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Paramount Bets on Comedy’s Comeback, Led by “The Naked Gun” Reboot
Paramount Pictures is strategically shifting its focus towards comedy, recognizing a perceived decline in the high-upside potential of horror films. The studio believes a significant,untapped opportunity exists in the comedy genre,and they aim to capitalize on it by being an early mover. The upcoming reboot of “The Naked Gun,” starring Liam Neeson and directed by Akiva Schaffer, is seen as a critical test case for this strategy.
Robbins, a key figure at Paramount, views “The Naked Gun” as a crucial barometer for gauging audience appetite for comedy. he acknowledges that the film’s particular brand of humor might be associated with an older demographic, but he remains optimistic about its potential to resonate with a broader audience. “I’m really fascinated to see how ‘The Naked Gun’ plays out,” Robbins stated, “because that’s a style of comedy that I think a lot of people would argue is for an older generation.But I’m also a firm believer that everything comes back around again, and maybe it will connect. It’s really one of the hardest movies to predict.”
Ireland, another executive at the studio, expressed his primary hope for the film: “reintroducing the genre to the audience in a real way.”
This renewed emphasis on comedy is especially significant for Paramount, which has a robust slate of comedic projects planned. In addition to “The Naked Gun,” the studio has a new “Scary Movie” installment and an untitled comedy from the creators of “South Park,” Matt Parker and Trey Stone, both slated for 2026. Paramount has also secured a “MASH”-inspired pitch from comedian Nikki Glaser and a spec script titled “Guys With No Friends,” penned by the “Can’t Hardly Wait” writing team of Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont.Robbins highlighted the inherent difficulty in crafting accomplished comedies, noting, “I don’t think there’s a harder genre to execute.Comedy is very underrated in terms of how arduous it is indeed to make successful and relatable. What is funny to one person could really miss the mark with 100 other people. There’s not a safety net of a basic storytelling template.” He also touched upon the ongoing debate surrounding comedy’s viability, referencing Jerry Seinfeld’s earlier, later retracted, comments about the genre being stifled by political correctness.
Ireland, though, maintains that Paramount’s approach, which blends original storytelling with established intellectual property, is not solely about minimizing risk. Instead, he emphasizes the studio’s commitment to producing the most compelling narratives. “It kind of feels like we’ve reached the outer limits of what you can accomplish with existing titles,” Ireland explained. “I think the audience wants things that feel new. We’ll continue to pursue both. But I think original movies are just as significant in 2025 for everybody as IP.”
Ireland remains confident that by consistently delivering high-quality projects, Paramount can reignite audience enthusiasm for comedy. “The audience is there. They’re willing to go. We just have to continue to give them good reasons,” he concluded. “We have to continue to try to deliver new things in new ways.It feels like in the attention economy, we’re breaking through with things that are more vital.”
