The creator of the original Naked Gun movies isn’t holding back about Hollywood’s latest reboot. David Zucker, the comedy legend behind classics like Airplane! and Police Squad, says the new version starring Liam Neeson misses the mark completely. He’s calling out producers for ignoring the people who made the franchise great in the first place.
Zucker tried to help with the reboot but was shut out by Seth MacFarlane and the studio. He says MacFarlane spent 10 minutes gushing about loving the original films—then refused to work with him. The snub shows how Hollywood cares more about brand names than honoring the vision of real artists.
Casting Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin’s son is another mistake, according to Zucker. The original Naked Gun relied on clever slapstick and wit, not CGI explosions or Taken-style action. Neeson’s gritty persona clashes with Leslie Nielsen’s iconic deadpan humor. Zucker put it bluntly: “It’s not our style.”
The director compared the reboot to Airplane II, a cheap sequel made without the original team. He joked that watching it would be like seeing your daughter become a prostitute. Zucker’s raw honesty exposes how studios exploit beloved franchises while trampling the creative genius that built them.
Modern Hollywood’s obsession with reboots has ruined comedy, Zucker argues. Writers now rely on crude jokes and flashy effects instead of smart satire. The new Naked Gun trailer’s violent tone and over-the-top gags prove they’ve lost the plot. Comedy shouldn’t need CGI or superhero movie tropes to land a punchline.
Zucker’s criticism isn’t just about one bad movie—it’s a warning about cultural decay. Woke executives and out-of-touch producers are killing the art of laughter. They’d rather virtue-signal than trust legends who know how to make audiences laugh without insulting their intelligence.
The backlash against the reboot isn’t surprising. Fans want the sharp, timeless humor Zucker delivered—not lazy cash grabs. True comedy requires respect for the craft, not just slapping a famous name on a tired script. Hollywood’s reboot addiction is a symptom of its creative bankruptcy.
This isn’t the first time a classic has been butchered, and it won’t be the last. But Zucker’s stand matters. It’s a rallying cry for artists and fans to reject soulless corporate entertainment. The real joke? Watching Hollywood burn down its own legacy one terrible remake at a time.
