Jim Abrahams, director of ‘Airplane!’ and ‘Naked Gun’ dies aged 80

Jim Abrahams, the writer-director of hit comedies Airplane! and The Naked Gun, has died, aged 80.

The news was confirmed by his son Joseph to The Hollywood Reporter who said his father died of natural causes at his home in Santa Monica. Abrahams worked with Jerry and David Zucker on a number of hit spoofs and the trio, known as ZAZ, worked together on many hit films including Airplane! and The Naked Gun.

The trio got their break making spoofs of commercials before going on to make Airplane! in 1980 – a disaster comedy film that took aim at films like Airport 1975. The film grossed $171million (£136million) from a budget of just $3.5million (£2.78 million) and regularly appears in the ‘best comedy of all time’ lists.

Abrahams later went on to create the 1982 television series Police Squad! which again starred Leslie Nielsen and spoofed cop shows of the time.

They had further success in 1986 on The Naked Gun, a film that was built around Nielsen’s character in Police Squad!Like Airplane!, the film made a considerable profit, earning $152m (£120million) from a $12m (£9.5million) budget. Another big hit for Abrahams came when he made another spoof via 1991’s Hot Shots!, starring Charlie Sheen. Abrahams later became a co-writer on 2006’s Scary Movie 4.

Away from film, Abrahams co-founded The Charlie Foundation to Help Cure Pediatric Epilepsy; his son Charlie had a severe form of the disease.

He later directed Meryl Streep in a 1997 television movie, First Do No Harm, which was said to be inspired by the experience. You can see some tributes to Abrahams here:

RIP Jim Abrahams. Police Squad will always be the greatest TV show ever made. pic.twitter.com/5BVBxj9iGt

— Alex Ritman (@alexritman) November 26, 2024

The bribe scene from The Naked Gun.

RIP to the comedy icon Jim Abrahams. pic.twitter.com/fVhZpZx0Vo

— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) November 26, 2024

Jim Abrahams (1944–2024) pic.twitter.com/jk10pDNVQC

— Letterboxd (@letterboxd) November 26, 2024

In memory of Jim Abrahams, a quick look at HEARTS OF HOT SHOTS, by far the greatest HBO “making of” special of all time. It’s a brilliant parody of both the HBO “making of” specials of the era and the actual HEARTS OF DARKNESS doc. The whole special is worth a watch. Hilarious. pic.twitter.com/fd7KSvJEpd

— It’s Katz (@PodKatz) November 26, 2024

Remembering writer/director Jim Abrahams, who along with the Zucker brothers, gave us classic comedies like AIRPLANE!, HOT SHOTS!, & NAKED GUN.

We were fortunate enough to laugh along with Abrahams at AIRPLANE! screenings hosted in 2018 + 2020. pic.twitter.com/ZUl7J2R7W5

— American Cinematheque (@am_cinematheque) November 26, 2024

RIP Jim Abrahams – when I was 5 and still to this day no movie makes me laugh more than the first Naked Gun pic.twitter.com/uOPJbGiNdG

— Dan Hopper (@DanHopp) November 26, 2024

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