Liam Neeson Wows Fans in The Naked Gun Reboot Premiere
Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. is officially on duty and fans are loving every second of it. After three decades of dormancy, The Naked Gun franchise is back in action, and leading the charge this time? None other than Liam Neeson.
Yep, you read that right — Mr. “I-will-find-you” himself is trading in his deadly seriousness for ridiculous slapstick, and somehow… it works. REALLY well.
The reboot premiered Monday night (July 28) in New York City, and early audience reactions are flooding in — and spoiler alert — they’re hilariously positive. If you were worried that Neeson couldn’t fill the iconic shoes of the late, great Leslie Nielsen, you can officially unclench.
From Grit to Giggles: Liam Neeson’s Big Comedy Leap
In The Naked Gun, Neeson plays Frank Drebin Jr., son of the original disaster-prone detective. And while most know Neeson as a brooding action star, fans say he nails the comedic timing — all while staying perfectly deadpan. Honestly, it’s the exact kind of chaotic energy the world needs right now.
The cast is stacked, too: Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston, CCH Pounder, Liza Koshy, and even Cody Runnels (aka wrestling’s own Cody Rhodes) show up to bring the absurd police spoof energy we’ve all been missing since the ’90s.
And with Seth MacFarlane producing and Akiva Schaffer (The Lonely Island) directing? The absurdity is turned up to 11.
What People Are Saying After the Premiere
Social media reactions from the NYC premiere were overwhelmingly positive. Think “LOL’d multiple times” and “better than I expected” kind of vibes.
Here’s what we’re hearing:
there are like six different scenes in The Naked Gun that made me laugh so hard I cried. even the title card is funny. I wrote “SO DUMB (complimentary)” in my notebook several times.
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) July 29, 2025
The #NakedGun is an outrageously hilarious, balls to the wall laugh-fest that perfectly captures what made us fall in love with this franchise. Neeson and Anderson are pure comedy gold. I really missed movies this funny and unapologetically silly. Leslie Nielsen would be proud. pic.twitter.com/kBpHeGdLDE
— Epic Film Guys ® (@EpicFilmGuys) July 29, 2025
@NakedGunMovie is unabashedly hilarious. It takes cues from the original but also stands out on its own with their own flair of comedy. Liam Neeson and @pamelaanderson were both so funny. This is probably the most I’ve laughed in a theater. It’s pure comedy gold. #NakedGun pic.twitter.com/Z8o6A8JIQn
— DesiNerd (@MufsinM) July 29, 2025
#NakedGun had some big laughs (I’m talking about you, heat-signature vision sequence), some cool nostalgia (the theme is iconic) and some memorable new characters (not making another Snowman ever again). Well done, @akivaschaffer!!! 👍 #ParamountPictures pic.twitter.com/DibQYW2eZc
— Ben (🤘 #GoBulls #MileHighLife) (@Bennihanna5) July 29, 2025
Akiva Schaffer’s THE NAKED GUN is a freakin’ miracle – a contemporary comedy that’s tightly scripted (under 90 minutes!), hilariously funny, and has a simple, meaningful message about the state of the world. And it ends with one of its best laughs – stay for the credits! pic.twitter.com/qFD1jCcNMR
— Dancin’ Dan in Summerland (@dancindanonfilm) July 28, 2025
The Naked Gun is THE fully loaded, gut busting comedy we NEED right now. Joke after Joke had my theater laughing hysterically for 85 minutes and it was truly glorious. Liam Neeson is PERFECT! But it’s Pam Anderson that steals this romp. #NakedGun pic.twitter.com/QHRpsiHF5f
— Junior Felix (@JuniorFett) July 29, 2025
When Can You Watch It?
The Naked Gun hits theaters August 1, 2025.
Get ready for banana peels, exploding pens, and Liam Neeson playing it straight in the most ridiculous ways possible.
If the premiere reactions are anything to go by, this one’s going to be a summer must-watch — whether you’re a die-hard fan of the original or just in it to watch Neeson absolutely send himself up.
