Liam Neeson seems to be picking up the mantle left by Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin, and for my money … this is a fantastic idea. Folks often forget that Nielsen was not known for his comedy skills before getting cast in “Airplane!” in 1980, and then became synonymous with hilariously deadpan characters. It’s why so many people were shocked when people go back and see Nielsen playing a villain in “Creepshow,” now thinking of him as a comedic actor. I’m just hoping there’s an in-movie joke about how Liam Neeson was cast because he’s got the closest name in Hollywood to Leslie Nielsen. But perhaps that’s wishful thinking on my part.
As of publication, Neeson is the only confirmed cast member of the “Naked Gun” remake, but if there’s any justice in the world, Weird Al Yankovic will make an appearance. Director Akiva Schaffer and his Lonely Island cohort Jorma Taccone both appeared in Yankovic’s “Weird” biopic as Alice Cooper and Paul “Pee-wee Herman” Reubens, respectively, so there’s a definite possibility that Yankovic can continue his streak of playing random characters throughout the franchise.