For Mel Gibson, 'Lethal Weapon 5' could be the best in the series

Nearly 30 years after Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh last shared the screen, Mel Gibson still hasn’t given up on “Lethal Weapon 5”.

Discussed for many years, the sequel to the famous police franchise has remained stuck in the maze of Hollywood development. In an interview with Collider, the actor and director shared more details about what this fifth film might look like.

First, Mel Gibson reflected on the reasons behind the success of the first “Lethal Weapon”, released in 1987. He attributes much of this success to director Richard Donner and screenwriter Shane Black.

At the time, 1980s action movies often featured particularly tough, almost invincible heroes.“Lethal Weapon” stood out by giving its main characters more depth and vulnerability.

Martin Riggs was an unstable character deeply scarred by his past, while Roger Murtaugh, despite his experience, was confronted with his own fears and vulnerabilities.

For Gibson, “The two main protagonists had their own vulnerabilities. One was crazy and the other was afraid. It went a little further than the typical action movie.” According to the actor, it was precisely this human dimension that helped make the franchise a lasting success.

Before his death in 2021, Richard Donner was himself working on a fifth installment of Lethal Weapon. The director, then 90 years old, had begun developing the project with the ambition of reuniting Riggs and Murtaugh for one last adventure.

After his death, Mel Gibson decided to continue the work with screenwriter Richard Wenk. Together, they finished the screenplay, striving to stay true to Donner’s vision.

“We got together with the screenwriter and finished it, asking ourselves: What would Donner have done? That’s what we were thinking about in the room.”

And Gibson makes no secret of his enthusiasm for the result. In his view, the screenplay for this fifth installment is even better than those of the previous four films.

"I think the fifth screenplay is better than all the others."

A particularly ambitious statement for a franchise that already includes four films released between 1987 and 1998.

Despite a completed screenplay and Mel Gibson’s desire to move forward with production, the project has still not managed to begin filming.

The main difficulty appears to be linked to industry issues and shifts in strategy by Hollywood studios.

Mel Gibson specifically mentions a difficult period for Warner Bros., which he says contributed to the project temporarily disappearing into the maze of the Hollywood system.

“We finished the screenplay and were about to go into production, but it just never got off the ground. I think Warner found itself in quicksand at that time.”

Rumors suggest a 2028 release.