David Zucker Criticizes Naked Gun Reboot Style

David Zucker, the director of the original Naked Gun films, has publicly criticized the recent reboot of the comedy franchise, stating that it failed to capture the spoof style he pioneered with his brother Jerry Zucker and collaborator Jim Abrahams.

In an interview with Woman's World, Zucker expressed disappointment with the 2025 film, produced by Seth MacFarlane and directed by Akiva Schaffer. The reboot, which stars Liam Neeson as the bumbling detective Frank Drebin, premiered in theaters on August 1 and has grossed over $102 million worldwide. It holds an 88 percent approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, earning a Certified Fresh designation.

Zucker, whose 1988 original featured Leslie Nielsen in the lead role, argued that the new production strayed from the foundational approach his team developed starting 50 years ago. "My brother, Jerry, and our partner, Jim Abrahams, started doing spoof comedies 50 years ago, and we originated our own style—and we did that so well that it looks easy, evidently," Zucker said. "People started copying it, like Seth MacFarlane for the new Naked Gun. He totally missed it."

The filmmaker, who also directed classics like Airplane! and...