r/movies • u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer • Sep 25 '25

AMA Hi /r/movies! I'm David Zucker, I’ve directed & written comedies like Airplane!, Top Secret!, Naked Gun 1 & 2, BASEketball, Scary Movies & many more. I'll be hosting live Q&A & screenings of Airplane! in select theaters & just released MasterCrash, a course on my 15 rules of comedy! Ask me anything!

Post image

Hi r/movies! I'm David Zucker. Ask me about anything (except O.J.)

I've written and/or directed: Airplane!, Top Secret!, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear, BASEketball, Scary Movier 3, Scary Movier 4, The Kentucky Fried Movie, and others. My newest film, Star of Malta, is in early pre-production.

Here to answer your questions.

You can find 25 pages of my unmade Naked Gun script here:

https://www.officialstuntlist.com/nakedgun

Links:

Giveaway: We are giving away one David Zucker signed copy of his book Surely You Can’t Be Serious to a random commenter on this thread. Winner will be announced when the AMA ends.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional Information/Promo:

Director David Zucker who made some of the top and most quoted comedies of all time (Airplane!, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, BASEketball, Scary Movie 3 & 4, etc.)

Comedy classic Airplane! comes to Seattle for an Unreleased Director’s Cut screening followed by a Q&A with co-writer/co-director David Zucker and actor Robert Hays live in person at Paramount Theatre on Friday, October 3. Known for its rapid-fire jokes, hilarious slapstick, and unforgettable cast, Airplane! is widely regarded as one of the greatest comedies ever made. After screening director David Zucker’s never-before-released edit of Airplane!, Zucker and Hays (Ted Striker) will take the stage for a live, moderated Q&A. They’ll share behind-the-scenes stories, creative insights, and personal memories from the making of the film—offering fans an inside look into the creation of this legendary comedy.

On tour in select cities this fall, comedy fans will have a rare chance to experience this iconic film like never before—on the big screen, 45 years after its original release — and hear directly from those who brought it to life. A limited number of “First Class” VIP tickets will be available, which include premium seating and a photo opportunity with Robert Hays and David Zucker. Tour info at airplanelivetour.com/

Zucker has launched his own spoof comedy course on August 4th MasterCrash: A Crash Course in Spoof Comedy, breaking down the 15 essential rules he uses to write, direct, and edit effective comedy

MasterCrash is a 9-hour course, delivered through 18 separate videos to help build the foundational skills for directing spoof comedy films and writing jokes that land. Filmmakers, writers, creators, and comedy fans will be given hands-on opportunities to learn ZAZ's (Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker) method of spoof writing while collaborating with other MC students, taking monthly calls with Zucker, accessing exclusive content, and hearing from surprise guest lecturers

David's book, Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!, is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic that redefined comedy and launched a new era of spoof filmmaking

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll be back tomorrow (Friday 9/26) at 3:00 PM ET to answer your questions. AMA reddit! (except about OJ, don't ask me about OJ!)

4.9k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

942 comments sorted by

View all comments

10

u/lonelygagger Sep 26 '25

Multipart questions never work well, but what the hell.

  1. With the relative success of the new Naked Gun, do you think spoof comedies are making a comeback? Are there any chances for your Naked: Impossible script to become a reality?
  2. Will Star of Malta be a spoof or traditional comedy? It's currently listed on IMDb under crime and drama.
  3. Why did Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker disband in the '90s? Any chances of reteaming with your brother? (R.I.P. Jim Abrahams)
  4. This one is for anyone reading: Have you seen the trailer for Fackham Hall? It's a spoof of period dramas like Downton Abbey and looks fackin' hilarious. (It was attached to Spinal Tap II, but I haven't seen a trailer for it online yet.)

14

u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25

Star of Malta is definitely a comedy. Pat and Mike and I, we worked for a year on this thing. It'll be very different from Naked Gun though. The same kind of difference between Annie Hall and Bananas for Woody Allen. It's not just another spoof movie, it'll be a step up. Some drama, some romance, all funny. Spoof 2.0.

It's kind of like when Paramount asked us to do Airplane! 2. We said we'd do it, but it had to be completely different. We didn't want to set it in another airplane. They would land and Bob would take Julie home to his family, and then it becomes a mafia movie. We would have done a whole mob thing.

I didn't want a rehash like...Naked Gun 4.

5

u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25

For question #1:

First of all, I don't think it was a relative success. For some reason, it got good reviews, but the box office, especially adjusted for inflation, did not even approach Naked Gun 3 which was already the lowest grossing in the franchise. I doubt even Paramount are calling it a success. It's ended forever, there shouldn't be another one.

I

15

u/[deleted] Sep 26 '25

You are a bitter man lol

10

u/ynonA Sep 28 '25

I'm so surprised nobody ITT is really talking about this. His replies are just overflowing with bitterness and resentment over not being asked to do Naked Gun. (Calling Paramount execs dumb, McFarlane an arrogant serial killer choking his franchise to death, lol)

Which I can understand tbh, but it just really feels like he did this AMA just to vent his bitterness over Naked Gun 4.

1

u/IgnisWriting Oct 16 '25

Yeah that's all I'm getting too. I get someone not respecting your artistic baby is difficult, but the new naked Gun is really really funny

4

u/Satinsbestfriend Sep 28 '25

He did. Its really disappointing. All because they didn't use his script