In just a few weeks, the iconic Police Squad is set to make a triumphant return with the highly anticipated reboot and sequel of The Naked Gun. According to the talented Andy Samberg, this film promises to be “pure joy,” delivering an abundance of laughter and comedic brilliance. This is certainly an exciting development for fans of the franchise, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it.
“Naked Gun is so good. It’s just pure joy. I mean, I’m biased, obviously; Akiva [Schaffer] is my guy. But everyone I’ve seen it with all walked out saying the same thing, which is, like, ‘I didn’t realize how much I missed that feeling of a pure, silly comedy that’s all jokes, wall to wall, in a theater,’” Samberg shared with ScreenRant. He added, “And I went to a lot of friends and family screenings and test screenings—stuff like that. My creative partner Akiva and I are always involved in each other’s projects, and I genuinely think he has nailed it. Liam is incredibly funny in his role, and Pam delivers an outstanding performance as well. I’m genuinely excited for everyone to see it because it’s absolutely hilarious.”
As Samberg noted, his perspective might be slightly skewed due to his close friendship with Schaffer, but I remain optimistic that The Naked Gun will bring the laughter we all need right now. In fact, that’s precisely the reason why the legendary Liam Neeson chose to join this comedic venture.
“It’s funny because right before Christmas, my sons and I were looking through the Academy screeners and trying to find something silly, some silly, stupid movie that we could giggle at,” Neeson recounted last year. “Unfortunately, there were none, as all the options were serious and international films. They were brilliant pieces, but all quite heavy. When Seth MacFarlane reached out to me about this project—this was about two years ago—I thought, sure, I can do this as long as I approach it with a serious demeanor, and not attempt to mimic the incredible Leslie Nielsen. He was a true talent. Akiva Schaffer, who has roots in the [Saturday Night Live] scene, is directing this film. I’m looking forward to it. The script is solid, with several moments that will have you laughing out loud.”
Alongside Neeson, the cast of The Naked Gun features a stellar lineup including Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston, and many more. This comedic spectacle is set to hit theaters on August 1st.
