‘Isn't what I would have done': The Naked Gun creator David Zucker reacts to Liam Neeson's reboot
The 77-year-old filmmaker helmed the original Leslie Nielsen-starring comedy series, and Zucker is glad to see the new Naked Gun is performing well at the box office - opening with $17 million domestically - and has praised director Schaffer for his work.
Zucker told The Hollywood Reporter: 'I'm excited about it because it just shows that there's a strong market for comedy in movie theaters, and spoof in particular.
'People are liking it, which is great. I really like the director, and I just couldn't wish him more well.
'I texted him already, saying, 'I hear the reviews are great, and it's tracking well.' He was very happy to hear from me, and we'll probably get together later in the month when the smoke clears.'
Zucker had initially worked on a script for a fourth Naked Gun movie with Pat Proft and Mike McManus - which would have focused on Frank Drebin's (Nielsen) 30-something-year-old son - though Paramount Pictures ultimately chose to move ahead without the original creators for the reboot.
As a result of feeling burned, Zucker said he had no plans to watch The Naked Gun in the cinema.
He explained: 'I'm not gonna see it, but I don't see any of the sequels that were of my material done by other people, and that's fine. I've told Akiva that I have no intention to see it.
'He actually invited me to come see an early cut of it, but I told him there's nothing I could do to help because it really isn't what I would have done.
'That's not to say that he didn't actually end up doing a good movie. But I don't think I could help with that.'
Zucker added he didn't want to be credited as an executive producer for The Naked Gun, even though Paramount had offered him just that.
He said: 'I won't take credit on anything that I didn't work on from the beginning. I don't need the money.
'After the agents and managers, it would have paid three electric bills, probably. If it's a big hit, Akiva should get the credit, and he deserves it.'
Zucker hopes the success of The Naked Gun will give momentum to his movie that was initially planned to be the fourth Naked Gun film, though is now titled Counterintelijence.
However, the director wishes the best for The Naked Gun and is glad producer Seth MacFarlane spoke with him shortly after the reboot's script was finished.
Zucker said: 'He spent the first 10 minutes telling me how much he loved Airplane, The Naked Gun and Top Secret.
'I can't get mad at anyone who will tell me what a genius I am. That was a good conversation. I was glad that Seth called, but I told him politely, 'Good luck, but I can't put my name on this.' [But] everything happens for a reason.'
In The Naked Gun, rookie detective Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) stumbles into his first big case, and a complicated romance with bombshell Vinessa (Pamela Anderson), while trying to stop a criminal conspiracy.
Chaos, clueless heroics, and classic slapstick follow in his father's footsteps.
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