 2 — is set for Oct. 9, 2026, as a follow-up to the filmmaker’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which came out last August and collected $180 million worldwide.
Among other titles landing on the studio’s calendar is Novocaine starring Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder,...
Paramount Pictures announced release dates Wednesday for a number of upcoming films. This includes director Akiva Schaffer’s new untitled installment in the Naked Gun comedy franchise hitting theaters July 18, 2025. The movie, first announced back in 2022, stars Liam Neeson and includes Seth MacFarlane as a producer.
The studio also announced that Paw Patrol 3 will launch July 31, 2026, as a follow-up to the studio’s September sequel Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie that topped $200 million globally. The new film hails from Spin Master Entertainment in association with Nickelodeon Movies. Another animation feature — director Jeff Rowe’s Tmnt 2 — is set for Oct. 9, 2026, as a follow-up to the filmmaker’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which came out last August and collected $180 million worldwide.
Among other titles landing on the studio’s calendar is Novocaine starring Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A long-gestating reboot of the “Naked Gun” franchise with Liam Neeson is finally moving forward at Paramount, landing a release date of July 18, 2025.
The currently untitled project will be directed and executive produced by Akiva Schaffer, who co-wrote the draft script alongside Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, reprising their partnership from the Emmy-winning film “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers.” Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via their company Fuzzy Door. The new movie is based off the widely popular “Naked Gun” franchise and television series “Police Squad!” by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker.
Meanwhile, two successful animated franchises’ next films have also been added to Paramount’s release schedule. “Paw Patrol 3,” a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies, is slated for July 31, 2026 with distribution from Paramount Pictures. The follow-up to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” from director Jeff Rowe and produced by Point Grey Pictures...
The currently untitled project will be directed and executive produced by Akiva Schaffer, who co-wrote the draft script alongside Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, reprising their partnership from the Emmy-winning film “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers.” Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via their company Fuzzy Door. The new movie is based off the widely popular “Naked Gun” franchise and television series “Police Squad!” by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker.
Meanwhile, two successful animated franchises’ next films have also been added to Paramount’s release schedule. “Paw Patrol 3,” a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies, is slated for July 31, 2026 with distribution from Paramount Pictures. The follow-up to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” from director Jeff Rowe and produced by Point Grey Pictures...
- 2/28/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
Surely the making of one of the funniest movies ever made can’t be that serious…and it really isn’t! Ok, 1980’s Airplane! was a tough sell and there were minor clashes between the directors and Paramount and lawsuits from a rival studio threatened the casting of numerous stars. But there was also perfect against-type casting, clever workarounds to silly DGA regulations and a complete reinvention of the spoof movie, all of which made Airplane! one of the greatest comedies ever.. Oh, and there were fart machines, too!
And so let’s park the taxi, avoid the fish and check in on our drinking problem as we find out: Wtf Happened to this movie?!
Airplane! has its origins in the Kentucky Fried Theater, which the trio of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker (collectively known as Zaz) founded in 1971. One act the fellas grew fond of was dubbing...
And so let’s park the taxi, avoid the fish and check in on our drinking problem as we find out: Wtf Happened to this movie?!
Airplane! has its origins in the Kentucky Fried Theater, which the trio of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker (collectively known as Zaz) founded in 1971. One act the fellas grew fond of was dubbing...
- 2/14/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
The joke that makes The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear great is relatively subtle. In fact, as a child, watching this movie over and over again, it went over my head. Only recently, after releasing the episode of Revisited dedicated to the original Naked Gun and discussing the sequels with a friend, did he clue me in on why the sequel is so funny. The whole point of the movie is that the bad guys, a conglomerate of nuclear, coal and oil industry baddies, want to prevent Richard Griffith’s Dr Meinheimer from presenting a speech to the president urging a change to the country’s oil policy. Meinheimer is kidnapped and replaced by a double to stop this speech from happening. Our hero, Leslie Nielsen’s Frank Drebin, has to save Meinheimer so he can present his speech, which he eventually does. But, the best...
- 2/4/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Airplane! is one of the most enduring film comedies of all time, as its style of parody still inspires movies and TV shows, and it still manages to find new fans more than 40 years after its release. What some fans may know is that the movie’s plot — and even some of its character names and dialogue — was lifted straight from an old drama film called Zero Hour. Jerry Zucker, part of the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker team that wrote, produced, and directed Airplane!, spoke about how they evolved the dead-serious Zero Hour into the uproariously funny Airplane! (Click on the media bar below to hear Jerry Zuker) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Jerry_Zucker_Concept_Airplane_.mp3 Airplane! is available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and most digital platforms.
The post ‘Airplane!’ Team Went From ‘Zero’ To Comedy Heroes appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post ‘Airplane!’ Team Went From ‘Zero’ To Comedy Heroes appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 2/3/2024
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Whoopi Goldberg is looking back at how Patrick Swayze convinced her to take on her Oscar-winning role in 1990’s Ghost.
The actress told author Dave Karger in his new book 50 Oscar Nights, via People magazine, that she needed a bit of persuading before she decided to play psychic Oda Mae Brown in the Jerry Zucker-directed film.
“I get a phone call from my agent, Ron Meyer, who says, ‘Patrick Swayze has been hired for this movie. Patrick is not going to do this if you don’t do it. Can you make some time for him and the director to come up?’” Goldberg recalled.
The Egot winner added, “So they [Zucker and Swayze] flew in, I meet Patrick, and out of the blue, we’re old friends. … About 40 minutes go by and Patrick says, ‘Please do this [movie] with me.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, okay.’ And that’s how it happened.”
In Ghost,...
The actress told author Dave Karger in his new book 50 Oscar Nights, via People magazine, that she needed a bit of persuading before she decided to play psychic Oda Mae Brown in the Jerry Zucker-directed film.
“I get a phone call from my agent, Ron Meyer, who says, ‘Patrick Swayze has been hired for this movie. Patrick is not going to do this if you don’t do it. Can you make some time for him and the director to come up?’” Goldberg recalled.
The Egot winner added, “So they [Zucker and Swayze] flew in, I meet Patrick, and out of the blue, we’re old friends. … About 40 minutes go by and Patrick says, ‘Please do this [movie] with me.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, okay.’ And that’s how it happened.”
In Ghost,...
- 1/14/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Riggs and Murtagh. Tango and Cash. Starsky and Hutch. John McClane. Frank Bullitt. Dirty Harry Callahan. While those are all tough movie cops, none of them are as hard as nails was perhaps the toughest, most dangerous movie cop of all time… Frank Drebin as played by Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Jump back to 1980. Leslie Nielsen was a character actor known for playing deadpan, ultra-serious roles. He was typically the bad guy of the week on TV shows and TV movies, and his biggest claim to fame was playing the captain in 1956s Forbidden Planet. His career was middling; David Zucker, Jim Abrams and Jerry Zucker, aka Zaz – Zucker-Abrams-Zucker – wanted to cast him in their movie Airplane. He would play the third lead, a deadpan doctor who would perfectly ape similar roles he played in movies like The Poseidon Adventure. While the studio initially balked,...
Jump back to 1980. Leslie Nielsen was a character actor known for playing deadpan, ultra-serious roles. He was typically the bad guy of the week on TV shows and TV movies, and his biggest claim to fame was playing the captain in 1956s Forbidden Planet. His career was middling; David Zucker, Jim Abrams and Jerry Zucker, aka Zaz – Zucker-Abrams-Zucker – wanted to cast him in their movie Airplane. He would play the third lead, a deadpan doctor who would perfectly ape similar roles he played in movies like The Poseidon Adventure. While the studio initially balked,...
- 1/2/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, the TV series Police Squad! only ran for six episodes back in 1982, but it spawned a popular film franchise that so far consists of three films: The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The Naked Gun 21⁄2: The Smell of Fear, and Naked Gun 331⁄3: The Final Insult, all three of which had Pat Proft on board as a screenwriter. When it was announced that a straight-to-video sequel called The Naked Gun 4: Rhythm of Evil was moving ahead in 2009 with none of the original creative team involved, that original creative team didn’t react well. That movie didn’t make it into production, but now that a reboot of The Naked Gun is moving forward at Paramount with Akiva Schaffer set to direct the film from a screenplay by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, Mark Hentemann, Alec Sulkin, and producer Seth MacFarlane,...
- 12/21/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
‘Naked Gun’ Turns 35: Team on Adapting Failed TV Series, Leslie Nielsen’s Magic, Reboot Frustrations
Turning a short-lived parody TV series into a feature film was always going to involve taking a chance, but as the team behind the Naked Gun franchise learned, it wasn’t quite on the level of sticking your face in a fan.
Following the breakout success of the 1980 smash hit Airplane!, that film’s writer-director team — David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker — found themselves grounded when ABC promptly canceled their police-spoofing show Police Squad! in 1982. But the series’ co-creators refused to let the concept die and went on to adapt it for The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, which Paramount Pictures released theatrically on Dec. 2, 1988. The movie, featuring Leslie Nielsen reprising his Police Squad! lead role as accident-prone police lieutenant Frank Drebin, also starred Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalbán, George Kennedy and O. J. Simpson.
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the original Naked Gun film that...
Following the breakout success of the 1980 smash hit Airplane!, that film’s writer-director team — David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker — found themselves grounded when ABC promptly canceled their police-spoofing show Police Squad! in 1982. But the series’ co-creators refused to let the concept die and went on to adapt it for The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, which Paramount Pictures released theatrically on Dec. 2, 1988. The movie, featuring Leslie Nielsen reprising his Police Squad! lead role as accident-prone police lieutenant Frank Drebin, also starred Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalbán, George Kennedy and O. J. Simpson.
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the original Naked Gun film that...
- 12/21/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Airplane! writer-directors David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker are teaming up with a cast of celebrities and industry figures to chronicle the making of the influential hit 1980 comedy.
Audiobook Surely You Can’t Be Serious will be narrated by the trio of filmmakers alongside comedians and actors Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Hader, “Weird” Al Yankovic, Molly Shannon, Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt and Beau Bridges, and industry including John Landis, Barry Diller and Michael Eisner. It will also include contributions from original Airplane! cast members Bob Hays and Julie Hagerty.
Airplane! premiered on July 2, 1980. With a budget of $3.5M, it went on to make more than $80M at the box office. The slapstick comedy sees a neurotic ex-fighter pilot have to land a commercial airplane after the crew becomes sick with food poisoning.
The audiobook will also chart the story of the Zaz trio, charting the rise...
Audiobook Surely You Can’t Be Serious will be narrated by the trio of filmmakers alongside comedians and actors Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Hader, “Weird” Al Yankovic, Molly Shannon, Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt and Beau Bridges, and industry including John Landis, Barry Diller and Michael Eisner. It will also include contributions from original Airplane! cast members Bob Hays and Julie Hagerty.
Airplane! premiered on July 2, 1980. With a budget of $3.5M, it went on to make more than $80M at the box office. The slapstick comedy sees a neurotic ex-fighter pilot have to land a commercial airplane after the crew becomes sick with food poisoning.
The audiobook will also chart the story of the Zaz trio, charting the rise...
- 9/27/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Today came the sad news that Smash Mouth frontman Steve Harwell died at 56. Smash Mouth is undoubtedly best known today for the fact their 1999 hit song "All Star" played at the very beginning of the first "Shrek" movie. Like with everything else related to "Shrek," the song has become a bit of a meme.
It's easy to forget, however, that before "Shrek" debuted at Cannes and went on to win the very first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, "All Star" was a smash hit way before Shrek. It was considered one of the best songs of 1999 and even got nominated for the Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal Grammy. While "Shrek" immortalized it, it was actually another film from 2001 that gave us the best use of "All Star," and one of the best endings to a movie of the last 20 years.
That's right, the perfect...
It's easy to forget, however, that before "Shrek" debuted at Cannes and went on to win the very first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, "All Star" was a smash hit way before Shrek. It was considered one of the best songs of 1999 and even got nominated for the Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal Grammy. While "Shrek" immortalized it, it was actually another film from 2001 that gave us the best use of "All Star," and one of the best endings to a movie of the last 20 years.
That's right, the perfect...
- 9/4/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Graphic: Paramount Pictures
Even if you’ve never seen a single film by the writing and directing team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker (collectively known as Zaz), surely you’re familiar with the ubiquitous references to their work in popular culture. And if you just read that...
Even if you’ve never seen a single film by the writing and directing team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker (collectively known as Zaz), surely you’re familiar with the ubiquitous references to their work in popular culture. And if you just read that...
- 8/3/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Clockwise from bottom left: Saving Private Ryan (CBS/Getty Images), Batman Returns (Warner Bros.), Jurassic Park (Murray Close/Getty Images), and Independence Day (20th Century Fox)Graphic: The A.V. Club
During every summer in the 1990s, it seemed like theaters were consistently packed with the kind of tentpole films that...
During every summer in the 1990s, it seemed like theaters were consistently packed with the kind of tentpole films that...
- 7/25/2023
- by Phil Pirrello
- avclub.com
After playing exclusively in theaters for a week, specifically attached to prints for Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City,” the first trailer for “Drive-Away Dolls” has been offered up for online consumption. Anyone checking out Focus Features’ 1950s-set sci-fi comedy in multiplexes this weekend will likely get a theatrical helping of this one too, but you can watch it above instead.
Directed by Ethan Coen, but not alongside Joel Coen, the road-trip crime romp was written by Coen and Tricia Cooke. It stars Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp and (in what seems to be another in a long line of just-for-fun cameos) Matt Damon.
This comedy caper follows Jamie (Qualley), an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian (Viswanathan) who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee,...
Directed by Ethan Coen, but not alongside Joel Coen, the road-trip crime romp was written by Coen and Tricia Cooke. It stars Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp and (in what seems to be another in a long line of just-for-fun cameos) Matt Damon.
This comedy caper follows Jamie (Qualley), an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian (Viswanathan) who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee,...
- 6/23/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Los Angeles, May 22 (Ians) Hollywood star Michael J. Fox made an appearance on ‘The View’ where he came face-to-face with Whoopi Goldberg and told her that he regrets not working with her in ‘Ghost’.
During Fox’s appearance on the ABC talk show, the ‘Back to the Future’ alum was asked by Goldberg if he had any regrets about acting roles he had walked away from in the past.
“There was a chance to work with you that I missed,” Fox said. “They talked to me about Ghost early on. I said, ‘It’ll never work.’ I said, ‘Whoopi is great but it’ll never work.'”
Fox continued: “And then it was great, and huge and I’m a f***ing idiot,” reports Deadline.
Goldberg added: “Well, you know what? There’s still time. So, yeah, we’ll find something to do now.”
‘Ghost’ is a 1990 romantic fantasy film...
During Fox’s appearance on the ABC talk show, the ‘Back to the Future’ alum was asked by Goldberg if he had any regrets about acting roles he had walked away from in the past.
“There was a chance to work with you that I missed,” Fox said. “They talked to me about Ghost early on. I said, ‘It’ll never work.’ I said, ‘Whoopi is great but it’ll never work.'”
Fox continued: “And then it was great, and huge and I’m a f***ing idiot,” reports Deadline.
Goldberg added: “Well, you know what? There’s still time. So, yeah, we’ll find something to do now.”
‘Ghost’ is a 1990 romantic fantasy film...
- 5/22/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Michael J. Fox made an appearance on The View where he came face-to-face with Whoopi Goldberg and told her he regretted not working with her on Ghost.
During Fox’s appearance on the ABC talk show, the Back to the Future alum was asked by Goldberg if he had any regrets about acting roles he had walked away from in the past.
“There was a chance to work with you that I missed,” Fox said. “They talked to me about Ghost early on. I said, ‘It’ll never work.’ I said, ‘Whoopi is great but it’ll never work.'”
Fox continued, “And then it was great, and huge and I’m a f***ing idiot.”
Goldberg added, “Well, you know what? There’s still time. So, yeah, we’ll find something to do now.”
Ghost is a 1990 romantic fantasy film directed by Jerry Zucker and written by Bruce Joel Rubin.
During Fox’s appearance on the ABC talk show, the Back to the Future alum was asked by Goldberg if he had any regrets about acting roles he had walked away from in the past.
“There was a chance to work with you that I missed,” Fox said. “They talked to me about Ghost early on. I said, ‘It’ll never work.’ I said, ‘Whoopi is great but it’ll never work.'”
Fox continued, “And then it was great, and huge and I’m a f***ing idiot.”
Goldberg added, “Well, you know what? There’s still time. So, yeah, we’ll find something to do now.”
Ghost is a 1990 romantic fantasy film directed by Jerry Zucker and written by Bruce Joel Rubin.
- 5/22/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Horror and comedy are strange, but highly compatible bedfellows. And when we're talking about the "Evil Dead" franchise, they are natural, gruesome complements.
Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead" is arguably the most important horror movie of the 1980s. It's a shoestring-budget fright-fest that masks its financial limitations with dizzyingly inventive framing and gonzo explosions of gore. Though it drew inspiration from George A. Romero's zombie films and the demonic possession craze kicked off by William Friedkin's "The Exorcist," its full-throttle exuberance was rooted in everything from Looney Tunes cartoons to Jerry Lewis comedies. Raimi's sequel, "Evil Dead 2," leaned harder into the zaniness, invoking The Three Stooges as we watched our hapless protagonist, Ash (Bruce Campbell), turn into a one-man Larry, Moe, and Curly.
Raimi has since handed the "Evil Dead" reins over to a new generation. Fede Álvarez took a decidedly non-comedic approach to his 2013 remake,...
Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead" is arguably the most important horror movie of the 1980s. It's a shoestring-budget fright-fest that masks its financial limitations with dizzyingly inventive framing and gonzo explosions of gore. Though it drew inspiration from George A. Romero's zombie films and the demonic possession craze kicked off by William Friedkin's "The Exorcist," its full-throttle exuberance was rooted in everything from Looney Tunes cartoons to Jerry Lewis comedies. Raimi's sequel, "Evil Dead 2," leaned harder into the zaniness, invoking The Three Stooges as we watched our hapless protagonist, Ash (Bruce Campbell), turn into a one-man Larry, Moe, and Curly.
Raimi has since handed the "Evil Dead" reins over to a new generation. Fede Álvarez took a decidedly non-comedic approach to his 2013 remake,...
- 3/17/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Weekly Watchlist, a feature where we program everything you need to stream this week. In this edition: "History of the World, Part II" takes center stage, but we also offer up some silly comedies and less-silly historical epics to stream.)
The Series: "History of the World, Part II"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: Over four decades after the original sketch comedy movie "History of the World, Part I," legendary funnyman Mel Brooks is back to pay off on the tongue-in-cheek promise of that dangling subtitle. Nobody ever really thought we'd receive a follow-up to the 1981 film -- let alone one that's a whopping 40 years later, debuting as a series on a streaming service, and spearheaded by the same director who is now a sprightly 96 years young. But if we have no choice but to muddle our way through life in the year of our lord 2023, well,...
The Series: "History of the World, Part II"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: Over four decades after the original sketch comedy movie "History of the World, Part I," legendary funnyman Mel Brooks is back to pay off on the tongue-in-cheek promise of that dangling subtitle. Nobody ever really thought we'd receive a follow-up to the 1981 film -- let alone one that's a whopping 40 years later, debuting as a series on a streaming service, and spearheaded by the same director who is now a sprightly 96 years young. But if we have no choice but to muddle our way through life in the year of our lord 2023, well,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Look, you're either on Quentin Dupieux's wavelength or you're not. Over the last 20+ years he's pumped out some of the weirdest, goofiest, most bizarre comedies you could possibly see. Most folks took notice of his film work with 2010's "Rubber," about a car tire that gains sentience and goes on a telekinetic killing spree. If that doesn't set you up for his patented brand of humor then nothing will.
His latest film is called "Smoking Causes Coughing," about a team of (mostly) middle-aged crime fighters in a "Power Rangers" style group who are starting to buckle under the stress of their job of saving the world from odd monsters and alien masterminds, so their puppet rat boss sends them on a sort of team-building retreat, which just happens to coincide with yet another world-ending threat that they keep putting on the back-burner in order to hammer out the kinks in their interpersonal relationships.
His latest film is called "Smoking Causes Coughing," about a team of (mostly) middle-aged crime fighters in a "Power Rangers" style group who are starting to buckle under the stress of their job of saving the world from odd monsters and alien masterminds, so their puppet rat boss sends them on a sort of team-building retreat, which just happens to coincide with yet another world-ending threat that they keep putting on the back-burner in order to hammer out the kinks in their interpersonal relationships.
- 2/23/2023
- by Eric Vespe
- Slash Film
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
There are, and always will be, movies that critics hate. It's just the nature of the beast as it exists. And let's be fair, general audiences oftentimes simply disagree with critics. Just look at the fact that "Venom" made a stunning 856 million at the global box office against pretty terrible reviews. To put it simply, it do be like that sometimes. But then there is the occasional movie that is perceived to be so bad, it almost instantly etches itself into the annals of cinema history in the most unflattering way possible. Enter 2013's "Movie 43," a comedy with staggeringly abysmal reviews and an equally staggering, star-studded cast that stunned Hollywood with its awfulness. Again, if the reviews are to be believed.
The...
There are, and always will be, movies that critics hate. It's just the nature of the beast as it exists. And let's be fair, general audiences oftentimes simply disagree with critics. Just look at the fact that "Venom" made a stunning 856 million at the global box office against pretty terrible reviews. To put it simply, it do be like that sometimes. But then there is the occasional movie that is perceived to be so bad, it almost instantly etches itself into the annals of cinema history in the most unflattering way possible. Enter 2013's "Movie 43," a comedy with staggeringly abysmal reviews and an equally staggering, star-studded cast that stunned Hollywood with its awfulness. Again, if the reviews are to be believed.
The...
- 1/28/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Tales From The Box Office: Meet The Spartans, One Of The Worst-Reviewed Movies Ever, Was Still A Hit
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
Spoof movies have been a staple of comedy for decades. For as long as popular cinema exists, there is an argument to be made that somebody should be there to send up the popular genre of the moment. Perhaps the greatest of all time in this department were David and Jerry Zucker, aka the Zucker brothers, who were behind such comedy masterpieces as "Top Secret," "Ruthless People," and, most importantly, "Airplane!"
Unfortunately, the spoof movie took a pretty rough turn in the 2000s largely thanks to the success of "Scary Movie," a send up of the slasher craze that was reignited by "Scream" several years earlier. The film was a big hit and spawned several sequels and, before getting massive rewrites after being sold to Dimension Films,...
Spoof movies have been a staple of comedy for decades. For as long as popular cinema exists, there is an argument to be made that somebody should be there to send up the popular genre of the moment. Perhaps the greatest of all time in this department were David and Jerry Zucker, aka the Zucker brothers, who were behind such comedy masterpieces as "Top Secret," "Ruthless People," and, most importantly, "Airplane!"
Unfortunately, the spoof movie took a pretty rough turn in the 2000s largely thanks to the success of "Scary Movie," a send up of the slasher craze that was reignited by "Scream" several years earlier. The film was a big hit and spawned several sequels and, before getting massive rewrites after being sold to Dimension Films,...
- 1/21/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Exclusive: America’s longest-serving death row inmate, Tommy Zeigler, and his fight for exoneration after nearly 50 years behind bars on a murder conviction, are getting the documentary treatment courtesy of award-winning directors David Van Taylor (A Perfect Candidate) and Marlon Johnson (River City Drumbeat).
Producers on the film, Blood and Judgment (w/t), include Andy Breckman — the four-time Emmy nominee known for creating the hit USA Network comedy series, Monk — and Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver from Left/Right, a North Road company (The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears).
Blood and Judgment asks whether Zeigler is a criminal mastermind, or the victim of an ingenious frame-up. Its story is thrust into motion on Christmas Eve 1975, as a multiple homicide unfolds in a locked furniture store outside of Orlando, Florida. Amid the chaotic, bloody crime scene — four bodies, eight guns, 28 bullets — a young detective soon settles on a surprising suspect.
Producers on the film, Blood and Judgment (w/t), include Andy Breckman — the four-time Emmy nominee known for creating the hit USA Network comedy series, Monk — and Ken Druckerman and Banks Tarver from Left/Right, a North Road company (The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears).
Blood and Judgment asks whether Zeigler is a criminal mastermind, or the victim of an ingenious frame-up. Its story is thrust into motion on Christmas Eve 1975, as a multiple homicide unfolds in a locked furniture store outside of Orlando, Florida. Amid the chaotic, bloody crime scene — four bodies, eight guns, 28 bullets — a young detective soon settles on a surprising suspect.
- 1/18/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Wow! I did not have a Ghost remake from Channing Tatum on my 2023 Bingo card, folks, and yet, here we are. According to a Vanity Fair cover story, Tatum’s production company, Free Association, owns the film rights to the supernatural drama released in 1990, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg.
“We actually have the rights,” Tatum said to Vanity Fair. “Yeah, we have the rights to ‘Ghost.'” The report also says Tatum could play Patrick Swayze’s role in the remake.
“But we’re going to do something different,” Tatum added, referring to changes he plans to make to the original film’s harmful stereotypes.
Jerry Zucker directed Ghost from a script by Bruce Joel Rubin. Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn, Vincent Schiavelli, and Rick Aviles star in the romantic fantasy comedy. Zucker’s 1990 classic revolves around Sam West (Swayze), a murdered banker whose...
“We actually have the rights,” Tatum said to Vanity Fair. “Yeah, we have the rights to ‘Ghost.'” The report also says Tatum could play Patrick Swayze’s role in the remake.
“But we’re going to do something different,” Tatum added, referring to changes he plans to make to the original film’s harmful stereotypes.
Jerry Zucker directed Ghost from a script by Bruce Joel Rubin. Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn, Vincent Schiavelli, and Rick Aviles star in the romantic fantasy comedy. Zucker’s 1990 classic revolves around Sam West (Swayze), a murdered banker whose...
- 1/17/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Channing Tatum has revealed that he has the rights to the classic 1990 romance Ghost from Paramount Pictures and plans to remake it.
His disclosure that his production company Free Association has “the rights to Ghost” came during an interview with Vanity Fair, conducted while the actor-producer was making pottery. “Now I know why they put [pottery-making] in Ghost,” he joked. “This whole process is very, very sexual.”
Tatum told Vanity Fair that he’ll play Patrick Swayze’s role in the new Ghost. “But we’re going to do something different,” he said, alluding to certain problematic elements in the storytelling of the original film. Tatum added, “I think it needs to change a little bit and have our…” but never got around to finishing his sentence after being distracted by the aforementioned pottery. Further specifics as to his plans for Ghost haven’t been disclosed.
Garnering both critical acclaim and...
His disclosure that his production company Free Association has “the rights to Ghost” came during an interview with Vanity Fair, conducted while the actor-producer was making pottery. “Now I know why they put [pottery-making] in Ghost,” he joked. “This whole process is very, very sexual.”
Tatum told Vanity Fair that he’ll play Patrick Swayze’s role in the new Ghost. “But we’re going to do something different,” he said, alluding to certain problematic elements in the storytelling of the original film. Tatum added, “I think it needs to change a little bit and have our…” but never got around to finishing his sentence after being distracted by the aforementioned pottery. Further specifics as to his plans for Ghost haven’t been disclosed.
Garnering both critical acclaim and...
- 1/17/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Is a “Ghost” remake starring Channing Tatum on the way? Potentially. As part of a new Vanity Fair cover story, Tatum revealed that his production company, Free Association, has the rights to the 1990 romantic fantasy classic and he’s trying to develop a remake.
“We actually have the rights,” Tatum said. “Yeah, we have the rights to ‘Ghost.’”
Vanity Fair goes on to report: “He tells [us] about how his production company, Free Association, is trying to pull together a remake of ‘Ghost,’ with him potentially playing the Patrick Swayze role.”
“But we’re going to do something different,” Tatum added, noting the 1990 original contains problematic stereotypes. “I think it needs to change a little bit and have our…”
Variety has reached out to Tatum’s representatives for further comment.
“Ghost,” directed Jerry Zucker, starred Patrick Swayze as a murdered banker whose ghost sets out to save his girlfriend (Demi Moore) from his enemies.
“We actually have the rights,” Tatum said. “Yeah, we have the rights to ‘Ghost.’”
Vanity Fair goes on to report: “He tells [us] about how his production company, Free Association, is trying to pull together a remake of ‘Ghost,’ with him potentially playing the Patrick Swayze role.”
“But we’re going to do something different,” Tatum added, noting the 1990 original contains problematic stereotypes. “I think it needs to change a little bit and have our…”
Variety has reached out to Tatum’s representatives for further comment.
“Ghost,” directed Jerry Zucker, starred Patrick Swayze as a murdered banker whose ghost sets out to save his girlfriend (Demi Moore) from his enemies.
- 1/17/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
It’s New Year’s Eve once again over at Trailers From Hell, so you know what that means, fellow cineastes: it’s Val Kilmer’s birthday!
As such, our Kilmer Birthday Committee (of one) will continue its annual tradition of watching one Val classic in celebration. Tonight’s entertainment: the criminally under-seen and intensely silly Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker adventure comedy Top Secret! (1984), a mash-up Elvis musical/spy caper parody picture. This relentlessly unserious entertainment carries special significance for Kilmerphiles, as it brought the world Val’s first-ever feature film role.
Now when Val Kilmer makes his celluloid acting debut, he’s not just some featured extra, or the 12th lead, or whatever. Don’t be silly. He’s the star, damn it.
In Top Secret!, that means he’s Nick Rivers, a Presley-esque rock and roller who finds himself inadvertently at the heart of an attempted hostile overseas takeover. This raucous...
As such, our Kilmer Birthday Committee (of one) will continue its annual tradition of watching one Val classic in celebration. Tonight’s entertainment: the criminally under-seen and intensely silly Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker adventure comedy Top Secret! (1984), a mash-up Elvis musical/spy caper parody picture. This relentlessly unserious entertainment carries special significance for Kilmerphiles, as it brought the world Val’s first-ever feature film role.
Now when Val Kilmer makes his celluloid acting debut, he’s not just some featured extra, or the 12th lead, or whatever. Don’t be silly. He’s the star, damn it.
In Top Secret!, that means he’s Nick Rivers, a Presley-esque rock and roller who finds himself inadvertently at the heart of an attempted hostile overseas takeover. This raucous...
- 1/1/2023
- by Alex Kirschenbaum
- Trailers from Hell
When the now disbanded Zaz trio of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker were on their spoof game, they belonged to a very exclusive club that, to this day, includes only Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Monty Python. Their parody run of "Kentucky Fried Movie," "Airplane!," "Top Secret!" and "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" remains unmatched. And while they were likely too talented to miss the mark in their heyday, it's difficult to imagine them drilling the bullseye so emphatically without the deadpan genius of Leslie Nielsen.
When Nielsen was cast as the unflappable Dr. Rumack in "Airplane!," he was best known for his stolid performances in films like "Forbidden Planet," "The Swamp Fox" and "The Poseidon Adventure." He provided instant, deathly serious gravity to every scene he entered. He was no one's idea of a comedic dynamo, which is why he was perfect for the part of Rumack.
When Nielsen was cast as the unflappable Dr. Rumack in "Airplane!," he was best known for his stolid performances in films like "Forbidden Planet," "The Swamp Fox" and "The Poseidon Adventure." He provided instant, deathly serious gravity to every scene he entered. He was no one's idea of a comedic dynamo, which is why he was perfect for the part of Rumack.
- 11/1/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Veteran action star has agreed to lead a revival of the much-loved police spoof franchise starring Leslie Nielsen
Liam Neeson is set to step into the brogues of the late Leslie Nielsen in a reboot of the police spoof classic The Naked Gun.
The original Naked Gun trilogy were slapstick crime-procedural parodies created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker, starring Nielsen as Lieutenant Frank Drebin, a good-natured but gullible detective who originated in the shortlived 1982 TV series Police Squad! The first film was released in 1988 and was a critical hit that made 140m. Two sequels – 1991’s The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear and 1994’s Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult – were also commercial successes.
Liam Neeson is set to step into the brogues of the late Leslie Nielsen in a reboot of the police spoof classic The Naked Gun.
The original Naked Gun trilogy were slapstick crime-procedural parodies created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker, starring Nielsen as Lieutenant Frank Drebin, a good-natured but gullible detective who originated in the shortlived 1982 TV series Police Squad! The first film was released in 1988 and was a critical hit that made 140m. Two sequels – 1991’s The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear and 1994’s Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult – were also commercial successes.
- 10/14/2022
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Slapstick is getting a big screen revival: a reboot of the “Naked Gun” comedy film franchise is in development at Paramount Pictures, IndieWire has confirmed.
Liam Neeson is in talks to star in the film as the son of original protagonist Frank Drebin, a well-meaning but hapless police detective portrayed in the original series by the late Leslie Nielsen. Attached to direct is Akiva Schaffer, best known as a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island and the director of this year’s “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,” which won the Emmy for best television film this year.
The writers of “Chip ‘n Dale,” Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, will pen the script, based on an original treatment from Mark Hentemann and Alec Sulkin. Schaffer will executive produce the film, with Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins producing via their production company Fuzzy Door.
The original films spun off from...
Liam Neeson is in talks to star in the film as the son of original protagonist Frank Drebin, a well-meaning but hapless police detective portrayed in the original series by the late Leslie Nielsen. Attached to direct is Akiva Schaffer, best known as a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island and the director of this year’s “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,” which won the Emmy for best television film this year.
The writers of “Chip ‘n Dale,” Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, will pen the script, based on an original treatment from Mark Hentemann and Alec Sulkin. Schaffer will executive produce the film, with Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins producing via their production company Fuzzy Door.
The original films spun off from...
- 10/13/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Years before he flaunted his versatility in "The Doors," "Tombstone" and "Heat," it appeared as though Val Kilmer was going to be one of Hollywood's go-to comedy stars. Though David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker's "Top Secret!" flopped at the box office in 1984, those who were wise enough to rush out and catch it walked away impressed with the actor's ability to deadpan one moment and switch on his rockstar swagger the next. He followed that up the next year with an immensely appealing performance as troublemaking genius Chris Knight in Martha Coolidge's hysterical "Real Genius."
Kilmer's arrival was as sudden as it was welcome. Unlike many stars, he hadn't paid his dues via two-line roles in schlocky exploitation flicks or sitcoms. He just showed up, and we instantly adored him. If you had to guess, you figured he'd studied improv at Second City or The Groundlings.
Kilmer's arrival was as sudden as it was welcome. Unlike many stars, he hadn't paid his dues via two-line roles in schlocky exploitation flicks or sitcoms. He just showed up, and we instantly adored him. If you had to guess, you figured he'd studied improv at Second City or The Groundlings.
- 9/30/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
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