Paramount will reboot “The Naked Gun” comedy series, with an eye on “Hangover” and “The Office” star Ed Helms to the lead role of Lt. Frank Drebin, originally played by Leslie Nielsen.
Writers Thomas Lennon and R. Ben Garant (“Night at the Museum”) are handling script duties, according to Variety.
Created by “Airplane!” vets Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” was released in 1988, with “The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear” and “Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult” following in 1991 and 1994, respectively. The films were based on the 1982 ABC cult comedy “Police Squad!,” which lasted just six episodes.
The three films earned some $275 million in the U.S., and also starred Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy and a pre-murder trial O.J. Simpson.
Details about the reboot are scarce, but Paramount is doubtlessly hoping to turn the property into another series of films.
Helms was recently seen in the comedy hits “The Hangover Part III” and “We”re the Millers,” and will soon be seen in “Stretch” alongside Chris Pine and Patrick Wilson and in “Horrible Bosses 2.” He’ll first be seen opposite Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler in the comedy “They Came Together,” which will premiere at Sundance in January.