Well, there are some franchises that people are dying for the studio to resurrect. And then there's "The Naked Gun" series, a trilogy of police-movie spoofs released by Paramount and starring Leslie Nielsen, that we're pretty sure everyone was comfortable with just kind of existing and maybe fading from memory. But no, Paramount is resurrecting the brand, at least according to Variety.
This time, in the shoes of accident-prone detective Frank Drebin, will be Ed Helms, one of the breakout stars from Warner Bros' "Hangover" franchise. Writing the new film will be Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant, who have penned the "Night at the Museum" films as well as being co-creators of "Reno 911;" a director has yet to become attached.
The original "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" was released in 1988 as a spin-off of the 1982 ABC series "Police Squad!," which has the inglorious distinction of having only lasted six episodes. Still, two sequels followed: "The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear" in 1991 and "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" in 1994. While the films were successful, with a box office total of nearly $300 million, they also have the dubious distinction of having costarred O.J. Simpson.
Helms can next be seen in the David Wain-directed comedy "They Came Together," co-starring Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler, which debuts at Sundance. Sometime in 2014 he'll also be glimpsed in the action comedy "Stretch," with Chris Pine and Patrick Wilson, that was directed by "The Grey"'s Joe Carnahan and produced by "Paranormal Activity" mastermind Jason Blum.
[via Variety]