The Naked Gun (2025)

July 28, 2025 (SVA Theater)August 1, 2025 (United States)

July 28, 2025 (SVA Theater)
August 1, 2025 (United States)

The Naked Gun is a 2025 American action comedy parody film directed by Akiva Schaffer, who co-wrote the screenplay with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. The fourth film in The Naked Gun franchise, it stars Liam Neeson in the main role, with Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand and Danny Huston in supporting roles. Its plot follows the son of Lt. Frank Drebin who must succeed in his father's footsteps to prevent the closure of Police Squad.

A fourth Naked Gun film was announced in 2009, as a direct-to-TV sequel starring Leslie Nielsen, with Alan Spencer being attached to write. However, the project was cancelled due to financial reasons, with Spencer departing and Nielsen dying in 2010. After several years of development, including the film being redeveloped as a reboot starring Ed Helms in 2013, it was announced in January 2021 that Seth MacFarlane had been hired to develop the project, and he expressed interest in casting Neeson. Although MacFarlane was hired to direct, Schaffer replaced him after the film was greenlit in October 2022, and Neeson was cast. Anderson was cast in April 2024, and further casting took place the following month, when filming began in Atlanta, Georgia. Filming wrapped that June, with a $42 million budget.

The Naked Gun premiered at the SVA Theater in Manhattan on July 28, 2025, and was released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on August 1, 2025. It received positive reviews from critics and grossed $102 million worldwide.

Storyline

Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. of the LAPD Police Squad singlehandedly dispatches a gang of bank robbers while disguised as a schoolgirl. Unbeknownst to him, this was a distraction to steal a gadget called the "P.L.O.T. ("Primordial Law of Toughness") Device" from a safe deposit box. Police Chief Davis reassigns Frank when his over-the-top law enforcement becomes a legal liability. While paying tribute to his late father Frank Drebin Sr., he prays for him to send him a sign of his approval, suggesting an owl as an example.

Frank investigates software engineer Simon Davenport's fatal car crash, deeming it suicide, but notices a matchbook at the scene. Simon's sister Beth, a crime novelist, argues otherwise, but Frank discourages her from investigating further. Frank finds Richard Cane, Simon's wealthy employer at Edentech, at the company's tech expo. After they mutually appreciate the Black Eyed Peas, Cane donates a self-driving electric car to Police Squad – which wreaks havoc with Frank behind the wheel – and invites Frank to his personal nightclub. Frank notices the matchbook found at Simon's crash site has the same logo as the nightclub.

Cane privately demonstrates how he will use the stolen "P.L.O.T. Device" to revert humans to their primitive nature, culling the population for his fellow billionaires, who will be safely insulated in a bunker. Frank, while interrogating one of the bank robbers, learns about the deposit box, which was Simon's, connecting the two cases. At Cane's club, Beth distracts Cane with improvised scat singing while Frank fights many goons to access security footage, discovering that Simon met discreetly with a journalist. Davis suspends Frank after Cane reveals Frank's activities. Beth stays with the demoralized Frank, and he finally considers moving on from memories of his late wife. Frank and Beth spend a romantic weekend at an alpine lodge. They have a threesome with a magical snowman, but the snowman turns violent after they neglect it, forcing Beth to kill it.

Frank finds the journalist murdered and is easily tricked into incriminating himself. He flees in the electric car, but Cane overrides the controls and attempts to kill Frank just as he did to Simon. Frank blows out the windshield, but is trapped again by the car driving head-on into balloons, bees, and a replacement windshield. He accidentally activates Clippy, who helpfully unlocks the doors. Meanwhile, Police Squad has been decommissioned. Beth reveals that Simon feared the misuse of the "P.L.O.T. Device", but Frank suspects that Beth is using him and angrily leaves her home.

Frank captures Cane's henchman Gustafson and frightens him into confessing to Cane's plan to activate the "P.L.O.T. Device" at the New Year's ball drop at a mixed martial arts match. Frank heads to the match at the "Ponzi-scheme.com Arena", equipped with an earpiece that blocks the "P.L.O.T. Device"'s influence. Beth plans to kill Cane, but he sees this coming as telegraphed in her book. Frank finds the "P.L.O.T. Device" inside the New Year's balls, but he loses his pants as he accidentally activates the lowering mechanism, indecently exposing himself to the entire audience, leading them to not respect his order to evacuate. Cane prematurely activates the "P.L.O.T. Device", and mindless violence erupts throughout the city. Frank fights through innocents by ricocheting ejected handgun magazines, but cannot catch up with Cane, who is escaping on his electric motorbike. His father's spirit arrives as an owl, airlifting Frank and blinding Cane with its excrement. Cane folds in agony after one punch to the gut. Beth arrives, ready to shoot Cane in revenge, but Frank talks her down. Frank and Beth use the "P.L.O.T. Device" to calm the crowd and embrace lovingly as Cane is arrested. In the aftermath, as the credits roll, Frank faces "investigation" by "Internal Affairs" – actually the name of a tropical resort, where he spends his time with Beth.

In a post-credits scene, "Weird Al" Yankovic attempts to perform a show in Cane's bunker, only to find it completely empty, and gets frustrated and confused in the process.

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