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
It's a busy old time for Paul Walter Hauser – with good reason, since he's been putting in excellent, memorable and award-winning performances in a variety of films and shows. He's now attached to another big title, joining Liam Neeson in the cast of Paramount's new spin on The Naked Gun.
The 1988 original saw David Zucker, brother Jerry, Jim Abrahams and co-writer Pat Proft turn their short-lived comedy series Police Squad! into a movie. It was an instant comedy hit, Leslie Nielsen's iconic central performance cementing his transformation from dramatic actor to comedy legend as Detective Frank Drebin.
Two sequels followed to diminishing returns (though there are still good gags to be enjoyed in both), but we started to hear rumours of a remake in development years ago. That went through a few versions — Ed Helms was attached to star for while — and more recently, Seth MacFarlane has been involved,...
The 1988 original saw David Zucker, brother Jerry, Jim Abrahams and co-writer Pat Proft turn their short-lived comedy series Police Squad! into a movie. It was an instant comedy hit, Leslie Nielsen's iconic central performance cementing his transformation from dramatic actor to comedy legend as Detective Frank Drebin.
Two sequels followed to diminishing returns (though there are still good gags to be enjoyed in both), but we started to hear rumours of a remake in development years ago. That went through a few versions — Ed Helms was attached to star for while — and more recently, Seth MacFarlane has been involved,...
- 5/1/2024
- by James White
- Empire - Movies
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
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
Eleven years have gone by since the release of a new entry in the Scary Movie horror parody series – but the franchise isn’t going to remain dormant for much longer. Deadline reports that the Miramax label at Paramount, which is now operating under new boss Jonathan Glickman, has given the greenlight to a new Scary Movie sequel, with the plan being to get the film into theatres sometime in 2025. If any writers or a director are attached to the project, they weren’t named in this announcement.
Directed by In Living Color creator Keenen Ivory Wayans from a screenplay written by a bunch of people, the first Scary Movie was released by Dimension Films back in 2000. Scary Movie 2 was released in 2001, and the Wayans remained at the head of the creative team for that one. Keenen Ivory Wayans directed it from a screenplay credited to Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans,...
Directed by In Living Color creator Keenen Ivory Wayans from a screenplay written by a bunch of people, the first Scary Movie was released by Dimension Films back in 2000. Scary Movie 2 was released in 2001, and the Wayans remained at the head of the creative team for that one. Keenen Ivory Wayans directed it from a screenplay credited to Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- 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 28, 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, set...
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 28, 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, set...
- 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
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
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Everyone here at /Film loves watching movies and TV shows. But every now and then, you need a break from the screens. However, that doesn't mean you can't still bask in the glory of moving pictures. There's an endless array of books out there about your favorite movies and TV shows. Whether it's the story of the two most famous film critics ever, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, a chronicle of the making of movies like Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" or the screwball comedy spoof "Airplane!," memoirs from your favorite stars like Patrick Stewart and Barbra Streisand, an exhausting timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or a cookbook with recipes straight from the "Star Wars" universe, we've got a huge collection of books for the film and TV lover in your life.
So let's dig into Part 2 of the 2023 /Film Holiday Gift Guide now!
Everyone here at /Film loves watching movies and TV shows. But every now and then, you need a break from the screens. However, that doesn't mean you can't still bask in the glory of moving pictures. There's an endless array of books out there about your favorite movies and TV shows. Whether it's the story of the two most famous film critics ever, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, a chronicle of the making of movies like Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" or the screwball comedy spoof "Airplane!," memoirs from your favorite stars like Patrick Stewart and Barbra Streisand, an exhausting timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or a cookbook with recipes straight from the "Star Wars" universe, we've got a huge collection of books for the film and TV lover in your life.
So let's dig into Part 2 of the 2023 /Film Holiday Gift Guide now!
- 11/21/2023
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Chicago – Use the word “surely” in any conversation, such as “Surely …” and inevitably you’ll get the answer, “Blah Blah, and don’t call me Shirley.” One of a trio that came up with that famous riposte, David Zucker, was at the Chicago Humanities Festival as co-author of “Surely you Can’t be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!”
The book was written with the other two members of the legendary movie comedy creators nicknamed Zaz … for (David) Zucker, (Jim) Abrahams and (Jerry) Zucker. In 1980, the trio wrote and directed one of the most influential comedy movies of their generation, the deliciously funny farce “Airplane!,” forever changing comic sensibilities and satire. The book is a look back to a different time and place in American entertainment, and David Zucker appeared on its behalf as part of the ongoing Fall Chicago Humanities Festival on October 21st, 2023.
David Zucker and His Book...
The book was written with the other two members of the legendary movie comedy creators nicknamed Zaz … for (David) Zucker, (Jim) Abrahams and (Jerry) Zucker. In 1980, the trio wrote and directed one of the most influential comedy movies of their generation, the deliciously funny farce “Airplane!,” forever changing comic sensibilities and satire. The book is a look back to a different time and place in American entertainment, and David Zucker appeared on its behalf as part of the ongoing Fall Chicago Humanities Festival on October 21st, 2023.
David Zucker and His Book...
- 10/27/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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
Throughout much of his career, Leslie Nielsen had been known for playing very serious, dramatic roles in melodramatic films. And that’s exactly why the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams sought to cast him to provide deadpan humor in their movie Airplane! Nielsen was so well received in the role, the floodgates opened — the Zuckers and Abrahams cast him as the lead in their television parody of cop shows, Police Squad! That, of course, led directly to the three Naked Gun movies, which featured Nielsen as his Police Squad! character. It was a whole new stage of Nielsen’s career — many would say the most successful stage — and for that, the late actor once told us he would always be grateful to the Airplane! team. (Click on the media bar below to hear Leslie Nielsen) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Leslie_Nielsen_Abrmans_Zuker_.mp3
Airplane! and the three...
Airplane! and the three...
- 8/12/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
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
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
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
If you've never seen the 1984 comedy "Top Secret!", it's a film that pulls double-duty as both a spoof of spy movies and Elvis Presley. The comedy in the film is equal parts broad, clever, slapstick, and dumb, as you might expect from Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers, David and Jerry, who previously unleashed "Airplane!" on the world. And as you might also expect, it's also uproariously funny. But the film is most memorable for introducing audiences to Val Kilmer, who turns in a star-making performance as Nick Rivers -- a rock and roll heartthrob who gets pulled into the world of international espionage and intrigue.
Given Kilmer's reputation as a serious actor, thanks to stellar turns in movies like "Tombstone," "The Doors," and "Heat," it's easy to forget that his earliest work on the big screen was in the comedy genre. Between "Top Secret!" and "Real Genius," he...
Given Kilmer's reputation as a serious actor, thanks to stellar turns in movies like "Tombstone," "The Doors," and "Heat," it's easy to forget that his earliest work on the big screen was in the comedy genre. Between "Top Secret!" and "Real Genius," he...
- 1/7/2023
- by Jeff Kelly
- Slash Film
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
Mikhail Gorbachev, one of the 20th century’s most consequential world leaders, who ushered in an era of reform in the Soviet Union and played a role in ending the Cold War with the West, has died, Russian state media and other outlets reported on Tuesday. He was 91.
Russian state TV said that Gorbachev died after a “long and grave illness.”
Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery
The subject of one of President Ronald Reagan’s most famous quotes – “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” from Berlin in 1987 – he led the Ussr from March 1985 until its collapse in late 1991, first as General Secretary of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party and later as its president starting in March 1990.
Being the last leader of the Soviet Union colored his legacy for many of the country’s citizens, but his tenure saw the fall of the Berlin Wall and the lifting of the Iron Curtain.
Russian state TV said that Gorbachev died after a “long and grave illness.”
Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery
The subject of one of President Ronald Reagan’s most famous quotes – “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” from Berlin in 1987 – he led the Ussr from March 1985 until its collapse in late 1991, first as General Secretary of the Soviet Union’s Communist Party and later as its president starting in March 1990.
Being the last leader of the Soviet Union colored his legacy for many of the country’s citizens, but his tenure saw the fall of the Berlin Wall and the lifting of the Iron Curtain.
- 8/30/2022
- by Ted Johnson and Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
When the Wisconsin-born trio of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker (aka Zaz) unleashed the comedy hit of 1980 in "Airplane!" (which shockingly outgrossed the higher-profile "Caddyshack"), Hollywood immediately set out to capitalize on the boys' relentless brand of spoofery. Zaz's gag-a-second style was a dream come true for box-office obsessed studios; the jokes came so fast and hit so hard that the audience's roaring laughter often drowned out the next few jokes. This meant repeat viewings were a must. Paramount begged the filmmakers to deliver an "Airplane!" sequel posthaste. They declined and spent their clout on a...
The post TV, Interrupted: Police Squad! Was The Definitive Parody Of Police Procedurals, And Could Be Again appeared first on /Film.
The post TV, Interrupted: Police Squad! Was The Definitive Parody Of Police Procedurals, And Could Be Again appeared first on /Film.
- 7/31/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
On the first of April, /Film reported that the 1991 Jim Abrahams spoof comedy "Hot Shots!" — a parody of "Top Gun" — and its 1993 sequel "Hot Shots! Part Deux" — a parody of "Rambo: First Blood Part II," and many others — would be made available on Disney+. "Hot Shots!" was one of the many films Disney acquired in their 2019 buyout of the 20th Century Fox library, and few films could have been more out-of-sync with Disney's careful managing of their own image. Disney was slick, clean, family-friendly, and earnest. "Hot Shots!" featured a scene wherein Valeria Golino cooks an egg, two...
The post Disney+ Giveth, and Disney+ Taketh Away the Hot Shots! Movies appeared first on /Film.
The post Disney+ Giveth, and Disney+ Taketh Away the Hot Shots! Movies appeared first on /Film.
- 4/7/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
On the surface, Cassie Bowden (Kaley Cuoco) is a very successful airline stewardess. The protagonist of HBO Max’s juicy, fun comedy series “The Flight Attendant” lives in New York City and has the primo routes in Europe and in Asia. But she’s also a drunk and quite frankly, a slut. And when she wakes up in bed in her hotel room in Bangkok, she discovers the man she spent the night with who had been her flight is dead with his throat slashed. It’s a delicious eight-season flight with Cuoco and the series earning nominations for the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Critics Choice honors. And it’s expected to be a shoo-in for multiple Emmy nominations.
Over the decades, flight attendants have been depicted in movies and on TV from a Madonna to a whore and everything in between. Of course, the most...
Over the decades, flight attendants have been depicted in movies and on TV from a Madonna to a whore and everything in between. Of course, the most...
- 6/14/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
‘Antebellum’ Leads Weekly Streaming Lists
Janelle Monae horror thriller “Antebellum” has topped the the lists of the week’s movies streaming on Fandango’s streaming services Vudu and FandangoNOW.
Lionsgate decided in early August to ditch a domestic theatrical release for “Antebellum” amid an uncertain outlook for launching movies at brick-and-mortar theaters due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The movie, directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, had originally been set for an April 24 release that was delayed several times amid the outbreak.
Monae portrays a successful modern-day author who finds herself trapped during the era of American slavery and must find a way to escape from the horrifying reality. The cast includes Eric Lange, Jena Malone, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons and Gabourey Sidibe.
‘Residue,’ ‘Feather & Pine’ Win at Mammoth Lakes
The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival has awarded its top prizes to Merawi Gerima’s “Residue” for top narrative feature and...
Janelle Monae horror thriller “Antebellum” has topped the the lists of the week’s movies streaming on Fandango’s streaming services Vudu and FandangoNOW.
Lionsgate decided in early August to ditch a domestic theatrical release for “Antebellum” amid an uncertain outlook for launching movies at brick-and-mortar theaters due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The movie, directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz, had originally been set for an April 24 release that was delayed several times amid the outbreak.
Monae portrays a successful modern-day author who finds herself trapped during the era of American slavery and must find a way to escape from the horrifying reality. The cast includes Eric Lange, Jena Malone, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons and Gabourey Sidibe.
‘Residue,’ ‘Feather & Pine’ Win at Mammoth Lakes
The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival has awarded its top prizes to Merawi Gerima’s “Residue” for top narrative feature and...
- 9/22/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
“Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue!”
There will be a 11:00pm Screening of Airplane at the Skyview Drive in Belleville (5700 N Belt W, Belleville, Il 62226) , Thursday September 24th at 11pm. The gate opens at 10:30. Admission is $10. . The Skyview’s site is Here
Airplane (1980) could have derailed the careers of everyone involved. For example, people under 40 may not even know that until this movie, Leslie Nielsen was strictly a serious actor in dramas both on TV and in film. Many may watch 1973’s The Poseidon Adventure for the first time today and keep waiting for Leslie Nielson – as the captain of the doomed ship – to get up from the dining room table wearing just his heart-covered underwear below the waist, or for him to make that first clueless remark. He never does. But from Airplane onward, he was strictly a comic actor and a good one.
There will be a 11:00pm Screening of Airplane at the Skyview Drive in Belleville (5700 N Belt W, Belleville, Il 62226) , Thursday September 24th at 11pm. The gate opens at 10:30. Admission is $10. . The Skyview’s site is Here
Airplane (1980) could have derailed the careers of everyone involved. For example, people under 40 may not even know that until this movie, Leslie Nielsen was strictly a serious actor in dramas both on TV and in film. Many may watch 1973’s The Poseidon Adventure for the first time today and keep waiting for Leslie Nielson – as the captain of the doomed ship – to get up from the dining room table wearing just his heart-covered underwear below the waist, or for him to make that first clueless remark. He never does. But from Airplane onward, he was strictly a comic actor and a good one.
- 9/15/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
What can you make out of Airplane! at 40 years old? Well, aside from a hat or a brooch or a pterodactyl? Written and directed by brothers Jerry and David Zucker, and Jim Abrahams, the 1980 parody of disaster films is frequently ranked among the best comedies of all time.
So, what is Airplane! about? Following the plot of the 1957 drama Zero Hour!, as well as inspired by the 1956 Canadian TV movie Flight into Danger, and famed disaster movie Airport 1975, Airplane! is a spoof film about a washed-up pilot summoned to greatness on a potentially doomed aircraft.
But that’s not important right now. What is important is that the trio of young creators, known as the Zaz team — also behind Wisconsin’s Kentucky Fried Theater sketch comedy team — crafted a style of machine-gun fast slapstick cinema which kickstarted a movie subgenre.
And surely one can’t forget the multitude of one-liners from Airplane!
So, what is Airplane! about? Following the plot of the 1957 drama Zero Hour!, as well as inspired by the 1956 Canadian TV movie Flight into Danger, and famed disaster movie Airport 1975, Airplane! is a spoof film about a washed-up pilot summoned to greatness on a potentially doomed aircraft.
But that’s not important right now. What is important is that the trio of young creators, known as the Zaz team — also behind Wisconsin’s Kentucky Fried Theater sketch comedy team — crafted a style of machine-gun fast slapstick cinema which kickstarted a movie subgenre.
And surely one can’t forget the multitude of one-liners from Airplane!
- 9/1/2020
- by Chris Longo
- Den of Geek
Most people smile just at the mention of this show … nothing is more healthy than an old fashioned laugh. Zucker, Zucker & Abrahams’ non-stop joke fest finds good fun in movie spoofery without malice, and is populated by a squadron of old pros that once made the originals fly right, no matter how clunky they were. All hail Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack and Peter Graves, the veterans of countless ‘keep a straight face and pretend it’s serious’ groaners. It’s a 40th Anniversary new restoration. Now, finally, do I park in the red zone or the white zone?
Airplane!
Blu-ray
Paramount Presents
1980 / Color / 1.78 widescreen / 87 min. / Street Date July 21, 2020 / 22.99
Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, Peter Graves, Lorna Patterson, Stephen Stucker, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Barbara Billingsley, Ethel Merman, James Hong, Maureen McGovern, Kenneth Tobey, Jimmie Walker, Kitten Natividad.
Cinematography: Joseph F. Biroc
Film Editor: Patrick Kennedy
Visual Effects: Robert Blalack,...
Airplane!
Blu-ray
Paramount Presents
1980 / Color / 1.78 widescreen / 87 min. / Street Date July 21, 2020 / 22.99
Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, Peter Graves, Lorna Patterson, Stephen Stucker, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Barbara Billingsley, Ethel Merman, James Hong, Maureen McGovern, Kenneth Tobey, Jimmie Walker, Kitten Natividad.
Cinematography: Joseph F. Biroc
Film Editor: Patrick Kennedy
Visual Effects: Robert Blalack,...
- 9/1/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Shirley, we're serious. It's been 40 years since Airplane!, the madcap spoof landed in theaters, packing nonstop gags and countless one-liners into 87 bouncy minutes. The directorial debut of Zaz cost a reported $3.5 million to make and raked in $83.5 million, paving the way for a slew of parodies to come and cementing its status as a classic summer blockbuster, as well as the fourth-highest-grossing movie of 1980. And since we picked the wrong year to quit drinking, there's no better time than the present to revisit the ridiculousness of Airplane!, which the American Film...
- 7/2/2020
- E! Online
Police Squad, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose and Chocolate War: Jim Hemphill’s Home Viewing Recommendations
Writer-directors David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker were still flying high on the success of their 1980 comedy Airplane! when they sold ABC on the idea of a series that would parody police dramas the way Airplane! skewered disaster movies. The result, Police Squad!, was an artistic triumph but a commercial disaster that aired only six episodes between March and July of 1982; it was infamously canceled because, according to an ABC executive, it required that the audience actually pay attention to it in order for it to work – it couldn’t be watched in the same drunken stupor […]...
- 4/25/2020
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Police Squad, Parker Lewis Can’t Lose and Chocolate War: Jim Hemphill’s Home Viewing Recommendations
Writer-directors David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker were still flying high on the success of their 1980 comedy Airplane! when they sold ABC on the idea of a series that would parody police dramas the way Airplane! skewered disaster movies. The result, Police Squad!, was an artistic triumph but a commercial disaster that aired only six episodes between March and July of 1982; it was infamously canceled because, according to an ABC executive, it required that the audience actually pay attention to it in order for it to work – it couldn’t be watched in the same drunken stupor […]...
- 4/25/2020
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
To mark the release of Police Squad: The complete Series on 20th April, we’ve been given 1 copy to give away on Blu-ray.
There are 8 million stories in the Naked City. Here are six. Join Detective Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) and Capt. Ed Hocken (Alan North) as they solve the toughest cases – full of all the sight-gags, puns, and non sequiturs that made the series famous! Created by David Zucker, Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, who gave us other classics such as Flying High! and The Naked Gun series.
Marginally a “straight” police drama in the Jack Webb/Quinn Martin school, Police Squad occurs in a strange universe where everything is taken literally (when a name “rings a bell” we hear bells go off every time someone mentions it), non sequiturs occur and sight gags abound.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The...
There are 8 million stories in the Naked City. Here are six. Join Detective Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) and Capt. Ed Hocken (Alan North) as they solve the toughest cases – full of all the sight-gags, puns, and non sequiturs that made the series famous! Created by David Zucker, Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, who gave us other classics such as Flying High! and The Naked Gun series.
Marginally a “straight” police drama in the Jack Webb/Quinn Martin school, Police Squad occurs in a strange universe where everything is taken literally (when a name “rings a bell” we hear bells go off every time someone mentions it), non sequiturs occur and sight gags abound.
Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The...
- 4/20/2020
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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