Original Naked Gun director David Zucker has escalated his criticism of the recent reboot, accusing producer Seth MacFarlane of missing the spoof-comedy essence of the franchise. In a new interview, Zucker lamented the absence of the late Leslie Nielsen and questioned the film's high-budget approach. The reboot, released in August 2025, initially drew a more positive response from him due to its box office success.
Background on the Franchise
The Naked Gun series, directed by David Zucker alongside his brother Jerry Zucker and collaborator Jim Abrahams, originated the spoof-comedy style popularized in films like Airplane! (1980) and the three original Naked Gun movies from 1988 to 1994. These films starred the late Leslie Nielsen as the bumbling detective Frank Drebin, whose deadpan delivery defined the humor.
Zucker's Initial Concerns
In 2024, Zucker expressed reservations about the reboot, stating he was 'not excited about having the franchise given to other people' and noting he had not been contacted for involvement. He acknowledged that while spoof comedy 'is not rocket science, but it’s not easy.'
Post-Release Reaction
Following the reboot's August 2025 release starring Liam Neeson, Zucker initially softened his stance, praising its positive reviews and strong box office performance as evidence of a 'strong market for comedy in movie theatres, and spoof in particular.'
Renewed Attack
In a recent interview with Woman’s World, Zucker renewed his attack, claiming MacFarlane, known for Ted, 'totally missed' the original style. He explained, '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. People started copying it... He totally missed it.' Zucker emphasized the deliberate craft behind the humor: 'It can look like we’re just throwing stuff up against the wall to see what sticks, but we’re not. There’s thought behind it.'
He also argued the film was pointless without Nielsen, saying, 'They tried to replace Leslie Nielsen in the new Naked Gun, and you can’t replace him. No one else can do that.' Additionally, Zucker criticized the production's scale: 'Big budgets and comedy are opposites, and in the new Naked Gun, you could see that they spent a lot of money on scenes full of technical pizzazz while trying to copy our style.' He concluded, 'Everybody’s in it for the money now, and that feels like the only reason why they wanted to do a new Naked Gun.'