Liam Neeson coming to Atlanta for ‘Naked Gun’ reboot in May

ATLANTA — Liam Neeson, known best for his action roles over the years, is going the comedic route starring in a “Naked Gun” reboot that will start shooting in Atlanta in May.

“The Naked Gun” trio of spoof films from 1988 to 1994 starred Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin, a self-serious detective who has failed up through the ranks. They generated more than $215 million in box-office gross. Nielsen, who died in 2010, pivoted from drama to comedy after his success in the heralded 1980 “Airplane!” spoof.

The Paramount “Naked Gun” reboot is in preproduction and is set to begin shooting in early May. The studio recently said it has scheduled the movie to debut in theaters in July 2025. Its home base will be Electric Owl Studios in Atlanta.

Neeson, 71, has largely focused on drama over the years but did host “Saturday Night Live” in 2013 and played a parody of himself in FX’s “Atlanta.”

The Irish Oscar-nominated actor has shot a couple of films in Georgia before including a small role in Ethan Hawke’s “WIldcat” about Flannery O’Connor and the titular role in 2017 film “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House.”

David Zucker and Pat Proft, who directed and co-wrote the original series, told The Hollywood Reporter they are not involved in this version. Instead, Akiva Schaffer, a former “SNL” writer known for his collaborations with the Lonely Island and Andy Samberg, is directing and executive producing. Seth MacFarlane of “Family Guy” fame is attached to the project as well.

“I’m not happy,” Proft told the publication, “and there’s a story with it. But I’m not pleased. It may come out and may be great — and good for that — but I sure as [expletive] should be writing it. I should have done this one.”