Thinking About Leslie Nielsen…
I can’t help but think about the man who made the Naked Gun franchise unforgettable... Leslie Nielsen.
He was a comic Canadian genius, especially during the 1980s. With that perfect deadpan delivery and his unshakable timing, Leslie Nielsen somehow turned a bumbling detective into a full-blown comedy legend. It’s hard to talk about The Naked Gun without picturing him delivering the most ridiculous lines with such sincerity, you'd think he was reciting Shakespeare—if Shakespeare had been into banana peels and bad puns.
😂 The Comedy Gold Era – His '80s and '90s Comedy Peak:
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Airplane! (1980) – The movie that flipped his career. As Dr. Rumack, he deadpanned lines like “Don’t call me Shirley” into comedy history.
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Police Squad! (1982) – A short-lived but brilliant TV series that laid the groundwork for The Naked Gun.
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The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
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The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)
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The Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994)
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Repossessed (1990) – A spoof of The Exorcist where he played a priest.
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Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) – Directed by Mel Brooks, Nielsen took on the title role as a parody of Dracula.
🕶️ Later Years – Parody Legend Status:
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Spy Hard (1996) – A James Bond spoof.
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Wrongfully Accused (1998) – A send-up of The Fugitive and other thrillers.
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Scary Movie 3 (2003) & Scary Movie 4 (2006) – He played President Harris in these horror spoofs.
Moving on to the upcoming chapter in the Naked Gun saga, the reboot is officially titled The Naked Gun and is scheduled for release on August 1, 2025. Liam Neeson stars as Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen's iconic character.
The recently released teaser trailer showcases Neeson embracing the franchise's signature absurd humor. In one scene, he disguises himself in a schoolgirl outfit, complete with a tartan skirt and strawberry print drawers, while thwarting a bank robbery. The trailer also includes a nod to O.J. Simpson, who portrayed Detective Nordberg in the original films, acknowledging his role in the series.
"Someone on Twitter stated they had missed opportunity calling it" The Naked Gun: Son of a Gun."
For a glimpse of what's in store for The New Version, check out the official teaser trailer: