Emily Mack
“I’m too old for this sh*t” will be taking on a whole new meaning in Lethal Weapon 5.
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Five!
I’m not sure anyone was thinking that we need another Lethal Weapon… but here we are. In this age of excessive re-booting, Mel Gibson has confirmed that, indeed, another sequel is in the works.
‘Lethal Weapon 5’
Since the first Lethal Weapon premiered in 1987, star Mel Gibson has had quite the career. And quite the career implosion. Long before the word “cancelled” was ever uttered outside the context of pilot season, Gibson was pulled over in Malibu and went on his — now infamous — drunken, anti-semitic rant. The year was 2006. Since then, Gibson has worked to slowly regain some semblance of his former stardom.
In 2016, Hacksaw Ridge marked Gibson’s directorial comeback after a 10-year break, earning him two Oscars. And now, Gibson is slated to direct the next Lethal Weapon. Naturally, he will also star. His regular co-star Danny Glover’s involvement has also been confirmed.
Gibson takes over the reigns of the series from legendary filmmaker Richard Donner who passed in 2021 at the age of 91. Donner directed all four of the previous Lethal Weapon movies and at the time of his death, he was working on a plan for the film at the time of his death. According to We Got This Covered, that screenplay will remain the core of the film, though the script was officially written by Richard Wenk.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Gibson revealed that he’d received Donner’s blessing to continue the project. “I wish I wasn’t directing it. I wish Richard Donner was still here to do it but left us untimely,” Gibson said, “And he actually asked me, he said ‘Hey kid, if I don’t make it, you’ll take the reins, huh?’ I told him to shut up. I think it’s an honor for me to be able to carry the flag for him.”
Apparently Glover also signed off on the directorial transition. Gibson described calling Glover up and asking whether it was okay. And Glover’s response was simple: “‘Yeah, let’s go.’”
Nostalgia has proved to be especially bankable in 2022, with just every old franchise finding new life. So it’s really no surprise that these veteran performers would want to return to their classic roles. However, it’s a tense time to rely on mass interest in a movie that venerates law enforcement. Lethal Weapon is, above all else, a buddy-cop story.
Gibson touched on the topic — vaguely — during a recent press event. As We Got This Covered reports, Gibson said the film will “tackle a couple of hard issues” when asked about its direction.
What’s With All the Reboots?
These are just some of the old franchises receiving reboots, remakes, prequels, spin-offs, or sequels — this year alone!
Top Gun
The Father of the Bride
Cheaper By the Dozen
Turner & Hooch
Toy Story
Grease
Home Alone
Frasier
Night Court
Doogie Houser
Pinocchio
Hercules
Monsters Inc.
Criminal Minds
Daria
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Chip ‘N’ Dale
The Lion King
How I Met Your Mother
Three Men and a Baby
Hocus Pocus
The Sandlot
