Detective Frank Drebin is coming back with Ed Helms on board to portray Leslie Nielsen’s character in Paramount’s reboot of “The Naked Gun†comedy franchise.
The studio has tapped the scripting team of Thomas Lennon and R. Ben Garant — best known for the “Night at the Museum†and “Reno 911″ franchises, to write the screenplay as a new spin on the Drebin character.
Helms starred in “The Hangover†trilogy and “We’re the Millers†and recently recently wrapped “Stretch†opposite Chris Pine and Patrick Wilson. He stars in the romcom parody “They Came Together,†which will premiere at Sundance, opposite Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler.
Paramount released “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!†in 1988 with Nielsen battling Ricardo Montalban’s character plotting to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II at a baseball game in Los Angeles. Sequels “The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear†and “Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult†followed in 1991 and 1994; the three films cumed $275 million.
George Kennedy, Priscilla Presley and O.J. Simpson co-starred in all three films.
The films were based on the 1982 ABC spoof series “Police Squad!,†which was cancelled after six episodes. Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker created the series, which also starred Nielsen as Drebin in a similar deadpan vein as his Dr. Rumack character in 1980′s “Airplane!â€
“It’s true what they say: Cops and women don’t mix,†Drebin said in the first film. “It’s like eating a spoonful of Drano; sure, it’ll clean you out, but it’ll leave you hollow inside.â€
Lennon and Garant recently wrote “Baywatch†for Paramount and “Rent a Ghost†for Fox and just sold “Guinea Pigging†to Fox 2000 for Mitch Hurwitz to direct. They wrote and directed “Hell Baby,†which debuted at Sundance this year†and Garant wrote the Lionsgate horror/thriller “Jessabelle†for Blumhouse and Principato-Young with an Aug. 29 release date.
Helms is repped by CAA, Principato-Young and attorney Ira Schreck. Lennon and Garant are repped by CAA, Principato-Young and attorney Karl Austen.
