Liam Neeson Hilariously Mocked Paramount Execs Into Greenlighting THE NAKED GUN Reboot
The Naked Gun reboot may be winning over fans now, but it almost didn’t happen. According to director Akiva Schaffer, Paramount wasn’t immediately sold on the idea, even with Liam Neeson attached as the lead. So, how did it get the greenlight? Simple. Neeson roasted the Paramount execs in a hilarious test scene that left no room for doubt.
Schaffer told Filmmaker Magazine:
“[Liam Neeson's casting] was not quite enough for the studio for whatever reason, and they asked us to do a proof of concept.”
To prove their vision, Schaffer and his team went scrappy. They threw together a five-minute mock sequence on the Paramount lot in an old warehouse filled with lighting equipment, turning it into a gritty noir-style set reminiscent of Beverly Hills Cop II.
The scene mashed up parts from different bits in the script, including an interrogation with Kevin Durand and comedy pulled from the sequence with Busta Rhymes.
But the mic-drop moment came at the end, when Neeson locked eyes with the camera and delivered a fourth-wall-breaking takedown that sealed the deal.
“There's that noir lighting on his face, and he says, ‘That goes for you, too. Yes, you, the Paramount greenlight committee. I see you there. What the f*ck are you waiting for? Why don't you get your pencil pushers to sign [on] the line?
“I'll tell you what. Make sure they have a line item for adult diapers and cocaine in case one of you ever wants to visit set,’ or something like that. He basically talks shit to them and leaves. And it worked!”
Apparently, that ballsy scene was exactly the kind of chaos the studio needed to see. I would love to see that video, so hopefully it gets released one day!
The final film delivers exactly what that proof-of-concept promised… a wild, ridiculous ride that pays loving tribute to the 1988 classic.
Neeson steps into the spotlight as the son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic Frank Drebin. The new Naked Gun lineup includes Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Busta Rhymes, and Cody Rhodes, bringing a mix of comedy, action, and hilarious absurdity.
The Naked Gun is in theaters now and is absolutely worth seeing if you're into this franchise!