As much as I love the Lethal Weapon movies, which is a lot by the way, I wish Hollywood would stop churning out sequels and start taking a risk with original ideas. But, here we are anyway, as Mel Gibson squeezes the last drops of monetization from the Lethal Weapon IP and announces number five alongside Danny Glover.
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The first two Lethal Weapon movies were brilliant. It was the peak of late 80s hyper-masculine action movies, with car chases, gunfights, and quotable one-liners. The casting with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover couldn't have been better.
With trails of destruction, seemingly endless ammo supplies, and explosions galore, the two of them saved the day despite Danny Glover being "too old for this sh*t." However, the third started to slip, and the fourth wasn't great. They were fun, but the franchise was over.
Nobody was crying out for a fifth Lethal Weapon. When the director, Richard Donner, died in 2021, aged 91, he should have taken the title to the grave with him. However, Mel Gibson has taken it upon himself to direct Lethal Weapon 5, claiming that it was the wishes of Donner.
Mel Gibson Claims He Was Passed The 'Lethal Weapon' Torch By Donner
Months after Donner passed away, Mel Gibson said that Donner had requested he continue the Lethal Weapon legacy and make the new one. "He was developing the screenplay, and he got pretty far along with it. And he said to me one day, 'Listen kid, if I kick the bucket, you will do it.' And I said, 'Shut up, '"
He then further verified it by telling us that other people also heard Donner say it. "But he did indeed pass away. But he did ask me to do it, and at the time, I didn't say anything. He said it to his wife and to the studio, and to the producer. So I will be directing the fifth one."
Now, with the announcement of Lethal Weapon 5, Danny Glover and Mel Gibson have reunited.
