What was the O.J. Simpson reference in The Naked Gun reboot trailer? Explained

The trailer for The Naked Gun reboot was released on April 3, 2025. The film, directed by Akiva Schaffer, is set to release in theaters on August 1, 2025.The official trailer includes a joke referencing O.J. Simpson, a former football player who later became an actor. Simpson played Detective Nordberg in all three of the previous Naked Gun films.

In the last scene of the trailer, several police officers kneel in front of their late fathers. While most of the officers become emotional upon seeing their father's photo, Nordberg's son reacts differently when shown his father's picture.

He looks at the camera and shakes his head with a disappointed expression. The scene is a nod to the controversial past of O.J. Simpson, who played Detective Nordberg in the original films. He was acquitted in the murder trial of ex-wife Nicole Brown in 1995.

As per IMDB, the upcoming action comedy The Naked Gun stars Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Frank Drebin. Frank is the protagonist in the first three films and the 1980s-1990s television show Police Squad. The character was played by Leslie Nielsen.

---

The Naked Gun: Official trailer explored

As seen in the official trailer, the film reboot features a special touch of comedy, stylish action, and funny scenes. The trailer features Liam Neeson in polka-dot underwear and a schoolgirl outfit, as well as a joke referencing O.J. Simpson.

In a scene shown at CinemaCon, Neeson's character gives viewers a new look at old-fashioned crime-fighting. As police officers are trying to capture bank robbers, a little girl fearlessly walks through them, holding a giant lollipop and adding to the fun.

As shown in the trailer, a thug, standing with a machine gun, asks the little girl:

“What do you want, little one?”

The girl takes off her mask, revealing that she is not a little girl but Liam Neeson, who replies:

“Your a**."

Neeson's character then transforms his lollipop stick into a sharp weapon, attacks the thugs, and takes them down. However, as the fight between Neeson and the thugs comes to an end, Neeson is seen wearing polka-dotted underwear.

The final part of the trailer shows a moment where several police officers kneel in front of photos of their late fathers, becoming visibly emotional. However, when the camera pans to Nordberg's son, his reaction is noticeably different, as he looks at the camera and shakes his head.

This moment references the real-life history of O.J. Simpson, who originally played Detective Nordberg in the earlier The Naked Gun films.

---

O.J. Simpson's controversial past explored

A still from The Naked Gun reboot official trailer (Image via YouTube/Paramount Pictures)

O.J. Simpson is a former football player and actor whose life has been linked to several major controversies. On June 12, 1994, Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and waiter, Ron Goldman, were stabbed to death outside Nicole's home in Los Angeles.

As per ABC News, Simpson was accused of these murders. The trial took place in 1995, and the court acquitted him of these murders, and he remained firm on his not-guilty stance. However, in 1997, the actor was met with a guilty verdict in the double murders by a civil court. He was ordered to pay a $33.5 million penalty to the victims' families.

A decade later, in September 1997, he was arrested in Las Vegas after leading a group of men into a hotel and casino to forcibly take sports memorabilia he insisted belonged to him. He was convicted for the same in 2008 and was imprisoned for up to 33 years, as per ABC News.

He was released from jail in October 2017. He passed away from cancer on April 10, 2024.

---

The Naked Gun reboot is scheduled to be released in theatres on August 1, 2025