Mel Gibson to direct and star in new Lethal Weapon sequel
For several years, Mel Gibson swore he would never play in "Lethal Weapon" again. Now it seems that not only will he act, but he will also direct the next installment of the blockbuster series. He claims he must fulfill the last wish of his late friend Richard Donner, who created "Lethal Weapon".
20 June 2024 14:19
The first "Lethal Weapon" was made in 1987. It became a huge hit, just like the next three parts of the series. All of them made it into the top ten biggest box office hits of the season. The highest-ranked was "Lethal Weapon 2", which was classified in 3rd place.
The fourth and last part of "Lethal Weapon" premiered 26 years ago. Since then, series creator Richard Donner tried multiple times to realize the film's final installment (most likely intending to kill off the main character), but Warner Bros. studio rejected subsequent versions of the script. Finally, Mel Gibson got angry and stated that he would never again take on the role of Martin Riggs. The matter went quiet for many years.
In 2016, when a TV series based on the box office hit (starring Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans) became a smash on Fox, reports emerged that Richard Donner was in talks with Gibson about making the fifth part of the series. However, Warner Bros. still wasn’t interested in making the film. Five years later, Richard Donner passed away. He was 91 years old.
Mel Gibson recalls his last meeting with the director: "Once again, he showed me the newly revised script and said: 'Listen kid, if I kick the bucket, you have to do it.' I replied, 'Shut up'. After some time, he indeed passed away. When he asked me to direct this film, I didn't respond at the time. But he told his wife, the studio, and the producer of his request. So, I have to direct the fifth part."
Of course, Danny Glover will also be involved in the project. It most likely got the green light following the success of the movie Bad Boys for Life, which might have convinced the studio that viewers want to see popular duos and sequels to blockbuster hits from years ago.
