Liam Neeson in The Naked Gun In the early Eighties, Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker pioneered a distinct segment of slapstick- and wordplay-heavy spoof-comedies with movies like Airplane! and Top Secret!, which displayed straight-faced silliness as a artistic modus operandi. Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (or ZAZ) additionally produced the short-lived ABC TV collection Police Squad!, which parodied police procedurals and starred Leslie Nielsen because the inept, overconfident Detective Frank Drebin. After Police Squad!’s cancellation, ZAZ took Nielsen’s Drebin character and molded him for the large display screen with The Naked Gun movie franchise, the place the trio’s patented mile-a-minute visible gags may flourish on a wider canvas.
Thirty years after the final Naked Gun movie, a legacy sequel hits theaters directed by a member of one other comedy trio, Akiva Schaffer of the Lonely Island. The Naked Gun options Liam Neeson as Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., who investigates tech mogul Richard Crane (Danny Huston), who’s bent on corrupting folks’s minds, with assistance from Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson), the sister of one in every of Crane’s victims. Naturally, the plot is merely a scaffold for Neeson’s deadpan efficiency and the continuous gags, which embrace the Zuckers’ comedic type whereas imbuing it with the Lonely Island’s sensibility. While The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! parodied ’40s noir and ’70s crime movies like Dirty Harry and Telefon, The Naked Gun takes visible cues from the final forty years of crime movies as a basis for its omnibus-style method to goofy comedy.
I spoke to Schaffer about attaining the appropriate search for The Naked Gun in addition to taking pictures a vital proof-of-concept scene, focus-testing studios comedies and studying from fashionable stunt coordinators.
Filmmaker: I needed to ask up prime about visible palette of the movie. You’ve beforehand talked about Tony Scott’s movies as a reference in addition to Liam Neeson’s personal motion work. I used to be questioning the way you virtually achieved the look throughout manufacturing or in put up.
Akiva Schaffer: I want we had [cinematographer Brandon Trost] on right here. I’m looking for in my notes proper now if I ever wrote down the precise lenses, as a result of for movie dorks like us, they’re very cool ones. Trost simply tells me, like, “Dude, Panavison is giving us blank, blank and blank,” and I am going, “Oh, that’s cool!” But that was in May of final 12 months.
We have this PDF that has the Tony Scott [images] of that period—True Romance, Beverly Hills Cop II, Top Gun. It additionally has some James Bond that I’ve talked about, like Tomorrow Never Dies, which I actually thought break up the distinction between fashionable and nostalgia. There’s Casino Royale, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Then a bunch of different simply random photos; there’s one body from Boogie Nights. Brandon Trost, who already did MacGruber and Popstar[: Never Stop Never Stopping] for us, we now have a shared love of that style.
We knew we weren’t gonna be allowed to shoot on movie. I requested. So, then it’s, what sort of Alexa has given folks the closest to that filmic look? We ended up with the LF, the large-format Alexa, however we nearly went with the newer one. I’m forgetting what it’s referred to as, then I used to be like, “Let’s just go with that LF,” as a result of he had shot one in every of Marielle Heller’s motion pictures, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, that I believed appeared actually glorious, on that digicam. I consider Dune had shot on that digicam. No one would accuse Dune of not trying cinematic. Then we obtained Panavision lenses which might be both from the ’90s or similar to those from the ’90s, those that I consider they shot Beverly Hills Cop II on.
We had photographs of each police station ever to be like, “How do we get the police station to look and feel like you’re in the one that would have been in that Tony Scott movie, or in Se7en, or the newspaper room from All the President’s Men?” Even although it’s solely within the film twice, it nonetheless has a vibe. The home windows have these cement blocks which have the crosses on them that mild can shine by means of. We discovered a constructing that had a few of these on the skin. The complete film is doing an impression of the style, so it goes by means of each division. The swimsuit [Liam Neeson is] sporting seems to be good on him, however I used to be additionally NYPD Blue fits and being like, “What is the classic detective suit? What is Michael Douglas wearing in Basic Instinct?” You simply need it to evoke each reminiscence you’ve ever had of each cop factor you’ve ever seen.
Filmmaker: My colleague spoke to Greg Mottola across the time of Confess, Fletch and he stated {that a} word he’s acquired from studios when trying by means of dailies is that “dark is not funny.” You talked about on the Lonely Island podcast about looking for the appropriate steadiness between mild and darkish in shade correction. Could you discuss a bit of extra about that course of?
Schaffer: First off, I disagree with that studio word, and fortunately I by no means obtained it on this in any respect. I really like how 35mm movie seems to be, and I haven’t been in a position to shoot something on it since Hot Rod, and I lament that. But I’m additionally conscious that with comedies, we wish to do tons of alts and tons of issues, and we’d undergo quite a lot of movie. I nonetheless maintain out hope that I’m permitted to on one in every of these. In the absence of that, I’m chasing that look. In fashionable movies that look superb and had been shot on movie like Casino Royale or Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the 2 I discussed, they actually discovered no matter that steadiness is of utilizing pc shade correction to get it good. It seems to be slick, but additionally epic and delightful and nonetheless wealthy, and has that previous movie really feel that simply makes it really feel like film magic while you’re watching it. When you simply go a bit of bit additional again earlier than they might do shade correction in computer systems, there’s a bit of little bit of a lifted feeling to them barely. They’re nonetheless beautiful, but it surely’s actually comforting while you watch it and. If we may have made it appear to be Casino Royale or Mission: Impossible – Fallout, possibly I’d have. Those are additionally very costly, massive motion pictures. We didn’t have a fourth of their price range.
When you watch this, [I] need it to remind you, someplace deep in your unconscious, of films from the older period, whereas additionally being completely 2025. To me, that’s the candy spot aesthetically for each film. When you activate a extremely previous film, generally they give the impression of being “plain” by at the moment’s requirements, particularly comedies that had been very lit. There’s this candy spot someplace within the late ’90s when motion pictures grew to become what we think about “modern” motion pictures however nonetheless had an analog texture. That’s the place Tomorrow Never Dies got here into it. In watching [all the Bond films in order during the pandemic], that was the one the place I went, “Oh, I think we could almost achieve that.”
The darkness factor… I agree, there’s a sure degree. If you shot it like The Batman or John Wick, that are each beautiful motion pictures for my part, that may be too darkish. That’s additionally what’s so good a few Bond film like Tomorrow Never Dies: you can see every thing on a regular basis, however nobody would accuse it of trying like an over-lit comedy. That’s why it was the candy spot.
Filmmaker: How lengthy was the shoot?
Schaffer: 40 days. Our first shoot, the Atlanta one, was nearly all interiors, apart from just a few issues we hope we get away with, as a result of it’s an L.A. film however we needed to go there for cash causes. Then I edited for some time, and months later, we shot once more in L.A. for 4 days.
Filmmaker: Comedies are notoriously depending on blocking actors and timing dialogue. Did you’ve gotten a adequate manufacturing schedule to realize what you needed comedically? Did you’ve gotten rehearsal time?
Schaffer: First off, we didn’t do one rehearsal. For stunt scenes, we had stunt rehearsal with the stunt crew. But there was by no means a second the place I had Liam and Pam in a room and was like, “Okay, let’s try this scene.”
In December of 2023, the studio preferred the script. They needed to make it however hadn’t agreed to make it. They obtained the price range the place they needed it, after which it’s time for them to take it to the inexperienced mild committee, which is that this massive room that none of us will ever be in, the place it goes all the way in which as much as the heads of manufacturing and advertising and all people who must vote to resolve, “This is the next thing we’re going to make.” The government who’s been championing and growing it goes in and places binders in entrance of all people. Everybody’s learn the script, however the binders even have lookbooks and each software I can provide them to promote the film to their co-workers and executives.
I used to be an enormous fan [of Liam Neeson] and instantly thought he’s gonna be nice, however I additionally had seen the Life’s Too Short episode the place he primarily is doing a model of his public persona that isn’t Liam Neeson in actual life in any respect, that’s like an amalgamation of each motion film he ever did, however he was enjoying it so critical and silly. I additionally remembered his little cameo in Ted 2 the place he’s doing the same factor. That was sufficient for us to go write that total script the place we had been like, “We’re writing towards that guy.” It was not fairly sufficient for the studio for no matter cause, they usually requested us to do a proof of idea. So, they gave me a bit of price range. You know the DP Chung Chung-hoon? He was good sufficient to return goof off with us for the day. We had been in a warehouse on the Paramount lot the place they hold all of the gaffer gear. It’s an previous warehouse. Shining massive lights by means of the home windows with tons of ambiance, abruptly you’re in Beverly Hills Cop II. We used numerous scenes from the film to create a brand new interrogation scene. We’re not fearful about spoilers?
Filmmaker: Not in any respect.
Schaffer: We took the majority of the hospital scene the place he’s interrogating Kevin Durand after which a few of the jokes from the interrogation with Busta Rhymes and created this new mini five-minute scene. We obtained some day-player actors from L.A. to return be in it for the day. At the tip of it, after Liam will get the legal to interrupt, he’s trying on the legal—“Don’t mess with me”—then turns to the digicam. There’s that noir lighting on his face, and he says, “That goes for you, too. Yes, you, the Paramount greenlight committee. I see you there. What the fuck are you waiting for? Why don’t you get your pencil pushers to sign the line? I’ll tell you what. Make sure they have a line item for adult diapers and cocaine in case one of you ever wants to visit set” or one thing like that. He principally talks shit to them and leaves. And it labored!
That’s the long-winded manner of claiming: that was our rehearsal. It was truly incredible. We had a day the place he will get to see how I direct. I get to see how he acts. I get to see how he can discuss and work out doing alternate variations. We did tons of alts of the jokes and work out that course of. Then I obtained to edit for per week, seeing the way it cuts collectively, seeing what I preferred what Liam was doing, seeing after I was like, “Oh, that was too silly.” It was like having the ability to shoot a pilot earlier than you shoot a collection. It removed the first-day jitters, so after we had been in Atlanta taking pictures the film, we had already finished a factor. We shot this film final summer season.
Filmmaker: You had been concerned within the script from the early phases. Were you writing for the digicam or was it extra dialogue-based?
Schaffer: If it was a visible joke, it could be in there. For instance, when [a gigantic claw picks up the car], we’d describe it like “In a giant wide shot, you see a crane that is a claw.” I needed the reader to know that we had been in a financial institution theft straight out of Point Break, Dark Knight, what have you ever, that it was not a hokey infant. I truly even added one thing on the prime that we didn’t shoot, that was the digicam being up within the sky after which nostril diving, like it could in Michael Bay’s Ambulance. “We go through through the AC vent, weaving through a bunch of things till we start to hear the echoes of gunfire, until we spill out into a bank heist in full progress. Camera swirls up…” I needed to be very visible with it, to evoke the sensation of like, “We’re in 2025, this is an action movie and now the joke is happening.”
Filmmaker: Did you undergo a spotlight testing course of?
Schaffer: Yeah, after all.
Filmmaker: I’m curious how that works. What’s the method like and the way do you’re feeling about it as a director?
Schaffer: I imply, for a comedy film, listening to the place an viewers laughs is required, so it’s a extremely necessary software that I like to make use of. That being stated, the inner politics—and this isn’t about Paramount however any studio—the second you’ve gotten a reduce collectively, they’re like, “Let’s test it!” and I’m all the time like, “Dude, this is my first cut. This thing sucks.” I don’t want to show this in and get graded. The reality that you just get graded on it by the viewers—you understand, you’ve heard in regards to the prime two containers and all that shit—that may be…extraordinarily not helpful for me till I’m prepared. Then at a sure level I am going, “Alright, let them test it.” But there’s all the time a second that I’ve had on each film that I’ve finished for a studio the place they make me do it manner earlier than I’m prepared, and we get a rating that’s, relying on the film, both very regarding or semi-concerning.
[The Naked Gun] went up 20 factors between the primary screening and the final, and quite a lot of that was simply me having the time to edit it. I introduced the rating up 10 factors at one level, and nothing had been re-shot or extra pictures or something. I simply had the time to work on it. The hazard is a studio can lose religion [when] they see a low rating. Our rating was by no means very regarding, simply calmly regarding. Luckily, they trusted me after I was like, “No, I know that’s what it’s going to be. Don’t worry about it. Let me just go back to work.”
Paramount put their full again [into this one] as you may inform by the billboards throughout city. Once once more, I simply wanna be tremendous clear: I’m not speaking about this film in that regard. But up to now, I felt the wind exit of the sails a bit of bit [during the process]. By the time Popstar examined good—it by no means examined glorious, however by the point it examined good, it felt like too little too late. We didn’t actually discover Popstar, the true edit of it, until the final minute, as a result of it was a lot footage and a lot stuff. By the time it obtained good opinions, Paramount was like, “Oh! It’s good!”
Filmmaker: How many variations did you undergo for the testing course of?
Schaffer: Well, the assessments are costly, so we solely truly examined it thrice. But what I did do tons of—100, 150 folks at Paramount, the place I simply go to everybody in editorial and producers and executives and say, “Invite anyone. I just need to fill this place up and hear where they laugh.” Then generally I’d stand up on the finish and, if I had a selected factor the place I used to be questioning if it was complicated, I’d go, “Show of hands, who was confused by this?” We did that I’ve no clue what number of occasions. It may have been ten. When the film’s actually beginning to click on and are available collectively, and I’m altering issues each week making an attempt to determine it out, I generally would need one each Friday if I may have it, since you’re making tons of decisions, and I wish to be like, “Alright, those ten worked, those five didn’t.”
I do know the Buffy joke goes to be polarizing. Not polarizing like folks will hate it, however a specific amount of individuals can be like, “Whoa, not for me,” then there’s different folks I do know for a reality, having finished all these screenings, will probably be like, “That’s the best joke in the whole movie.” Personally, it’s the one joke that also makes me chuckle within the film. There’s those the place I’m like, “Hey, that joke’s in there because I think it’s funny and it’s to make the audience laugh,” and when the viewers doesn’t chuckle, you’re like, “Oof, cut it immediately.” There’s ones like Buffy the place it’s for particular viewers members. You make your decisions.
Filmmaker: Was there a day on set that proved notably difficult?
Schaffer: I really feel like I’ve seen good quotes from Guillermo del Toro about it [where] the entire level is to be so overly ready that you just’re able to pivot and throw every thing away. You know the objective of what you’re making an attempt to get so [well] that, by the point you’re on set, if every thing goes to shit, you may pivot to one thing else, as a result of in your thoughts, you understand what’s truly necessary from the scene. I don’t assume it’s that completely different for nearly any film. There’s undoubtedly quite a lot of days the place automobile chargers are going to tear out of the ground, and pyrotechnics are going to go off, then a wall goes to tear out, then a bunch of stuntmen are going to tear out.You’re like, “If we don’t get this on this take, we don’t have it,” or “We’re going to do it one more time tomorrow,” as a result of the reset is six hours. So, you shoot every thing however that, then do it final and hope for one of the best.
There’s undoubtedly stuff within the film that, if I may snap my fingers and have or not it’s completely different, it could be. It’s like something. The film got here out very shut to what I needed. But there’s all the time issues the place the road doesn’t sound correct popping out of an actor’s mouth, and also you’re similar to, “Oh, that was always my favorite joke in the script, and it just doesn’t work,” or a shot I all the time thought was gonna be cool due to the placement or time of day or the place the solar was, and it simply seems to be shitty. You find yourself being like, “Wow, we spent two hours on this shot, and I’m not putting it in the movie.” But you additionally produce other locations the place magic occurs, the place a shot you by no means thought was something is the best shot in the entire film.
Filmmaker: Something you’ve talked about is how a lot you’ve realized in regards to the particulars of directing and producing from engaged on SNL Digital Shorts and Hot Rod. Is there one thing you realized whereas making this movie as a director that you just didn’t have already got in your toolkit or didn’t already know forward of time? A shot that you just did that you just hadn’t finished earlier than?
Schaffer: I obtained quite a lot of expertise on Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers of working in pre-viz and post-viz and storyboarding. On Hot Rod, I probably storyboarded two shots. It’s simply not that sort of film. On Popstar, I bear in mind personally drawing the scene the place me and Andy [Samberg] are within the limo and the dick goes on the window. Because I wanted to choreograph how the nudity would work, and I wanted all people to know it earlier than we shot in order that they wouldn’t be like, “Oh, I can’t light that direction,” and after they sourced the limo that it was vast sufficient. On Rescue Rangers, I made an animatic of that film with the editors and artists, the place you can watch the entire film from begin to end earlier than we shot a body. It actually taught me a ton [about] how fashionable motion pictures are made when it comes to Marvel. Spider-Man flying and doing little flips by means of a scene, or He-Man being at Comic-Con, it’s the identical course of. You prep it forward of time, you previz, then you definitely go shoot the plates or the live-action stuff with the true folks, then you’ve gotten just like the tennis ball on a stick or no matter it’s to mark the heights and eye traces, and then you definitely go into put up, you edit, you set post-viz in, then it goes to animation, they do format. So, making use of all that, however then attending to go like, “What if we surprised the audience by going to this gear they didn’t think the movie had?” the place abruptly there’s a stunt scene the place it looks like Deadpool.
You know the sequence the place [Liam is] kicking the gun clips? I undoubtedly by no means tried to shoot in that type earlier than, nearer to these Marvel movies. [Second unit director and stunt coordinator] Mark Vanselow did the entire film, however then he was like, “Okay, you need an expert in that.” That was Wayne [Dalglish], who was primary on Superman, [supervising] stunt [coordinator], the primary man. He’s a younger man, youthful than me. He obtained beneficial to me by Mark. I’ve by no means met James Gunn, and James Gunn obtained on the cellphone with me for 20 minutes to sing this man’s praises, to inform me that Wayne’s the man. Sure sufficient, I got here to Wayne with the thought kicking and catching [the gun clips] after which hitting folks within the nuts, and it feeling Busby Berkeley-ish. He got here again with stunt-viz that was so dope. I used to be like, “Oh, this is my dream!” I’m so used to micromanaging every thing There’s a cause they put him accountable for all the Superman stunts.
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