Say what you will about Mel Gibson, but he has been in some amazing movies. Yes, the guy is uh, let’s say, “troubled.” Despite this, he has a pretty fantastic film resume with the Lethal Weapon series being a big staple of them. Across four films he plated Martin Riggs alongside Danny Glover‘s Roger Murtagh. Together they tackled the drug trade, South African diplomats, arms dealing, and counterfeiting. That was ages ago now. We’ve reported that Lethal Weapon 5 was supposed to happen, now Mel is giving us an update.
From Donner to Gibson
One of the reasons those four Lethal Weapon films hold up so well is the direction of the late, great, Richard Donner. He had an amazing eye for action and let the performances of his lead actors guide the films he directed. We see that easily in Lethal Weapon and its characters. It also helps that they were created by Shane Black, the man who basically defined the buddy cop formula. But with Donner’s death, who would continue the franchise? According to Gibson, Donner specifically told him to direct the next film.
Also according to Gibson, Lethal Weapon 5 may never happen. The movie is currently, “tied up in some kind of industrial film hell that you can’t extract it from to make it.” What exactly does that mean? Well, Gibson elaborates by stating that a script was completed by Richard Wenk. Gibson actually believes its the strongest script in the series. That’s either extremely high praise or ridiculous hyperbole considering how good that first script is.
They’re Too Old for This Sh*t
Mel did offer some insight into what the film would be about though. He notes that one of them would be retired (we’re assuming Murtagh) and the other would be at a desk job (probably Riggs). They would still be involved in solving some kind of crime, but it would be much more low key. Because of their ages and the budget involved, the whole thing would have to be subdued. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t have its own sense of action and tension though. Which, to that end, he’s correct. There can be plenty of tension involved in an investigation without having grand explosions and car chases.
“Braveheart”
Paramount Pictures
The only hope that Gibson is seemingly giving for Lethal Weapon 5 is the pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance. If that merger goes through, Gibson thinks there’s a chance that the film could be put back on track. If that happens though it would have to be soon. Danny Glover recently disclosed his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. That doesn’t bode well for a project that doesn’t even have a greenlight yet.
Recapturing the Magic Would be Hard
Our honest opinion is that it’s not going to happen. It seems like we’d be more likely to see a reboot than a sequel. Of course, that was attempted in the form of a television series which had its own set of problems. It could be nice to see Riggs and Murtagh go on one more adventure though for the sake of their characters. As much as the film franchise had some amazing action set-pieces, it was always about the characters.
Actually, that being said, there were other factors that made those movies so strong. The soundtracks were incredible. The combination of Michael Kamen, David Sanborn, and Eric Clapton led to this incredibly distinct mix of bluesy jazz. Both Kamen and Sanborn have passed away leaving just Clapton behind. The film would not be the same without their contributions. The musical atmosphere was so iconic and it can’t be recaptured, especially without Sanborn’s saxophone.
Wenk and Gibson
Going back to screenwriter, Richard Wenk though, there’s some possibility there. Wenk’s filmography is a mix of hits and misses. He wrote 2014’s The Equalizer in addition to the best Expendables move, The Expendables 2. But he also has credits for writing Kraven the Hunter. So, make of that what you will. In fairness, there are more hits and misses. Even if some of the films weren’t critical successes, they’re good popcorn action flicks. That’s effectively what Lethal Weapon 3 and 4 are. No one can really argue that those are the “best” films in the franchise, but they are huge amounts of fun.
With Gibson attached to direct, that could be another positive thing for Lethal Weapon 5. Gibson has only directed 6 films so far, The Man Without a Face, Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto, Hacksaw Ridge, and Flight Risk. Of those, only Flight Risk was truly a critical and commercial flop. Even the controversial The Passion of the Christ wasn’t criticized for its direction. It was more critiqued for its content and Gibson’s Christian beliefs. No one was really sitting through it saying, “This guy doesn’t know how to direct.” Mel does love his violence and gore though; which would be interesting to see how that plays out in a Lethal Weapon project.
The Merger Could Save It
If there’s one thing that could actually bring this project to life though, Mel’s not wrong about Paramount Skydance. Last year, we reported that convicted felon Donald Trump was leaning on the Ellison family to make a new Rush Hour film. The Ellison’s control Paramount Skydance. If they take over Warner Bros. Discovery, that would put Lethal Weapon in their hands. With Mel Gibson being a staunch Trump supporter, you can see where this is going. It’s not a far cry to see Trump wanting a new Lethal Weapon movie if he’s a Rush Hour fan. If no one is truly interested in making the film as it is, aiming to please the almighty Trump is one way to get things going.
As nice as it would be to see one more go around for Riggs and Murtaugh, the odds seem stacked against them here. With Glover’s health, Gibson’s devotion to the upcoming The Passion of the Christ sequels, and the cost of resurrecting a long dead franchise, who really wants Lethal Weapon 5 to happen? Sure, there will always be die-hard fans of the franchise but it still feels like the odds are better of a reboot than a sequel. If, by some chance, this film gets put into production, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, you can always watch the Lethal Weapon 5 that was part of an It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode. Political correctness be damned!
