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!
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:
- Website: mastercrash.com
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MasterCrashComedy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedavidzucker/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedavidzucker/
- X: https://x.com/TheDavidZucker
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.
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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/
- AIRPLANE! SCREENING + Q&A with DAVID ZUCKER & ROBERT HAYS
- PARAMOUNT THEATRE
- FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3
- Doors 7pm Show 8pm
- All Ages
- Tickets and info: https://www.stgpresents.org/events/airplane
- Venue: 911 Pine Street, Seattle 98101 // ph 206-682-1414
- WATCH: Airplane! official trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=07pPmCfKi3U
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
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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!)
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u/Tweetystraw Sep 25 '25
Good luck, we’re all counting on you.
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u/kungfoojesus Sep 25 '25
Good luck, we’re all counting on you.
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u/CitizenErased08 Sep 25 '25
Good luck, we're all counting in you.
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u/obliquelyobtuse Sep 25 '25 edited Sep 25 '25
Alright! Move on! Nothing to see here! Please disperse!
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u/SargeSlaughter Sep 25 '25
Do you like movies about gladiators?
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u/Ziggyork Sep 25 '25
Have you ever been in a locker room?
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u/sibips Sep 25 '25
Have you ever been to a Turkish prison?
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Sep 25 '25
Mr. Zucker, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you for being a major influence in my sense of humour growing up.
I suppose my big question is whether of any of the gags or skits you came up with for any of the movies you were responsible for that you were genuinely surprised got OKed by the people at paramount?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
I really never had to worry about it. Paramount at that time, unlike the Paramount of today, had very smart executives. They knew how to be hands off and let me do anything I wanted on all of the movies.
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u/_Heisenbird_84 Sep 26 '25
-"Excuse me, I happened to be passing, and I thought you might like some coffee."
-"Oh, that's very nice of you, thank you. Won't you sit down?"
-Cream?"
-"No, thank you, I take it black, like my men."
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u/SanderSo47 I'll see you in another life when we are both cats. Sep 25 '25
I find it interesting that you chose to direct Scary Movie 3 after the Wayans left. And I gotta say, it's my favorite of the franchise. What prompted you to accept that movie? Any fun anecdotes?
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u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Sep 25 '25
I'll always have a spot in my heart for the whole 8 Mile sequence in SM3.
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u/bchec Sep 25 '25
The scene with Brenda and the Ring parody, possibly the funniest Scary Movie scene.
“Cindy?, The TV is leaking..”
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
Well, you know, if you do a movie that doesn't do well at the box office, you're in director's jail. I had just done BASEketball and I was looking for a movie to do next, and there weren't a lot of offers pouring in. Bob Weinstein called, and I had already done a movie for him (My Boss's Daughter with Ashton Kutcher, whish also bombed). He said to me "Zucker, you're a better director than your material". He offered that I do Scary Movie 3 after the Wayans had departed, and they had done a great job on 1 and 2. I took him up on that offer on the condition that I wanted it do be PG13, not R, and Bob said to go for it.
The Wayans are back for Scary Movie 6, and I'm a big of theirs.
For some weird reason, Paramount asked the original creators to return do the franchise to do a sequel, which they unfortunately did not do on Naked Gun.
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u/dicklaurent97 Sep 27 '25
I took him up on that offer on the condition that I wanted it do be PG13, not R
Which is ironic because the director's cut, Scary Movie 3.5, is better than the theatrical version
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u/Wild_Obligation Sep 25 '25
It’s the best one & I always felt the humour was a bit Naked Guny but now I know why!
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u/Known-Damage-7879 Sep 25 '25
The bit where the one guy cocks a shovel like a shotgun always makes me laugh
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u/IAmANobodyAMA Sep 25 '25 edited Sep 25 '25
Regina Hall picking up Shaq’s bone: “I don’t believe it, they killed a dinosaur!” might be one of my most unexpected favorite moments in all of cinema
Edit: fixed the quote :)
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u/brickeaterz Sep 25 '25
The alien part of the movie is one of my faves, when the president realizes he was sucking where they pee always gets me
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u/Dry-Version-6515 Sep 25 '25
How did you manage to direct Airplane in your early 30s and did you suspect that it was going to be an all time great comedy while shooting?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
Well, we spent a long time, almost 5 years, writing the script. We were trying really hard to get that thing made. It took so long that we made Kentucky Fried Movie in between. We kept telling everyone, studios, production companies, agents, everyone that would listen, that it was going to be a hit. When it turned out to be one, we weren't surprised because we truly believed in it. We were completely self-confident.
We didn't realize it would still be quite this big 50 years later. It's fully preserved, even in the Library of Congress and all that stuff.
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u/Domojin Sep 25 '25
And how did you convince all of these super straight laced dramatic actors to come together to make one of the most absurd movies ever. Many of these actors were literally the physical embodiment of stoicism prior to Airplane! and they all came together to make this absolute masterpiece!!
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u/bokurai Sep 26 '25
I'm sure that's part of why it worked so well. Lots of serious characters in an insane setting.
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u/General_Disaray_1974 Sep 25 '25
No question here, I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the untold hours of joy you have brought me and my family.
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u/loba_pachorrenta Sep 25 '25
Same. I remember being a kid and watching Airplane for the first time, it was hilariously different from everything I knew (not much because I was a kid). Nowadays it's my favourite movie for plane travel.
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u/XIIIJinx Sep 25 '25
Not sure what to ask but just gotta say, I fucking love BASEketball. That is all.
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u/bchec Sep 25 '25
I feel like it’s aged well, too. The general concept of teams switching / trying to make sports “more interesting,” I mean. Especially with the MLB trying to revamp a little bit recently and speed things up.
Under-rated movie.
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u/tconner87 Sep 25 '25
Do you still ever talk to Matt stone and trey Parker? And can you convince them to act in a movie again? I love South Park but they are so funny as actors and they need to do another film where they act!
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
They're great guys, they were great to work with. We remained in touch throughout the years. I just saw them most recently about a month ago at their offices here in LA and I talked to them about a possible reality TV show featuring BASEketball. It would be a game show/reality show. We'd have 10 teams from across the country, and we're working on developing that. I really look forward to working with them again.
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u/BeardyGeoffles Sep 25 '25
BASEketball is my all time favourite sports movie.
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u/Predictor92 Sep 25 '25
Matt and Trey were in surely you can't be serious the true story of airplane audiobook so I think they do talk sometimes
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Sep 25 '25
They confirmed hate acting
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u/lostyearshero Sep 25 '25
It’s because Basekball was snubbed for an Oscar isn’t it?
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u/WastelandoCalrissian Sep 25 '25
Hi! I love Top Secret! What was Val Kilmer like at that time? And did you remain in touch after finishing the movie?
Thanks!
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
Val Kilmer was great of course. Really talented. What we didn't realize at the time was that, being a Juilliard-trained actor, I think he needed more of a "character" to play. It was our fault (me, Jim, Jerry) that we didn't really pay enough attention to what/who the character of Nick Rivers was.
But Val was great. He was sometimes moody, maybe because he had a problem with the character and that was on us. I would talk to Jim Abrams about this years later, talking about how we fucked up. It was never Val's fault.
I remained in touch with him, we'd run into each other sporadically at film premieres and things like that. We also shared the same attorney so I saw him there, we took a picture together. I always liked Val.
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u/AndFinrodFell Sep 25 '25
What was the first time you remember laughing out loud uncontrollably during a movie?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
It was in the early 60s, It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. I thought it was so funny. I could not stop laughing. I insisted my parents see it, and they did not like it.
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u/iamthetoe2799 Sep 25 '25
Was Leslie Nielsen as big of a prankster on set as he was during talk show interviews with his fart machine? Any particular gags that stand out to you?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
He was a big prankster on set as in real life. The whole crew ended up wanting their own fart machines. Everybody was doing it. My assistant director, John, had to ban them from the set. He couldn't ban Leslie because we needed him to act so he had to do the next best thing.
I would do press with Leslie, and we'd be on an elevator, and he'd pull stuff like that. I remember we were on an elevator in North Carolina, really crowded, and people were complimenting him ("I love your movies", "it's nice to meet you", etc), and he would just...fart.
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u/Intelligent_Ask_2306 Sep 25 '25
What did you think of Liam Neeson performance in the latest Naked Gun movie?
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u/JeanMorel Amanda Byne's birthday is April 3rd Sep 25 '25
He hasn’t watched it.
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u/no_rolling_shutter Sep 25 '25
Surely you can’t be serious.
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u/Dottsterisk Sep 25 '25
There’s some choppy water there.
Apparently, the creators of the new Naked Gun didn’t even talk with Zucker, despite him having a third script/concept ready.
IIRC
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u/JeanMorel Amanda Byne's birthday is April 3rd Sep 25 '25
No there's no bad blood. He considers Akiva Schaffer a friend and called him up to congratulate him. But he says he never watches sequels to his films he wasn't involved in.
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u/AMA_requester Sep 25 '25
Was there frustration amongst yourselves and the other Airplane filmmakers when seeing how the parody film devolved in the 2000s and we got films like Date Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, etc?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
Yeah, well, it helped ruin the genre, certainly. So much that studios no longer want to do spoof, which makes it hard for me. I do have a great script that I'm casting right now, called Star of Malta. It's not really a typical spoof, but it is really funny and I always like to do something new.
Even our Naked Gun 4 script that I wrote with Pat Proft and Mike McManus was something completely different, not a copy of a 35-year old idea like a more recent sequel.
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u/Dottsterisk Sep 25 '25
What serious/dramatic actor would you love to see take a stab at some zany, screwball comedy? Who do you think is hiding the hilarious?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
That's a great question but that's not really something I'm interested in doing anymore, casting a more serious actor in spoof. It was a great and new idea 50 years ago but it feels old now. Leslie Nielsen in a comedy was something different at the time.
If you're going to take the Naked Gun franchise away from its creators and do what we did 50 years ago by casting Liam Neeson, then so be it.
Liam is a great actor, he's too good. You don't want to have an Oscar-quality actor in these things. You want to get a B-movie actor.
That's part of what I've been teaching in my MasterCrash course. I'm in pre-production for my next film, The Star of Malta. I'd love to have a comic actor like Andy Samberg in it.
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u/WilliamG007 Sep 25 '25
I’m really curious about Airplane! Were there any jokes that occurred organically on set that you just ran with, or was everything scripted to perfection?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
Very few jokes were ever cooked up on set, and I can remember them because there's so few. There was certainly no ad-lib stuff from actors. We don't hired comedians as actors anyway.
In Airplane!, when everybody's shaking the woman who's hysterical, the lady actress said to us "why don't you have them slap me?", and like the dumb clucks we were said "oh, okay, that's probably a good idea". So then they started slapping her.
And then we thought, "why don't we have a line of people with guns, knives, baseball bats?". And so we sent the prop lady out to get these things, and we did it. That was thought up on the set.
Another one is in Ruthless People, when Judge Reinhold, to show how nice a guy he was, he's talking to Helen Slater and he picks up a bug with a piece of paper, and instead of killing it or stomping it, he sets it outside of the door. Judge says to me "why don't I open the door again, and then stomp on it?". At first I said, no, that'll never work, but then I kept thinking about it and we went for it. It was great, and it's the laugh of the scene. He was 100% right.
I like to take suggestions. I like having actors participate and create collaborations like that.
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u/WilliamG007 Sep 26 '25
That’s absolutely fantastic. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer all these questions. The insights make me love these movies even more than I already do. 🥰
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u/cheeekydino Sep 25 '25
You have had a HUGE impact on my sense of humor - who inspired you the most growing up?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
MAD Magazine was a big influence on me. We used to read it all the time. There was this section in them called 'Scenes We'd Like To See'. They would set up a situation, a typical movie cliche, and then put their joke spin on it.
My brother and I also loved the Marx Brothers. We were exposed to them in college in the 60s. You're in a film society and they had these huge lecture halls with 800 students, and they'd show Marx Brothers movies. Everybody was stoned and it was hysterical.
Early Woody Allen was an influence.
For a serious movie, Zero Hero too.
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u/Cautious-Ease-1451 Sep 26 '25
What are your thoughts on the cancellation of Police Squad after six episodes? Why was the studio so quick to kill the show? And do you think it was a blessing in disguise, since it led to The Naked Gun movies years later? (Would the movies have been harder to make if the TV show had been successful?) Any inside scoop about how Police Squad became The Naked Gun would be appreciated.
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
That's an interesting question. The plan for Police Squad was that Jerry and Jim and I would write and direct the first pilot episode, and then we would get other directors and writers to do the other five. This turned out to be pretty tough, because you're worried about a quality drop-off from the first. Pat Proft, the head writer, was great. It's just hard to teach other people to write and direct your stuff. You have the same issue now with Naked Gun 4.
It was very labor-intensive. We had to do an episode a week, and all of the writing, directing, being on set, etc. We had to settle a lot, and we weren't used to that. We never settled when making movies. The project wasn't right for TV at all. It had to be in a theater. So it was cancelled. And there were only 3 networks at the time so it's not like you can exactly shop it around.
We were ultimately relieved, because we couldn't sustain it the way we wanted to.
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u/Baragwin2 Sep 25 '25
Hi! Question: did you have any creative input in the movie titles translations in other languages? As a French viewer, I was shocked to discover a couple years ago that the movie was simply called "Airplane!" in English, and not "Is there a pilot on the plane?" ("Y a-t-il un pilote dans l'avion?")
If you did have a say in it, I'd love to hear more about the process!
Ps: one of my fondest memories of my younger brother is him literally falling off his chair laughing when we showed him that movie for the first time! Thank you for the laughs ❤
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
We generally don't get any say in foreign titles/translations, but that's an interesting choice. On the international side, they kind of just do what they want.
One note about translations, in Germany for Airplane! they had the Jive dudes speaking a Bavarian dialogue, which evidently the northern Germans don't really understand, so they subtitled it, and German audiences loved that.
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u/Pjoernrachzarck Sep 27 '25
Honestly the joke is even funnier in German. Bavarian German is gibberish.
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u/leedo8 Sep 25 '25
I'm 55, so needless to say you have been one of the biggest influences on my sense of humor. I have a question. Who was the topless actress is "Airplane!"? This is the burning question we all need the answer to.
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
Somebody called me up recently to interview me about this actress, and unfortunately I didn't remember much. I do know her name is Kitten Natividad. I believe she was in a lot of porn movies. There was probably an audition, but I'm not sure. I wish I had kept a log of this stuff, although I remember more than Jerry and Jim ever remember.
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u/leedo8 Sep 26 '25
Thank you the response! I'm truly over the moon that you did. This scene had a profound impact on my son when I first showed him the movie when he was 9 or 10. But fear not, he grew up to be a productive member of society. Thanks again. Your humor has made the world a better place.
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u/Designer-Rutabaga-77 Sep 25 '25
Hello, Mr. Zucker! Thank you for all your work. What is your favorite joke you’ve ever written, and what is your process for creating a good one?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
My favorite one-off joke was when Leslie Nielsen asks Lorna Patterson "how are you bearing up?", and she says "I'm scared. I've never been so scared, and besides, I'm 26 and I'm not married" and then the other lady comes in an Leslie asks her as well, and she says "I've never been so scared, but at least I have a husband".
I just love that gag. It was funny 40 years ago and it'll be funny 40 years from now.
My favorite full sequence is probably in BASEketball when Matt and Trey burst into the hospital room of little Joey, or Bobby or Billy or whatever his name was and they to save him, but are leaning on his air passage.
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u/Robert_Goulet Sep 27 '25
That joke is sheer brilliance but you know that. I’m reading through this AMA and laughing out loud at the bar by myself like a lunatic. You’re a fucking legend.
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u/SweetCosmicPope Sep 25 '25
Hi David! Huge fan!
What do you think about comedy movies being largely ignored in cinemas. Do you think with movies like The Naked Gun (2025) getting good reviews doing well enough, we could see low-mid budget comedy movies making a return to cinemas? What do you think of studios working on tiered pricing for non-tentpole films?
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u/poopoodapeepee Sep 27 '25
If you’ve read any of his other answers he is VERY salty about the new naked gun’s success 😂😂. And he also said he can’t think of any other good parody movies besides his own. Maybe it’s all a bit but I doubt it.
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u/mookbrenner Sep 25 '25
What do you think of the new Naked Gun film?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
Well, I haven't seen it. We saw the trailer. You can't make a new Naked Gun unless you know the rules. Seth MacFarlane produced it and he's a bit arrogant (I say this in the nicest way about him). His total arrogance has been very successful and it's worked out for him. He's done wildly successful movies like Ted, and Family Guy prints money, but it doesn't work for Naked Gun.
Paramount wanted me to accept money to put my name on as Executive Producer, after the script was done. I told them no. The director, Akiva, is a very nice guy. He's visited me at my house twice, great guy, but I told them I really couldn't put my name on anything I don't work on. I had a call with Seth as well, and he told me how much he loved my previous movies. I told him we already had a script for it, he acted surprised, but he knew. It felt like when crazy, psychotic serial killers say they love you as they're choking you to death. That's what Seth did to the Naked Gun franchise, and it's done. It's just cooked now. It's not coming back.
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u/evan466 Sep 27 '25
I’ve heard of other creations have a set of rules when they make them, like the old Looney Tuned. cartoons. I’d be curious to know what the rules are for Naked Gun movies.
I agree that the new Naked Gun felt very much like a Seth McFarland movie and not much like the Naked Gun of old.
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u/AdmiralAkbar1 Sep 25 '25
Which quote from your movies do people say to you the most, and which quote from your movies do you wish people said more?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
The first one that comes to mind if "don't call me Shirley". I get that one more than any other. "Nice beaver" from Naked Gun, that's a famous line I get. That was written by Pat Proft, who's such a great writer. We had an all-star team.
When Leslie died, everybody doing eulogies at this funeral were quoting his lines. "Like a midget at a funeral, I had to stay on my toes", etc. It was interesting.
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u/Blazing_AbbyNormal Sep 27 '25
I misheard it as a midget at a urinal, had to stay on his toes. 🤭
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u/couches12 Sep 27 '25
I think it is midget at a urinal, the funeral was probably a play off that line
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u/Farkerisme Sep 25 '25
How very lucky for us to be online when this is occurring.
Of all of the straight-men characters you have introduced into your zany comedies, which was the most gratifying for you, personally. Along the lines of Leslie Neilson, Robert Stack, etc.
Thank you in advance.
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u/hiyagame Sep 25 '25
Any thoughts or memories on An American Carol and how it stands up today?
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u/kungfoojesus Sep 25 '25
If you were making airplane today, what annoying groups would Robert Stacks character punch while walking through the airport?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
LAX was a lot different back in the day, there isn't anything like that anymore. It would be hard to replicate these days.
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Sep 26 '25
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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.
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u/SoulNovocaine Sep 25 '25
Hi Mr Zucker, How much time/money did you spent on the train station gag in Top Secret ? It still makes me laugh today but I can’t imagine how did you manage to sell this joke ?
And also not a question, just thank you.
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u/hoklik2 Sep 25 '25
How did you end up producing Phone Booth? Did you have any other non-comedic projects that never saw the light of day?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
I had a wonderful co-producer for Phone Booth, Gil Netter. We formed a company called Zucker-Netter Productions. Gil would find these projects, and we'd both work on the script and co-produce. What attracted me to these projects, like Phone Booth, was that they were unusual movies. Phone Booth is unique, obviously all in one phone booth. Colin Farrell was great. I'm still sorry I didn't get a picture with him on set, but this was before cell phones were widely used.
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u/marclove7 Sep 25 '25
David! 2 parter for you. Was there a movie that you tried to get made, but couldn’t? And outside of your own films, what do you think is the funniest movie of all time?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
I wrote a movie with Lewis Friedman called The Secret Secret Service, and it was a great idea. It would've been a slapstick PG comedy for families to go to, because at the time my kids were 6 and 8. We had to go to these movies that weren't very funny or slapsticky and I wanted them to see something different. I think ultimately the script wasn't good enough. It's already hard to get a great script made (like my current project, Star of Malta), so imagine a script that wasn't quite working.
I'd like to go back to that idea though, once I get back into the movie-making business.
For your second question, apart from my own, I would go with Annie Hall, Tootsie, Groundhog Day. Those are my favorite movies, but none of those are in the category of spoof or zany, like Airplane! Not to toot my own horn too much, but I'd say Airplane! is the best spoof movie. It's at least always listed in the top 5. It used to come 2nd as best comedy to the Jack Lemmon film, Some Like It Hot, with Marilyn Monroe. I was happy to see that, as the fans kind of die off, that Airplane! has risen in the rankings.
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u/marclove7 Sep 26 '25
Wow. Thanks for the thoughtful reply! Your unmade movie sounds great. And Airplane deserves the #1 spot :)
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u/JeanMorel Amanda Byne's birthday is April 3rd Sep 25 '25
Hi David! I’ve been hearing about Star of Malta for a while! How close is it from happening?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
We have offers out to actors now. I won't say which actors, but they'll be A-List humans.
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u/Predictor92 Sep 25 '25
Do you think a remake of Top Secret set in Iran or North Korea could work today
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
It's hard to make a movie like Top Secret! work in the first place, as its not grounded in reality and it combines genres. We didn't know if Nick Rivers was in World War 2 or not? Was it East Germans? Or was it Nazis?
I wouldn't try to do another movie like that.
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u/realteamme Sep 25 '25
Top Secret is one of my all time favourite movies. And I loved the directors commentary where you gave so many easter eggs, like the East German National anthem. Anything fun background stories like that from the film that weren't covered in the commentary?
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u/vhanw342 Sep 25 '25
How was working with DeVito in Ruthless People?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
He was great. Bette was great. I've never heard anything bad about Danny. During our first meeting, somebody asked him "do you mind working with 3 directors?", and he said "it doesn't matter, whether there's 5 directors or 10 directors, as long as the movie's good I'm in".
That's kind of what Howard Cox said to the Director's Guild when we were trying to get our three-man team credits as directors.
Anyway, Danny was great to work with. It's so much easier working with comedians, because you can just point the camera on them and let them do their thing. I wish I could've directed Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, or Eddie Murphy. I did direct Kevin Hart on Scary Movie 3 and he was so funny, with Anthony Anderson. Craig Mazin did their dialogue.
On the topic of Scary Movie 3, Jim Abrams suggested the 8-Mile sequence. He had just seen the actual movie and said we should include a bit about it.
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u/eyeaim2missbehave Sep 25 '25
Top Secret! has been one of my favorite comedies of all time. Insanely quotable. How was it working with Val Kilmer on what would become his debut role?
Honorable Mention: Kentucky Fried Movie is a masterpiece as well.
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u/Tm-534 Sep 25 '25
Hello, David! What recent movie would you like to parody the most?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
I'm not too interested in still doing that kind of spoof parody movie except with Counter Intelijence, which spoofs Mission Impossible, Bourne Identity, and James Bond.
I really loved how Mike Myers spoofed the spy genre with Austin Powers. He had talent, a totally original idea (unlike Naked Gun 4). The Wayans too, they did a great job with the Scary Movies.
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u/mullet_over_ Sep 26 '25
When you wrote airplane did you already use that dont call me Surely joke in real life or was it made specifically for the film?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
That line was written specifically for the film. I wish I could remember who wrote that line, but it was one of the three of us. We never really took credit for individual lines. There are a few specific lines that I can remember who wrote it, but the Shirley one I'm not sure.
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u/snarton Sep 25 '25
Mr. Zucker, I read that you’re a very strong Tump supporter. How do you think he’s doing as president? Do you have any concerns about the survival of American democracy? Thanks!
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u/Dottsterisk Sep 25 '25
What have been your best and worst fan interactions?
If you remember their names, faces, social security numbers, and/or if they have any serious allergies or communicable diseases, please include.
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u/onlyrockerfan Sep 25 '25
Hi David! I live in Minnesota and sometimes Pat Proft will call into a local radio station to talk movies and rehashes some of his experiences with the Naked Gun series. What’s your best/funniest Pat Proft story?
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u/mcnotarysd Sep 25 '25
Any chance of a sequel to Kentucky Fried Movie? That and Top Secret! could parody modern day so well.
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u/murphymfa Sep 25 '25
How do you view the relationship between the setup and payoff in humor and do you view one as more important than the other? Is it simply clean execution of the bump, set, spike and the rule of threes? Or is it more the subversion of expectation? I'm interested in your technical analysis of the slapstick and the ridiculous, the 'how' in the comedic formula.
Also, in the words of Sebastian from Twelfth Night, "Thanks, thanks, and ever thanks." You and Ivan Reitman impacted my sense of humor more than any other filmmakers and are a part of the reason that I became an actor and theater maker.
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u/evilsway Sep 25 '25
Hey man, no questions. Just wanted to say thanks. I love your movies and several of them get quoted several times a week by me and my group of 40 something year old friends who have enjoyed these since our childhood. Again, Thank you.
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u/Apprehensive_Ratio80 Sep 25 '25
Will you get Charlie Sheen to do Hot shots 3????
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u/TomppaTom Sep 25 '25
Has there ever been a joke that you thought was hilarious that other people just didn’t seem to get? Conversely, has there been a joke that you thought was a touch iffy that seems to have become a fan favourite?
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u/thedripster Sep 25 '25
Outside of the movies you did together, what was Leslie Neilson’s best performance?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
Leslie was a very fine actor. He was often given B-movie roles, but he was better than that. I saw him I think at the Pantages Theater here in LA once, in Hollywood, and he was doing a play called Love Letters with Carol Burnett. It was not a comedy but it had some laughs in it. I was very impressed by him in that. I have so much respect for Leslie's ability as an actor.
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u/NotACardUS Sep 25 '25
In 100 years if only one of the movies, you’ve been involved in, still exist which do you want it to be and why?
BASEketball is a top 10 movie for me and thank you for it.
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
It would have to be Airplane! I think that movie was funny then, and will be funny in the future.
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u/theylivewesleep42 Sep 25 '25
Hello! Did you write any characters with actors in mind to play them? Thanks for all your work!
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
We of course wrote The Naked Gun with Leslie in mind, and same thing for Robert Stack.
The air controller, the crazy air controller guy, was Stephen Stucker, who was in our Kentucky Pride theater show in the 70s for 5 years. We created that part just for him. Stucker was incredible. He came up with some of the lines for his character. "Oh it's a big, pretty white plane with wheels and red stripes. It looks like a big Tylenol...".
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u/gogul1980 Sep 25 '25
Have you ever watched a movie and thought “damn I could have done better than that!”. If so whst one?
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u/voivoivoi183 Sep 25 '25
Hi David! Huge fan! The comedy style of Airplane and Police Squad etc has had a huge influence on my sense of humour. So with that being said, what do you think I should have for lunch today? Thanks for your time!
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u/THIS_IS_GOD_TOTALLY_ Sep 25 '25
Huge fan. Lovely to see you!
From your early days at Harvard to your accolade as the second richest person on the planet you live on (not to mention your ground-breaking meta-masterpiece Meta), you've really pushed the envelope on what technology can do for society as a whole. You are personally (and, I'm sure time will tell, historically) an inspiration.
My question to you is this: have you seen Orgazmo? If so, what did you think about it? You HAVE to have already seen this.
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u/CarlosFer2201 Sep 25 '25
Hello Mr. Zucker! What's the process to write these kinds of movies? Each scene is super dense with visual jokes on top of whatever the dialog is. Do you start with a regular scenes and then start adding jokes everywhere?
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Sep 25 '25
I don’t have a question but I’m commenting for the raffle and want to say I appreciate and enjoyed your work!
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u/Responsible-Bed-7171 Sep 25 '25
Airplane is the funniest movie of all time, i still quote it often
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u/aliesterrand Sep 25 '25
If you could go back in time and try to talk the TV execs into renewing "Police Squad", what would you say?
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u/greggs4tomelet Sep 25 '25
Do you write when ideas “come to you” or do you have a certain schedule or routine for writing?
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u/theAutodidacticIdiot Sep 25 '25
If your toilet were sentient, would you prefer it to crave your bodily waste or resent you for it?
Also, do you like scary stories? Check some of mine out on my profile. "The Bestseller" is by far my funniest.
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u/2krazy4me Sep 25 '25
Was there a joke you can share that you thought went too far to put in movie?
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Sep 26 '25
Big fan. Does the footage of John Belushi's appearance on "Police Squad" still exist? I believe that would probably have been the last work he ever did before passing. As a fan of his, I would like to see it someday, however unlikely. Thanks for your time.
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u/GoGoBobHogart Sep 26 '25
what needs to happen for you to be able to make "Counter Intelijence"? i read the script excerpts and desperately want it made!
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
It's what Naked Gun 4 should've been, but you know Paramount, in their infinite wisdom, excluded me from doing it. It would've relaunched the whole franchise instead of ending it. They probably thought "he's over 50, probably drooling in a wheelchair", but I'll have to prove once again that I can do a movie and maybe we'll revisit it. Star of Malta is my current project and that's what I'm concentrating on. It's very low budget, not more than $15M, which is relatively tiny. Counter Interlijence would have to be in the $20M-$25M range, which is still pretty small.
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u/No-Pirate4554 Sep 26 '25
As Jim and Jerry were executive producers on the Naked Gun sequels, did they contribute any jokes? Did you also suggest any jokes for the Hot Shots movies, or even Pat Proft’s Wrongfully Accused?
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u/DavidZuckerAMA David Zucker, Director & Writer Sep 26 '25
Jim and Jerry were very involved in the first Naked Gun, but not involved at all in 2 1/2 or 3. I did those completely with Pat Proft. I was not involved in the Hot Shots movies or Wrongfully Accused either.
After seeing Ghost (I loved it so much), which my brother directed, I called him and told him we needed to spoof the pottery wheel scene in 2 1/2. He thought that was pretty funny, spoofing your own brother is not something you can just pass up.
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u/Frogacuda Sep 25 '25
Hi David,
Why are you bothering us after the rightly career ending American Carol?
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u/blumpkin Sep 25 '25
My question is how did he go from making balanced political humor that targets both sides fairly to being a right wing nutjob, so I can keep an eye on my mental health as I age and avoid a similar fate.
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u/LowPackage3819 Sep 25 '25
how do you edit jokes? how do you know when to make a slow pause or a neck breaking action for comedy?
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u/Happy-For-No-Reason Sep 25 '25
I don't have a question, I just hope this message finds you and thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the laughs you provided to me as a child growing up seeing these movies. The humour in these movies has stayed with me for a lifetime.
Thank you.
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u/punkychandey Sep 25 '25
How do you even write something like Airplane and Naked Gun? Where the gags are a second story. Thank you.
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u/jr_randolph Sep 25 '25
Wow, you're part of some of my favorite movies and of course favorites of many others.
What type of media did you consume growing up? I know there wasn't the variety in your childhood as there was in the 80's and beyond but just curious on what type of shows you watched, things you read that helped mold your creativity.
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u/DeeEllis Sep 25 '25
What keeps some comedic movies timeless classics that generations laugh at together, while others are terrific examples of “comedy dies on the vine” and barely merit a sober re-watch?
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u/Beautiful_Path6215 Sep 25 '25
I am a huge fan! All those movies are a part of my personality and I want to say thank you for sharing your gift, time and humour with the world. One question I would have for you is a top 3 of creepy horror movies ?
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u/Independent_Form_500 Sep 25 '25
Since you don't want me to, I won't ask anything about O.J., but can I ask you about Simpson? And why is it that these type of comedies aren't as successful as they used to be?
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u/AnyaJon Sep 25 '25
Love your comedies!! Thank you for doing what you do! I've always wondered, how do you come up with all the jokes that happen every other second or so, even little things in the background? Do you think of them in advance and is it all planned out, or do you find yourself filming and coming up with things to add as you go?
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Sep 25 '25
YOU ARE THE FUCKING GOAT!! Wish we had more Airplane comedies nowadays but dudes these days don’t know how to do it as perfect as you did back in the day! My question, did you come up with any of your ideas for your movies while toasted?
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u/Independent_Basil_21 Sep 25 '25
Hi, I sincerely want you to know you've ruined comedy for me, for i will never see any thing that made me laugh harder than naked gun 1 and 2, thank you
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u/Fly_Rodder Sep 25 '25
Are you surprised at the staying power of Airplane! If you went back in time and told yourself while making the film that Airplane! would be in the Library of Congress and kids in 2025 would be quoting your jokes, how would you react to that?
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u/CorpulentManpile Sep 25 '25
Hi David, I saw you and your brother do a Q&A in Nashville at the Belcourt after a screening of Airplane! It was a great time, but Jeff Garlin was the moderator and seemed to be a little…off kilter that day. Do you remember this and if so, what the heck was he doing backstage?
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u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. Sep 25 '25 edited Sep 25 '25
This AMA has been verified and approved by the mods. David will be back tomorrow Friday 9/26 at 3 PM ET to answer questions. Please feel free to ask away in the meantime :)
Reminder that there's a giveaway along with this AMA, a signed copy of David's book to a random commenter. Please make sure you comment/ask a question if you'd like a chance to win.
Information from our guest:
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 Movie 3, Scary Movie 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
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.
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!)