They may be way too old for this, but it looks like Riggs and Murtagh could be making a return to the big screen after nearly 20 years away. That’s right, everyone. It looks likeLethal Weapon 5may actually happen. A new report claims that Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are both in discussions with Warner Bros. about it. What’s more is that Richard Donner, who directed theoriginal Lethal Weapon, is set to direct as well. This potential sequel would also see Channing Gibson (Lethal Weapon 4), returning to write the script.
The report claims that the team is “on board” and are all “huddling on the possibility” of doingLethal Weapon 5right now with Warner Bros. It doesn’t sound like a deal has been officially made yet, but the talks are happening and we very well could see one last entry in the verysuccessful cop movie franchise.Lethal Weapon 4came out in 1998, so at the very earliest, it would be 20 years since the last movie came out. To put that in perspective, the firstLethal Weaponwas released in 1987. So all four movies were released in an 11-year time span.
Danny Glover’s character famously remarks, “I’m getting too old for this s***” in the movie. If that was true 20 years ago, it’s true for everyone now. Danny Glover is 71-years-old, so his ability to do an action movie is certainly limited. Mel Gibson is 61-years-old and has been doing some action movies lately, so he’s more capable, but still past his prime for aLethal Weaponmovie. Richard Donner is the real X-factor here, as he’s 87-years-old and hasn’t directed a movie since16 Blocksin 2006.
Why now is the time remains a bit unclear, but this isn’t the first we’ve heard ofLethal Weapon 5over the years. At one point, it was being eyed as a reboot. At various points, it was in development with Gibson and Glover and at another, the project was labeled as “dead in the water.” Shane Black, who wrote the originalLethal Weapon, revealed last year that he wrote a lengthytreatment for Lethal Weapon 5that was ultimately scrapped.
“I wrote a 62-page treatment with my friend Chuck for ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ that would’ve been, I think, a very good movie. It was interesting. It was essentially an older Riggs and Murtagh in New York City during the worst blizzard in east coast history, fighting a team of expert Blackwater guys from Afghanistan that’s smuggling antiquities. And we had a young character that actually counter-pointed them.”
To date, theLethal Weaponmovies have brought in $955 million at the worldwide box office. The franchise has remained popular andMel Gibson is currently having a bit of a career revival. So, despite everyone being pretty old for an action flick, this could possibly work. AsDeadlinenotes, there are “a lot of moving parts” and nothing is final yet, so don’t get your hopes up if you’re looking forward to this. But it’s a seemingly strong possibilityLethal Weapon 5 is going to be a real thing.
