If you've seen Naked Gun - or **The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad! **to give its full title - you'll know that it's a comedic masterpiece that springboards off astonishing levels of silliness and random spoofery. Leslie Nielsen's Frank Drebin is a loveable buffoon for the ages, even when he's discussing his dicky prostrate. Do not, however, expect the Ed Helms-starring reboot to adopt exactly the same tack.
According to Naked Gun director/co-writer David Zucker, talking up Airplane!'s screening at Nashville's Wild West Comedy Festival, the new version will not attempt to hit the same spoofy sweet spot as the Zuckers and Jim Abrahams' 1988 comedy. "It won’t be like the Naked Gun that I did," Zucker revealed. "It may be good, but it won’t be that kind of movie. They’re going to use the title. They asked me if I wanted to produce. They’re nice people, but they don’t want to do that style of spoof that I do."
One departure from the Zucker model has already been announced, in the casting of established comedic actor Ed Helms. "[He's] very well known for three of the biggest comedies ever (The Hangover movies). I understand why Paramount is doing what they’re doing."
Zucker refused a producer role on the project, accepting that his vision and the studio's were unlikely to gel. "If my name was on it, I would be making all sorts of suggestions and trying to change it," he said, "and it would be frustrating".
Interesting stuff and grist to the mill for anyone worried that the new Naked Gun will run foul of the law of diminishing returns. Zucker's comments do run contrary to what new co-writer Robert Ben Garant's said about the movie at the beginning of last year, however. “We are trying to reinvent the world because that world was very Dragnet, but we’re trying to fit in 100 jokes a page,” he explained. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re very much embracing the style."
What we do know for sure is that Garant and his **Night At The Museum **co-writer Thomas Lennon have written a script that will see Helms fill the clumsy gumshoes of Frank Drebin (no relation). More as we get it.