Decades ago, Lethal Weapon was one of the most popular buddy action comedy franchises starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. The infectious on-screen chemistry of the stars as Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh ultimately transformed the dark 1987 action picture into a fun thrill ride with the three subsequent installments. Though today’s audience has not been banging on the doors at Warner Bros. to make Lethal Weapon 5, Gibson is still trying to make it happen.
Speaking to ScreenRant during Fan Expo Philadelphia, Gibson praised the most recent script for Lethal 5 while addressing the sobering reality of its production status.
“I sat down with a writer and we did two or three drafts of screenplays and it came out pretty good. In fact, I think it’s the best of all of them. It’s a lot of fun and got really emotional. And for some reason, the studios are having a lot of problems. I don’t know what the deal is. I’m not sure what the problem is, but it is a really good screenplay.”
A major part of the issue with the Lethal Weapon franchise is the passing of time. 1998’s Lethal Weapon 4 was a rushed production that was met with mostly negative reviews and little box office profit due in part to the expense of getting all the stars back. Franchise director Richard Donner was eager to make another installment for years despite WB’s unsuccessful efforts to make it without him. Even remake discussions came and went. The less said about Fox’s Lethal Weapon television series, the better.
Following Donner’s untimely passing in 2021, Gibson was in talks with WB to star and direct the final sequel with The Equalizer’s Richard Wenk penning the script. Similar to Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Lethal 5 was going to be an HBO Max exclusive. Jez Butterworth did revisions two years later. But no further developments followed.
Also Check Out: Danny Glover Talks Lethal Weapon 5 – Is He Too Old For This S**t?
In truth, making another Lethal Weapon now during this legacy sequel craze is not the best idea. The last installment wrapped up Riggs and Murtaugh’s story with a mega-happy ending despite the negative critical reception. Between Gibson largely resigned to straight-to-video fare and Glover pushing 80, the use of “I’m too old” would just be self-parody. Age will be a greater factor when it comes to Gibson’s busy schedule with plans to direct his long-awaited The Passion of the Christ sequel, The Resurrection of the Christ.
Do you want to see Lethal Weapon 5 happen? Let us know in the comments.
