Mel Gibson confirmed that ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ is still being made and mentioned he will direct the film, following the late Richard Donner.
The actor recently appeared on the Inspire Me Podcast and assured listeners that the movie is still in progress:
“I’m going to direct the fifth film in the ‘Lethal Weapon’ series. Richard Donner, who did the other four, sadly passed away and he was a good friend. He kind of tasked me with carrying the flag home on that one so it’ll be an honor for me to do that.”
Gibson also mentioned that Donner had made significant progress with the screenplay, which they have largely kept unchanged. He is satisfied with the script. The actor described it as both humorous and tackling serious themes.
Earlier Words On The Series’ Future
‘Lethal Weapon 5’ has been slow to develop. In a 2020 interview with The Telegraph, Donner said the movie was being worked on and planned to be his last film as director:
“This is the final one. It’s both my privilege and duty to put it to bed. It’s exciting, actually. Hahaha! It’s the last one, I’ll promise you that.”
Despite Gibson’s announcement in November 2021 about directing ‘Lethal Weapon 5,’ the sequel seems to be moving forward. In December, insider Daniel Richtman reported that Jez Butterworth had written the latest draft, with filming expected to start this year.
‘Lethal Weapon 5’ brings back Danny Glover and Mel Gibson, who played detectives Roger Murtaugh and Martin Riggs in the previous films from 1987, 1989, 1992, and 1998. Murtaugh is nearing retirement, while Riggs is a wild troublemaker. The series was also adapted into a TV show on Fox from 2016 to 2019, starring Damon Wayans as Murtaugh and Clayne Crawford as Riggs.