‘The Naked Gun': First Reactions From the Premiere
The new iteration of The Naked Gun, stars Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Police Squad legend Frank Drebin, played in the franchise's previous projects by the late Leslie Nielsen. Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston, Liza Koshy, Cody Runnels and CCH Pounder round out the cast.
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The Lonely Island's Akiva Schaffer directs the reboot and Seth MacFarlane produces a project that Paramount has had in the works for decades. The film franchise is based on the 1982 ABC television series Police Squad!, a spoof on police procedural dramas that introduced Nielsen as Drebin and was co-created and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. Though the TV show was short-lived, the creative team reunited for the first feature in the franchise, 1988's The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!. Two more sequels were released: The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear in 1991 and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult in 1994.
The Naked Gun will be released in theaters worldwide on Aug. 1. Before the film's release, and full critics' reviews, read on for a sampling of early reaction from Monday's premiere and press screenings.
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Newsweek
24 minutes ago
- Newsweek
'The Naked Gun' Early Reactions Are Overwhelmingly One-Sided
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors The early reactions to "The Naked Gun" are coming in, and according to critics this is a comedy your funny bone can't afford to miss. The responses are near unanimous in saying this is a film that will have your sides hurting with laughter. The common thread through just about all the social media responses to "The Naked Gun," is that you probably won't laugh harder at any movie in a theater this year. Read More: Eddie Murphy Cast As Inspector Clouseau in 'Pink Panther' Reboot Dimitri Kraus wrote, "The new NAKED GUN has the highest joke-to-minute ratio since JACKASS FOREVER, really is a small miracle that a movie like this exists in the current theatrical climate." Sean Chandler agreed, saying that the film, "is hilarious from beginning to end. I missed multiple jokes because the theater was laughing too loud. They just nailed the classic Naked Gun and deadpan comedy w/ its own flavor and not just copying the past. A comedy legacy sequel done right." Promotional material for "The Naked Gun." Promotional material for "The Naked Gun." Paramount Griffin Schiller called the reboot "the funniest movie I've seen in over a decade! Had me laughing to the point of tears MULTIPLE times. A brilliant reclamation of the American comedy that exposes the absurdity of 00s nostalgia (culturally and in attitude) while also finding witty new ways to hilariously parody the exhausted, gritty reboot era." The new NAKED GUN has the highest joke-to-minute ratio since JACKASS FOREVER, really is a small miracle that a movie like this exists in the current theatrical climate. It will probably make like 5 dollars total but I was howling with laughter at this hysterical fever dream. — Dimitri Kraus (@simplykraus) July 24, 2025 #TheNakedGun is hilarious from beginning to end. I missed multiple jokes because the theater was laughing too loud. They just nailed the classic Naked Gun and deadpan comedy w/ its own flavor and not just copying the past A comedy legacy sequel done right. — Sean Chandler (@kirkneverdied) July 29, 2025 #NakedGun is the funniest movie I've seen in over a decade! Had me laughing to the point of tears MULTIPLE times. A brilliant reclamation of the American comedy that exposes the absurdity of 00s nostalgia (culturally and in attitude) while also finding witty new ways to… — Griffin Schiller (@griffschiller) July 29, 2025 While Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson haven't previously been known for their comedy skills, according to the early reactions, "The Naked Gun" changes all that. Junior Felix put the lion's share of the credit on Pamela Anderson, writing, "Joke after joke had my theater laughing hysterically for 85 minutes and it was truly glorious. Liam Neeson is PERFECT! But it's Pam Anderson that steals this romp." According to Scott Mendelson, it's Danny Huston's villain who proves to be a surprise standout, writing that the movie "offers 80 minutes of unending sight gags, bemusing slapstick, and clever wordplay, with perhaps 3% of it predicated on anything specific to the 'IP.' Oh, and 'Comic Superstar: Danny Huston' almost steals the movie. It's lots of fun." The Naked Gun is THE fully loaded, gut busting comedy we NEED right now. Joke after Joke had my theater laughing hysterically for 85 minutes and it was truly glorious. Liam Neeson is PERFECT! But it's Pam Anderson that steals this romp. #NakedGun — Junior Felix (@JuniorFett) July 29, 2025 The Naked Gun is an unmitigated laugh riot. It offers 80 minutes of unending sight gags, bemusing slapstick, and clever wordplay, with perhaps 3% of it predicated on anything specific to the 'IP.' Oh, and 'Comic Superstar: Danny Huston' almost steals the movie. It's lots of fun. — Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) July 29, 2025 "The Naked Gun" releases in theaters August 1. Tickets are on sale now. The film is directed by Akiva Schaffer and produced by Seth McFarlane. It stars Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston, Liza Koshy, Cody Rhodes, CCH Pounder, and Busta Rhymes. More Movies: 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' First Look Trailer Teases War Between the Na'vi Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein' First Look Reveals the Monster 'Spinal Tap II' Teases Huge Rock Star Cameos
Vogue
25 minutes ago
- Vogue
Boho Haircuts Are Trending for Summer
Cher, Brigitte Bardot, Diana Ross, Farrah Fawcett, and Jane Birkin: When it comes to the 1970s, these were the icons in bohemian and disco circles. It's a style (both beauty and fashion) that's still referenced today—just look at the recent Chloé runways if you need some proof. So, what really is a bohemian hairstyle—and how do you find the right style for you? Below, the experts break down five hugely popular current hairstyles that have their roots in '70s style. The Butterfly Haircut Farrah Fawcett, 1975. Walt Disney Television Photo Archives Sabrina Carpenter Taylor Hill Farrah Fawcett's layers are still going strong almost half a century on. According to celebrity hairstylist Guido Palau, the look is easy enough to achieve at home with the right technique. 'Take a hairdryer and run a round brush underneath, then part the bangs so you get that '70s look,' he says. Round-brush shy? A blow-dry brush may be your new best friend. Sabrina Carpenter's take on the look (called a butterfly cut) has a modern edge. For a look that's less voluminous and shaggy, leave the layering until a point just past your bangs, at about chin length. Super Long and Natural Cher in 1973. Getty Images Sacai, Spring-Summer 2025. Cher has had many hairstyles over the years, but her silky, super-straight '70s mane is a real favorite. There were echoes of her peace-and-love look on the runway at Sacai's spring/summer 2025 show. Face-framing Layers and Fringe Jane Birkin. Reporters Associes. Chloé Spring-Summer 2025. Jane Birkin (or, in an alternative universe, Dakota Johnson) is a forever muse for all fans of the boho aesthetic, so it's little wonder that the hallmarks of her beauty look were all over Chloé's spring/summer 2025 runway. Curls and Volume Diana Ross on the set of Mahogany. SilverNEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 05: Simone Ashley attends the Amazon MGM Studios' "Picture This" New York Screening at NeueHouse Madison Square on March 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by)To recreate these glamorous waves, scrunch up your natural curls with a styling cream and style into a side parting for even more volume. Braid-outs can add extra definition for afro-textured hair, or copy Diana Ross in Mahogany and opt for a bouncy blowout. The Wavy Bob Twiggy in 1974. Bettmann Christopher Esber Spring-Summer 2025 Justin Shin / Getty Images Her pixie cut helped to kickstart her career, but the bob that she wore in the '70s signaled a growing up for British supermodel Twiggy. Her chin-length haircut was styled with pronounced waves that appeared to inspire the beauty look on Christopher Esber's spring/summer 2025 runway. Have a beauty or wellness trend you're curious about? We want to know! Send Vogue's senior beauty & wellness editor an email at beauty@
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
How Larry Ellison And David Ellison Pulled Off The Paramount Deal
T he Federal Communications Commission greenlit the $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media on Thursday, 383 days after the deal was first announced. The merger, which is set to close on August 7, will transform Larry Ellison, 80, and his son David Ellison, 42, into one of the most powerful duos in Hollywood, wielding influence over TV shows, movies, news and more. As Paramount's chairman, CEO and owner of 50% of its voting rights, David Ellison will oversee an entertainment empire with more than 1,200 film titles, including everything from 'Top Gun: Maverick' to a remake of 'It's A Wonderful Life,' plus distribution rights to another 2,400 films. Other crown jewels include popular channels MTV, Nickelodeon, Showtime and CBS Network. But it's his father who controls the purse strings and owns the equity, according to regulatory filings. The elder Ellison may have helped get the deal over the hump in other ways, too. The merger was approved only after some key concessions from both parties. Paramount agreed to pay President Trump $16 million—to be used for his future presidential library—in July to resolve a lawsuit over 60 Minutes ' edit of a 2024 interview of Kamala Harris. (A couple of weeks later, CBS said it would end Trump critic Stephen Colbert's late night show next May, citing cost overruns.) Ellison's Skydance, meanwhile, had to make written commitments promising that the company's programming would embody 'a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum' and that it would 'adopt measures that can root out the bias that has undermined trust in the national news media,' per the FCC's letter announcing the decision. Another late change had to do with Ellison's control. FCC filings from September 2024 initially showed that David's father, Oracle cofounder and chief technology officer Larry Ellison, the second richest person on earth, held all of the voting and equity shares in the Pinnacle Media Ventures holding companies acquiring the Paramount stake. These shares were held through his Lawrence J. Ellison Revocable Trust, the same entity that owns his Oracle shares and most of his estimated $1.5 billion in real estate. Per these filings, the Ellison family also owned 67% of the equity and 78% of the voting rights in Skydance in part via Sayonara LLC, a parent company of the Pinnacle entities. (Ellison, a devotee of Japanese art and architecture, named Sayonara's three subsidiaries Aozora, Hikouki and Furaito, Japanese words meaning 'blue sky,' 'airplane' and 'flight.') In October 2024, an amendment filed with the FCC changed the voting rights so that David Ellison held 100% of the Pinnacle entities' voting interest, but dad kept the equity. There was yet another change in mid-July. This time David's voting rights in post-merger Paramount were reduced to 50%; his father Larry got 27.5%, according to FCC filings. That means no single shareholder can outvote David, but it also means that he needs his father to approve everything from budgets to key investments. (Larry Ellison appears to control all of the Ellison family's approximately 26% equity stake tied to those voting shares in post-merger Paramount, plus at least 10% more with no voting power, assuming all existing shareholders choose to receive their maximum cashout. On top of that, the Ellisons also own another 6.7% equity stake through Skydance Entertainment Group, per the initial 2024 filing, although it's unclear how that's split between father and son.) If his dad ever decided to team up with Gerry Cardinale's Redbird Capital, which invested in David's Skydance in 2020 and controls the remaining 22.5% of the vote, the two parties could block David Ellison. David Ellison could also sway Redbird if his father disagreed. The main reason for the change, at least two sources say, has more to do with money than power. ' From a voting standpoint, David Ellison will be in control through his entities, but the taxable benefits will flow to Larry,' says Los Angeles-based mergers and acquisitions lawyer Alex Davis, who is not involved in the transaction. Davis says the changes were probably due to regulatory reasons and are not unusual. 'His profitable businesses could benefit from any kind of taxable losses or depreciation with this business.' A spokesperson for Skydance declined to comment. Redbird, David Ellison and the FCC did not respond to a request for comment before publication. It's possible that President Trump's taking office in January also had something to do with it, too. While David Ellison met with both Trump and FCC Chair Brendan Carr ahead of the deal's approval, he also donated around $1 million to Joe Biden's reelection campaign in February 2024. Meanwhile, Larry Ellison and Trump have a longstanding relationship. In January, Ellison showed up at the White House to help Trump announce his $500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure initiative. And Trump told reporters that same month that he'd be open to an Ellison-led deal to buy TikTok, for which Trump has extended its sell-by date to September. Plus, Ellison has promised an overhaul of Paramount-owned CBS—potentially seeded by Skydance's vow to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs. 'I think he's going to run CBS really well, and I think he's making a good deal to buy it. I think he's great,' Trump said of Larry Ellison at a July 3 rally. Oracle is reportedly in talks to have Paramount and Skydance run on the same Oracle-provided cloud technology, worth $100 million per year. That's a pittance for Ellison, who's worth more than $290 billion, and earns more than $1 billion (before taxes) each year in Oracle dividends alone. A s for how David shares in that wealth, it's somewhat of a black box—intentionally. Larry Ellison put 90,000 shares into a trust for his two children, David and Megan, at Oracle's IPO in 1994. (They were three years and two months old at the time, respectively.) If the trust had held onto those shares, they'd be worth more than $4 billion today. But there is little paper trail since. After the 1994 prospectus, the children's trust was mentioned intermittently, then for the last time in a 2012 filing. By then, David and Megan were listed as having 933,334 Oracle shares via their trust. That's a fraction of what they should have had by then on a split-adjusted basis, meaning that millions of shares were either distributed directly to them; swapped out of the trust for other assets; sold as part of diversification or some combination of all three. What we do know is that David and Megan also got shares in NetSuite, a pioneering cloud computing company in which their dad was an early investor. When Oracle bought NetSuite in 2016 for $9.3 billion, David pocketed some $370 million (pre-tax) that today could be worth as much as $550 million. Skydance, Paramount and Larry Ellison have been intertwined from the start. In 2008, Larry Ellison incorporated Sayonara LLC for 'media production investments' and started pledging his Oracle shares as collateral for lines of credit, around the time David and Megan Ellison were gearing up to start Skydance and production studio Annapurna Pictures in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Per FCC filings, Sayonara LLC is one of the entities that owns the Ellisons' controlling Skydance stake. In 2009, David Ellison raised $350 million, some from his father, to finance a five-year agreement with Paramount to co-produce movies. He notched his first big hit with The Coen brothers' Oscar-nominated 2010 film 'True Grit,' the first feature film produced by Skydance, which grossed more than $250 million worldwide on a $38 million budget. As of mid-2024, Skydance had produced or co-financed 35 feature films, 24 of which were in partnership with Paramount, per regulatory filings. In 2023, Skydance lost $54 million on nearly $1 billion in revenue. (Meanwhile, Megan's Annapurna Pictures, known for critically acclaimed films including 'Her' and 'Zero Dark Thirty,' reportedly struggled with hundreds of millions in debt and flirted with filing for bankruptcy protection—eventually resolved with her father's help.) Although it's not known whether Ellison uses his pledged Oracle shares to finance Annapurna, Skydance or possibly the latter's merger with Paramount, it's likely, according to Davis. As of September 2024, Ellison had pledged 277 million shares, or $68 billion worth, of Oracle stock, to 'secure personal term loans only used to fund outside personal business ventures,' per a regulatory filing. Regardless, the fact that David Ellison has relied so heavily on his dad to help finance Skydance and now Paramount suggests that he may not yet have access to much if any of his Oracle shares. And while David, of course, will be running Paramount as CEO, behind closed doors, no one quite knows how Larry and David will coexist. 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