Kevin Durandis switching out his ape’s crown for a detective hat. The Canadian actor has been tapped to star in Paramount Pictures' upcoming remake ofNaked Gun,according toThe Hollywood Reporter. This will mark the next big outing for Durand, who is already starring in a pair of big films this year: the recently released horror flickAbigailand the upcomingKingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which will bow in theaters on Memorial Day weekend.
Plot details on the upcomingNaked Gunremake remain thin. However, the original film series, based on the short-lived TV programPolice Squad!,was a spoof of the police show/crime detective genre. The trio of films followed a bumbling - though good natured - detective, Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen), who must investigate a series of massive criminal plots in each film - with varying degrees of success. Durand will star in the film alongsideLiam Neeson,who is taking over the role of Frank Drebin,Pamela Anderson,who will star as a love interest, andPaul Walter Hauser,who will portray police captain Ed, another returning character. Durand will reportedly portray a villain, according to THR.
Naked Gunwill be directed byAkiva Schaffer (Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers)from a script he co-wrote withDan GregorandDoug Mand.Family GuycreatorSeth MacFarlanewill producefor his Fuzzy Door Productions banner alongsideErica Huggins, while Schaffer executive produces alongsideDaniel M. Stillman.
Durand Will Soon be Going ‘Ape’
Reports that Durand will play a villain inNaked Gunbode well, given that he is set to portray the main antagonist in 20th Century’s upcomingKingdom of the Planet of the Apes.Durand is stepping into therole of Proximus Caesar, the king of a hierarchical group of apes who goes toe-to-toe with Noa (Owen Teague) after the latter objects to apes hunting humans. As the next installment in a long line of iconicPlanet of the Apesvillains, Durand’s Proximus has some large shoes to fill.
WhileKingdomisn’t out until May 10, Durand is in theaters right now with Universal’sAbigail,a horror film about an innocent looking ballet dancer - whose kidnapping goes awry when it is discovered that she is a vampire. Durand portrays Peter, one of the criminal gang members who participates in the kidnapping. The film has received mostly positive reviews, with Collider’sMaggie Boccellasaying in her reviewthatAbigailwas “delightfully quirky for a horror film.” Durand also toldColliderthat his directorial debut,The Hockey Player,was in the works. “It’s something that I’ve actually been writing. I first sat down to start writing about 14 years ago … we’re prepping and getting ready to make my first film,” Durand said.
TheNaked Gunreboot will premiere in theaters on August 06, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for more information.Kingdom of the Planet of the Apeshits theaters on May 10.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Many years after the reign of Caesar, a young ape goes on a journey that will lead him to question everything he’s been taught about the past and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
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