Film director and writer Jim Abrahams, best known for his work on slapstick comedies like "Airplane!," "Hot Shots!," and the "Naked Gun" franchise has died at age 80.
Abrahams died Tuesday, his son, Joseph, confirmed to Variety.
Alongside his childhood friends Jerry and David Zucker, Abrahams cofounded the filmmaking team Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker, which helped define and popularize the spoof comedy genre in the 1980s.
"Jim Abrahams redefined the boundaries of humor through groundbreaking works like 'Airplane!' and 'The Naked Gun' series. Together with Jerry and David Zucker, he transformed satire into an art form, inspiring generations of comedians and filmmakers and leaving an indelible mark on the world of comedy," said the National Comedy Center executive director Journey Gunderson in a statement.
Abrahams, along with the Zucker brothers, started "The Kentucky Fried Theater" while attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1971, leading to their feature film debut with "The Kentucky Fried Movie" in 1977.
The trio, known as ZAZ, went on to create hit comedies like "Airplane!," "Top Secret!," and "Ruthless People," with "Airplane!" earning a BAFTA nomination and marking Leslie Nielsen's first comedy role.
The trio's ABC series "Police Squad!" starred Nielsen as Det. Frank Drebin and parodied police procedurals, leading to the hit "Naked Gun" film series, including "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" (1988), "The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear" (1991), and "Naked Gun 33 1⁄3: The Final Insult" (1994). A subsequent film, starring Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr., is set for release in 2025.
Abrahams also directed several films on his own, including "Big Business" (1988), "Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael" (1990), the "Top Gun" parody "Hot Shots!" (1991) and its sequel (1993), as well as the "Godfather" spoof "Mafia!" (1998).
Abrahams' last credited work as a writer was on "Scary Movie 4" in 2006.
He is survived by his wife Nancy Cocuzzo, daughter Jamie, sons Joseph and Charlie, and grandchildren Caleb, James, and Isaac.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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