Mel Gibson and Danny Glover will reprise their iconic roles as Riggs and Murtaugh in the long-awaited fifth and final installment of the Lethal Weapon franchise.
- Jun 19, 2024
AceShowbiz - Nearly four decades after the original film hit theaters, Mel Gibson has confirmed that "Lethal Weapon 5" is officially in production. Gibson has been attached to direct the film since taking over from the late Richard Donner, who helmed the first four films.
Donner passed away in 2021, leaving behind a partially completed screenplay. According to Gibson, he and his collaborators have utilized Donner's work while "keeping poking at it" to create a script that is "funny, but also pretty serious" and tackles "a couple of hard issues."
Joining Gibson and Donald Glover in the cast is Channing Gibson, who wrote "Lethal Weapon 4" and contributed to the screenplay for "Lethal Weapon 5", along with Richard Wenk ("Equalizer" trilogy, "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back") and Jez Butterworth ("Edge of Tomorrow", "Indiana Jones" and the "Dial of Destiny").
Plot details are still under wraps, but the film is tentatively titled Lethal Finale and is expected to explore the darker side of the "Lethal Weapon" universe. Shane Black, who wrote the original film and had penned an unused treatment for a final installment, stated that he refused to create a spinoff focused on younger characters and insisted that Riggs and Murtaugh would be the central figures in the film.
The original "Lethal Weapon" franchise, which began in 1987, follows the adventures of LAPD Homicide Sergeant Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and narcotics Sergeant Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), two mismatched partners who become close friends over the course of the series.
"Lethal Weapon 5" is set to conclude the franchise and bring the iconic duo's story to a close. With the original cast and a script that honors Richard Donner's vision, fans can anticipate an action-packed and emotional finale to the beloved series.
