Harsh Vardhan
The production of Liam Neeson’s ‘Naked Gun’ reboot is set to start in Atlanta, Georgia, in May. The film is directed by Akiva Schaffer, who co-wrote the screenplay with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand based on the ‘Naked Gun’ film series and the TV series ‘Police Squad!’ The specifics of the plot are currently undisclosed but Neeson will reportedly portray the son of Detective Frank Drebin, the iconic character portrayed by Leslie Nielsen in the original films and the show.
Schaffer recently directed episodes of the TV series ‘I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.’ The filmmaker also directed Gregor and Mand’s Disney+ movie ‘Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,’ which follows Chip and Dale, former TV stars, as they reunite to save a missing cast member from their original show, thirty years after its conclusion. Schaffer’s directing credits also extend to episodes of acclaimed shows like ‘Saturday Night Live’ and ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine.’ Additionally, he directed the musical comedy ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,’ which depicts a former boy band member’s comical struggle to maintain his celebrity status after his solo album flops.
Neeson’s recent roles span various genres. In ‘In the Land of Saints and Sinners,’ he portrays Finbar Murphy, a troubled father seeking redemption in a remote Irish village. He also appeared in ‘Wildcat,’ directed by Ethan Hawke. The actor starred in the action-packed ‘Retribution‘ as Matt Turner, a bank executive facing a dire bomb threat while driving his children to their school. Additionally, Neeson took on the lead role in the crime thriller ‘Marlowe‘ as Philip Marlowe, a downtrodden detective hired to locate the ex-lover of a wealthy heiress.
Paramount’s original ‘Naked Gun’ trilogy starred Leslie Nielsen as Detective Frank Drebin, a well-intentioned yet easily duped investigator in a comedic twist on police procedurals. The 1988 movie ‘The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!’ was both a critical and commercial hit, earning positive reviews and $140 million at the box office. Its success led to two sequels, ‘The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear’ in 1991 and ‘Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult’ in 1994, both of which were financially successful.
Atlanta, where the shooting of the film is set to begin, has become one of the most significant entertainment production hubs in the country. Tyler Perry’s Netflix film ‘Mea Culpa‘ and Alex Garland’s upcoming action movie ‘Civil War’ were previously shot in the region.
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