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How many ‘The Naked Gun’ movies are there? When is the premiere of the next one with Liam Neeson?
The iconic film franchise had big hits in the 1980s and 1990s and will soon return with a new release, written and produced by Seth MacFarlane.
Over the years movie-goers have been been treated to countless big-budget reboots of classic film franchises, with the likes of Batman, Mad Max, Planet of the Apes and Star Wars all getting an update. The next major franchise to be defrosted from carbonite is The Naked Gun, the hugely popular crime-comedies.
Talk of a new film from The Naked Gun franchise first originated in 2009, initially as a direct-to-TV special. That project failed to materialise but in 2013 Paramount Picture officially announced that a reboot of the franchise was being developed, with Liam Neeson later approached to star as Frank Drebin Jr.
Neeson was confirmed as the lead in October 2022 and Akiva Schaffer, Dan Gregor, and Doug Mand were announced as directors. Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane will be heavily involved in the writing and the production of the upcoming title. In January 2024 MacFarlane revealed that production will commence later this year and the film is set for cinematic release on July 18, 2025.
A date for the premiere has not yet been released, but summer 2025 looks likely.
All movies from ‘The Naked Gun’
The media franchise ‘The Naked Gun’ includes three feature-length films, a television series and a video game. The first of the three movies was released in 1988, with Leslie Nielsen playing the lead role of Frank Drebin. That first release received huge critical acclaim and is often cited as one of the best comedy films of all time.
Full list of 'The Naked Gun' movies
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
- The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991)
- Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)
Each of the three previous films grossed more than $100 million at the box office, with the second instalment recording more than $192 million in total sales. In total the three films grossed $477 million. All three were produced by Paramount Pictures and distributed by Paramount.
News of a fourth edition of the popular cinematic franchise will be big news for the legions of fans who loved the original movies and have waited three decades for the next one. Neeson, however, is more reserved about his expectations for the upcoming sequel: “It’ll either finish my career or bring it in another direction. I honestly don’t know.”