Mel Gibson has given a significant update on the long-stalled Lethal Weapon 5, revealing that the script is finished and he considers it superior to the earlier installments. The actor also shared plot details about the aging Riggs and Murtaugh, and explained why the project remains stuck in studio limbo.
More than 27 years have passed since audiences last saw Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh on the big screen in Lethal Weapon 4. The buddy-cop franchise, which began in 1987, has been a subject of sequel talk for years. Now, Mel Gibson has come forward with what might be the most detailed update yet on the fifth film.
Speaking to Collider at Fan Expo Boston, Gibson confirmed that he and screenwriter Richard Wenk have completed the script for Lethal Weapon 5. The 70-year-old actor and director did not hold back his praise for the screenplay, stating that it surpasses the previous four movies in quality.
The Script Was Completed With Richard Donner’s Vision in Mind
The path to Lethal Weapon 5 has been deeply affected by the passing of director Richard Donner, who helmed all four previous films. Donner died in 2021 at the age of 91. Before his death, Donner had been actively working on the fifth installment.
Gibson explained that he and Wenk finished what Donner started, always keeping the late director’s approach in mind. “Donner, when he was 90 years old, was working on the fifth, and of course he passed away in the middle. So I got together with the writer, and we completed it thinking, ‘What would Donner do?’” Gibson told Collider.
The actor also revealed that Donner had personally asked him to take over the project if he could not complete it himself. “Donner, God rest his soul, he said to me in this deep voice, he said, ‘Hey kid, if I drop off the perch, you’ll take this over, won’t you?’” Gibson recalled. After Donner’s death, others who knew of this request approached Gibson, and he agreed to direct.
Gibson did not hold back his enthusiasm for the finished script. “There were good things about each one, but as you say, they tend to get diluted out there a lot,” he said. “I think that the fifth script is better than all of the others”.
Plot Details Revealed: Older Riggs and Murtaugh in a Low-Tech Story
Gibson also shared what fans can expect from the story. The new film will not rely heavily on the massive explosions that defined some of the earlier sequels. Instead, it will take a more character-driven approach.
“It only harks back to the others in the minimal way, but it’s a story all on its own,” Gibson explained. He described the characters as being in a very different place. “The characters are quite different. They’re older. One’s retired. The other one’s on a desk job. He’s putting on too much weight, and it’s low-tech”.
Despite the scaled-back action, Gibson promised the film will still have the energy of a big action movie. He compared the approach to his 2006 film Apocalypto. “It’s a foot chase, right? But it’s kind of filmed like a car chase. So it still has all the elements of what was in the other films, but not nearly so complicated. But it deals more about the people in it,” he said.
Studio Politics and the Warner Bros. Merger Hold the Key
While the script is ready and Gibson is prepared to direct, the project remains in what he calls “industrial film hell”. The actor blamed Warner Bros. for the delay, explaining that the studio’s internal struggles caused the film to be shelved.
“Richard Wenk and I finished the script, and we were going to go into production, but it just never got the wheels under it,” Gibson said. “I think Warner’s got into some quicksand at that time… so it got buried somewhere”.
However, Gibson sees a potential way forward. The planned merger between Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures, led by David Ellison, could finally unlock the project. “Now I think this David Ellison guy over at Paramount has absorbed or will absorb Warners, or it looks like he will. And maybe, maybe they’ll take the chains off that one, and you might see that in another year or so,” Gibson said.
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Danny Glover’s Health and the Future of the Franchise
The return of Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh has been a key question for fans. Earlier this summer, Glover publicly shared that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Despite this, Gibson remains hopeful that the film can still be made.
Glover has continued to make public appearances, and producer Dan Lin confirmed in a recent interview that both Gibson and Glover are expected to return for the movie. The original cast, including Joe Pesci, has also been rumored to be returning.
The Lethal Weapon franchise has a long history. The first film was released in 1987, followed by sequels in 1989, 1992, and 1998. The series helped define the buddy-cop genre, with Gibson’s unpredictable Riggs and Glover’s weary Murtaugh creating an iconic on-screen partnership.
What’s Next for Lethal Weapon 5?
For now, Lethal Weapon 5 does not have a release date or a confirmed production schedule. The project is still listed as being in development. Gibson’s recent comments mark the most optimistic update in years, but the film’s future ultimately depends on the outcome of the Warner Bros.-Paramount merger.
Gibson remains committed to the project and to honoring Donner’s legacy. “That’s what we were thinking in the room, and I think that the fifth script is better than all of the others,” he said. Whether fans will finally see Riggs and Murtaugh return to the screen remains uncertain, but the script is ready, and the director is waiting.
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