The highly anticipated reboot of The Naked Gun, starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, is finally arriving in theaters this week. Not only is it reviving a beloved IP from the '80s and '90s, but it is also one of the rare comedy theatrical releases.
Despite being a franchise title and led by an A-list movie star, pundits and fans are keeping an eye on the film's box office performance since it could determine whether this will revive comedy movies in theaters again, or it will show that there is no longer space for comedy on the big screen.
Why The Naked Gun Could Potentially Bring Back Comedy Movies in Theaters Again
There was a time when comedy movies ruled in the theatrical business. Most (if not all) of our favorite comedy movies were theatrical releases first before they became cult hits on home video and streaming services.
Unfortunately, that is no longer the case today as most comedy movies are being released as streaming exclusives, where studios don't have to worry about the box office performance. There are still a couple of comedy theatrical releases for the last few years, but most of them have an A-list star vehicle attached (ex: No Hard Feelings with Jennifer Lawrence) or blended into a blockbuster tentpole (ex: Deadpool & Wolverine and Barbie).
When it was announced that The Naked Gun was being rebooted with Neeson attached to star and Seth MacFarlane serving as producer, there was some skepticism about whether they would be able to make it work in today's climate, where the perception of comedy is different and fears of cancel culture due to potentially offensive and outdated jokes.
Lo and behold, we're now in the week of the movie's release, and it seems like The Naked Gun reboot managed to embrace the slapstick gags and goofy humor of the original films based on the trailers that we've seen. Akiva Schaffer of The Lonely Island fame was assigned to helm the project, and, fortunately, it looks like he understood the assignment.
Critics who have seen the film at the early screenings have been loving The Naked Gun, with a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score at the time of writing, and the consensus is that it successfully blended the goofy tone of the original with jokes per minute while also giving it a modern lens.
With the majority of the critics saying that the film delivered, the question now is whether it will also deliver on the box office front and manage to bring a lot of audiences to movie theaters to watch a 90-minute comedy.
If The Naked Gun ends up becoming a box office success, it could show that comedy movies are back again in the theatrical space, since the numbers will be saying that the audience is willing to pay for a ticket and watch a comedy on the big screen. This could encourage the traditional studios to green-light more comedy projects and make them theatrical releases.
Yes, the film is based on a popular IP and has well-known stars, but this is already being seen as a signal that comedy movies still have a lifeline in the theatrical space. The wrong lessons might be learned if it becomes a success, but let us still hope that the audiences will give it a chance and rediscover why watching a comedy on the big screen will always be a great experience.
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