The Naked Gun Interview: Director Akiva Schaffer Knew Some Jokes Went Too Far Before the Final Cut

To replicate the same on-screen, chaotic magic that Leslie Nielsen captured with The Naked Gun trilogy, it took years, rewrites, and the creative collaboration of comedians like director Akiva Schaffer, producer Seth MacFarlane, and co-writing team Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. On paper, The Naked Gun had everything a successful blockbuster needs: Liam Neeson at the top of the call sheet, a whip-smart team behind the scenes, and the backing of a studio like Paramount Pictures. Now, it's already raked in critical acclaim before ever even officially hitting theaters.

In the reboot, Neeson plays L.A. detective Frank Drebin Jr., who's every bit as reckless as his father (Nielsen), which makes him a shoo-in for the elite Police Squad. However, when the sultry Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson) reports the mysterious murder of her brother, Drebin is on the case, and stumbles into a massive conspiracy. The movie also stars Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, Kevin Durand, and CCH Pounder.

Before the movie's release, Collider's Steve Weintraub had the opportunity to chat with Schaffer about the responsibility and honor of bringing this comedy legacy back to life. They discuss the extensive writing process, how he, Gregor, and Mand whittled jokes down and tightened the runtime to a nearly-unheard-of-today, lean 85 minutes, just like its predecessors. They discuss Blu-ray extras, a sequel, and that side-splitting infrared sequence, plus Schaffer shares updates on I Think You Should Leave Season 4 and what fans can expect from The Lonely Island.

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