David Zucker, the original mastermind behind the iconic Naked Gun police comedy series, has no intention of watching the new reboot starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Zucker revealed his disappointment not only with the film’s trailer but also with how the project sidelined his involvement.
“I wrote a whole script for Naked Gun 4 on spec for Paramount,” Zucker explained. “I understand the studio’s thinking to go with Seth MacFarlane. He’s a proven commodity and Liam Neeson is a big star, but it’s not a fresh idea.”
Zucker, along with his brother Jerry and Jim Abrahams, were excluded from the reboot after Paramount rejected his script and instead partnered with MacFarlane, known for creating Family Guy.
He criticized the reboot for relying on tired gags from the original. “We gave up doing those jokes 40 years ago in Police Squad,” he quipped, referring to a line where Anderson’s character replies, “No thank you, I have plenty of chairs at home,” after being told to “take a chair.”
He also questioned the casting of Neeson, saying, “O.J. [Simpson] didn’t need to be funny, and even Leslie Nielsen didn’t need to be funny. He just had to be a B movie actor.”
“We didn’t pretend to cast Laurence Olivier or Al Pacino, but Liam Neeson, for example, he’s Oscar quality. I think he may have won for Schindler’s List. So what’s he making fun of?”
Reflecting on the reboot, Zucker concluded, “I don’t plan on seeing it because, why would I?”
