What joke does the new Naked Gun film use to address O.J. Simpson's character?

In the film's trailer, a framed portrait of O.J. Simpson's character Nordberg is shown, before cutting to his son Nordberg Jr. shaking his head in disapproval, which the director says was the only joke they needed to address the issue.

How did the director Akiva Schaffer approach addressing O.J. Simpson's past involvement in the Naked Gun franchise?

Schaffer says they wanted to be "respectful of everything that revolves around him" and didn't get any pushback on their approach, which was to include a single joke in the trailer to acknowledge it.

What was the reaction to the O.J. Simpson joke in the Naked Gun reboot?

Schaffer says the joke "killed as hard as it did at our first test screening," and if he had known it would be so well-received, he may have written additional jokes about it.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Director Reveals Single Joke Tackling O.J. Simpson's Naked Gun Role

Director Reveals Single Joke Tackling O.J. Simpson's Naked Gun Role

2 Aug

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Summary

New Naked Gun film acknowledges O.J. Simpson's previous role
Director Akiva Schaffer says they only needed one joke to address it
Simpson's character Nordberg appears in a framed portrait in the film

Director Reveals Single Joke Tackling O.J. Simpson's Naked Gun Role

As of August 2, 2025, the new Naked Gun film is set to address the franchise's previous star, O.J. Simpson, and his infamous legacy. Director Akiva Schaffer confessed that when he first told friends he was working on the reboot, they immediately asked what he would do about Simpson's character, Detective Nordberg, who appeared in the original 1988 film and its sequels.

Schaffer explained that they only needed one joke in the film's trailer to address the "elephant in the room." The trailer shows Liam Neeson and Paul Walter Hauser paying tribute to framed photos of their late parents in a police Hall of Legends, before transitioning to a portrait of Nordberg (Simpson). Nordberg's son then breaks the fourth wall and shakes his head in disapproval.

According to Schaffer, this single joke was enough to acknowledge Simpson's past involvement without dwelling on it further. The director said they "didn't get pushback or anything" on the decision and wanted to be "respectful of everything that revolves around him."

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