The 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun, directed by Akiva Schaffer, brings back the funny slapstick series for a new generation. The movie is a legacy sequel to Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994) and takes place in the same crazy world as the Police Squad. Leslie Nielsen played Detective Frank Drebin in the first films, but in this new version, Liam Neeson takes over as Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., the son of the famous character.
Frank Jr. is trying to live up to his father’s legacy while dealing with a complicated conspiracy that is aimed at the LAPD Police Squad. Drebin Jr. has to fight back in his own awkward but brave way because the department is in danger of being shut down. The project finally got the go-ahead in late 2022 after years of delays, thanks to Seth MacFarlane’s work on it. In 2024, production finally got going, giving a new spin on one of comedy’s most famous franchises.
This article from Spiky TV will provide more information about the locations used to film the humorous reboot. Even though the movie takes place in Los Angeles, most of it was filmed in Georgia, with a few scenes shot in LA itself to keep things real.
The Naked Gun Filming Locations
Atlanta, Georgia
Most of The Naked Gun (2025) was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, which doubled for Los Angeles on screen. The city’s varied architecture and filming infrastructure were crucial to the production.
- Electric Owl Studios in Decatur, GA: Most of the interior scenes were shot in this modern studio. It is in the suburb of Decatur and it gave the movie’s complicated comic setups the controlled environment they needed.
- The Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Building is a neoclassical building on Forsyth Street SW in downtown Atlanta. It was the outside of the Police Squad headquarters.
- Georgia State University (J. Mack Robinson College of Business): A dramatic hostage scene was filmed here, at 35 Broad Street NW to be exact.
- Atlanta’s busy streets: Several chase and action scenes were filmed on Atlanta’s busy streets to show the story’s energy and scale.
One reason Atlanta was chosen was because it has good tax breaks and policies that are good for movies. Akiva Schaffer, the director, even said that most of the shooting in Atlanta was inside, with only a few outside shots standing in for LA.
Trivia: Atlanta has become one of the busiest filming hubs in the U.S. Other famous movies and shows filmed here include Red Notice, The Nice Guys, Chad Powers, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Netflix’s hit Stranger Things.
Los Angeles, California
The story takes place in Los Angeles, so the team spent four days filming scenes outside in the city to make the movie seem real. LA’s famous streets and buildings were used for important outdoor scenes in the movie, like action scenes and establishing shots. The LAPD’s Police Squad was based in LA. This short shoot made the movie feel more real by linking it to the first three films, which were also shot in LA.
Los Angeles is the centre of the movie industry. Hollywood’s studios and busy city streets make it a wonderful place to film. The film’s over-the-top comedy was better because it took place in a familiar place with sunny streets and well-known landmarks.
Fun fact: Los Angeles has served as the setting for several action-comedy classics, including Beverly Hills Cop, Rush Hour, and Lethal Weapon.
The Naked Gun Behind The Scenes
Making The Naked Gun (2025) was a thrilling challenge for the team. Producer Seth MacFarlane pushed hard to revive the franchise after years of delays. He shared how the idea started with casting Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. MacFarlane said, “My part of this was really just having the thought a while back that Liam Neeson [as Frank Drebin Jr.] would be really funny in a Naked Gun reboot. That was kind of the extent of my contribution to this iteration.”
According to Rollingstonephilippines, he also noted Neeson’s approach to comedy. MacFarlane recalled, “The first time I spoke to him, he said, ‘Listen, you know, I’m not a comedian. This is not what I do. I’m not a comic. So if we go into it with that understanding, that the lines that I’m doing will be dramatic lines that are funny because of the way I’m delivering them. And that’s how it’s got to work.’”
Director Akiva Schaffer focused on keeping the film’s world consistent. MacFarlane praised him, saying, “He really had a sense of how to write for Liam. [Akiva] was really good about playing by his own rules that he had established. The world does have to have some sort of grounding at its core, and Akiva was really good about being really, really true to the world that he had created, and you don’t see a lot of inconsistencies in his script.”
According to Screenrant, Schaffer himself talked about Neeson’s unique fit. He explained, “Liam is one of the few old school movie star leading men with gravitas. There was no second choice, because there’s no one out there like him… we had such a great cast.”
Casting Pamela Anderson as Beth Davenport added a perfect touch. MacFarlane commented, “What she’s giving you is sincere and completely real. She’s not trying to play the comedy, but at the same time there’s just enough of that kind of natural Marilyn Monroe-ishness that she brings to the table.”
Schaffer agreed, adding, “Pam is perfect, because she seems like someone they would have cast in the 90s. She embodies what the movie is trying to do.”
The team aimed to bring back brutal comedy styles. According to collider.com, MacFarlane hoped for more films like this, stating, “It’s been a long time since a really high-profile hard comedy has been put out there. This is a true comedy, with a whole bunch of laughs. And I think that’s something that’s a little rare right now. And hopefully, if the movie does well, it brings a few more of those kinds of movies back into our shared landscape.”
Production wrapped quickly in 40 days, using practical effects for stunts like crashes and gags. We see how trust and clear rules helped create this reboot’s wild humor.
Check out more insights on our site, or let us know what you think of Liam Neeson’s take on Frank Drebin Jr.!
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 filmed? Explore filming locations in Atlanta and Los Angeles, behind-the-scenes insights, and production timeline details.){kind=link}