Only one man has the particular set of skills...to lead Police Squad and save the world! Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) follows in his father's footsteps in The Naked Gun, directed by Akiva Schaffer (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) and produced by Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy).
As we first reported on ActioNewz.com, the first full trailer for the movie has been released, and it finds Neeson's hapless Lieutenant getting mixed up in all manner of compromising positions.
He's a buffoon, something that's hilariously established with him asking a crook why they "served 20 years for 'man's laughter" and cutting the line for the bathroom by firing his gun. However, things get serious (kinda) when Pamela Anderson's femme fatale arrives on the scene, seeking his help to solve the murder of her brother.
Neeson's Frank isn't the only legacy character. Paul Walter Hauser is the son of George Kennedy's Captain Ed Hocken, and Moses Jones' character's father is revealed as O.J. Simpson's Detective Nordberg. For longtime Naked Gun fans, it seems there will be heaps of Easter Eggs.
"It’s funny because right before Christmas, my sons and I were looking through the Academy screeners and trying to find something silly, some still, stupid movie that we could giggle at," Neeson previously said of why he agreed to star in The Naked Gun. "There was none, of course, as they were all very heavy and international. I mean, brilliant movies, but all very heavy."
"When Seth MacFarlane approached me about it — this was about two years ago, now — I thought, yeah, I guess I could do that as long as I play it dead seriously and not try and imitate Mr. Leslie Nielsen. He was wonderful," he added. "Akiva Schaffer is directing it and he’s from the [Saturday Night Live] world. I’m looking forward to it. It’s a good script, and there’s a few laugh out loud moments in it."
Anderson, meanwhile, has said, "It is the same depth of process for a high comedy as it is for a drama. I worked hard on the role, another cathartic experience. Every film, it seems, tackles a deep-seated issue that needs to be expressed and surfaced in ways other than anything else."
"I'm hoping people love it. We had so much fun making it. I think it's timely for a beloved comedy like this. I'm a fan of the originals. As Liam says, 'We could all use a good giggle.' I pray we do more."
Joining Neeson on the case are Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu, and Danny Huston.
The Naked Gun arrives in theaters on August 1. You can see the new trailer and poster below.