Mel Gibson Is Still Planning to Make the Long-Awaited Action Sequel That Fans Want to See

‘Lethal Weapon 5’ Would Be Based on an Idea Conceived by Richard Donner

Warner Bros.

While there were reportedly plans in place for Lethal Weapon 5 prior to the death of director Richard Donner back in 2021, the project was halted following the filmmaker’s passing. Since then, Gibson has asserted that he will both star in and direct the action sequel, revealing previously to Comicbook.com, that he plans to do it at the same time as developing his biblical follow-up The Resurrection of Christ, which has now been split into two movies.

Released back in 1987, Lethal Weapon introduced audiences to the iconic pair of mismatched LAPD detectives, Martin Riggs, a former Green Beret with a death wish, and Roger Murtaugh, a 50-year-old veteran of the force who, even back then, was getting too old for this. Played by Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, respectively, the duo became instant icons of the genre, with the franchise spawning several sequels. The last audiences saw the duo was in Lethal Weapon 4 back in 1998, with fans having been eager for their return ever since.

After becoming near-unemployable in Hollywood during the mid-2000s, Mel Gibson has slowly slithered his way back into the Hollywood fold. Meaning that Lethal Weapon 5 is now more likely than ever. While details remain under wraps, Gibson has revealed that the follow-up would be based on an idea that original director Richard Donner was working on before his death.

“He [Richard Donner] had gotten a fair way into the screenplay, so we’ve used what was there, and we kept poking at it, working at it a little. I’m pretty happy with it, it’s good, I had a lot of fun doing it.”

But time is ticking, and while plenty of fans will be excited about the prospect of Lethal Weapon 5, do audiences really want to see a septuagenarian and an octogenarian leading an action thriller?