Since he first began performing in 1973, Liam Neeson has been one of Hollywood’s most consistent actors. The star exploded into prominence when he starred in Schindler’s List (1993) in the leading role, Oskar Schindler, and he has excelled ever since. Throughout his career, he has led action hits, dramas, and even comedies.

After all, Neeson appeared in several beloved franchise movies, building his reputation all the while. Those releases include Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Batman Begins (2005), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), and Taken (2008). More recently, he appeared in The Lego Movie (2014) and Men in Black: International (2019).

Neeson has certainly been rewarded for his performances. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his work on Schindler’s List, two Tony Award nominations, and three Golden Globe nominations. He has also helped to usher in over $4 billion at the box office and is poised to bring in even more with his next release.

Neeson’s Latest Movie Has A Short Runtime That’s Less Than 90 Minutes

The Naked Gun Remains Roughly On Par With Other Releases

Neeson’s next theatrical role will be in The Naked Gun (2025), which is currently slated for an August 1 release. This action-comedy will continue the action-comedy franchise, as it continues to satirize legal and police procedurals. It will be a continuation of the previous three movies, though Neeson will serve as a new leading star for the franchise.

Previous films in the franchise originally starred the late Leslie Nielsen as Detective Frank Drebin, but Neeson has been cast in his place as Frank Drebin Jr. Akiva Schaffer (Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers) was tapped to serve as the director and as co-writer. While Schaffer is a new addition to the franchise, he is following old traditions.

Per an update by AMC Theaters, The Naked Gun will run for just 85 minutes. It matches the older movies in the franchise, such as The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) and The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) both shared that exact same runtime. The third movie was slightly shorter at just 82 minutes.

Our Take On The Naked Gun’s Runtime

It Will Not Overstay Its Welcome

For an absurd comedy like The Naked Gun, it is always important for a project to avoid overstaying its welcome. At under 1 hour and 30 minutes, this movie will certainly avoid that trap. Instead, it will essentially occupy the space of an overly long TV episode, allowing it to introduce its premise and exit before audiences lose interest.

That will help at the box office, as theaters should be able to run more showings. It was originally slated to compete against Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, so its delay to August 1 means that it could excel financially. The Naked Gun depends on Neeson’s performance, but its short run time could help it find success.

Source: AMC Theaters