This is truly going to be a good year, as Paramount‘s new Naked Gun movie debuted its first teaser trailer.
The studio shared the video online just before the start of its CinemaCon presentation Thursday, where extended footage was revealed to huge laughs and resounding applause. The comedy stars Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Police Squad legend Frank Drebin, initially played in the franchise by the late Leslie Nielsen.
Naked Gun’s footage teases a tone that should please fans of the original series, including a moment in which Neeson beats a man with his own dismembered arms. There are also scenes suggesting sexual activity between Neeson and Pamela Anderson‘s character that are not quite what they seem. Another memorable moment references Nordberg, the role played in the original movies by O.J. Simpson.
In one scene, Neeson interrogates a character played by Busta Rhymes. “It says you’ve served 20 years for man’s laughter,” the detective says. “Must have been quite the joke.”
This footage includes Neeson saying triumphantly, “Nobody messes with Police Squad.”
The Naked Gun reboot feature hits theaters Aug. 1, 2025. Akiva Schaffer helms the comedy from producers Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins. Neeson follows in Nielsen’s footsteps in leading the film franchise that launched with the first movie in 1988.
Rounding out the cast are Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston, Liza Koshy, Cody Runnels and CCH Pounder.
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.
CinemaCon is the annual event for exhibitors and Hollywood studios that runs this year from March 31 to April 3. It is presented by Cinema United (formerly the National Association of Theatre Owners).