Fans of the Lethal Weapon franchise were more than a bit shocked when the news hit that there was a possibility we could actually get a fifth installment of the film franchise. Now, it seems there's a bit more than just a possibility. Richard Donner, who directed all of the previous Lethal Weapon films now says that he's simply waiting for a studio green light in order to move forward. The reason he only needs the studio to say yes, is that his two stars, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, already have. According to Donner...
It's a story I came up with with Channing Gibson, the writer who wrote 4, and I'm just having to work it out with the studio. If everybody steps up and we all get together, we'll make it. Mel and Danny are on board. If it doesn't work out, at least we tried. But there's a better chance that you will see the movie.
Talk of Lethal Weapon 5 has been on again and off again for years, but nothing has ever come of it. Even Shane Black, the writer of the original Lethal Weapon script had an idea for a new installment at one point not all that long ago. However, while the idea once seemed dead, it now seems that's no longer the case. The writer of the last Lethal Weapon movie came back to help out on the script for this new idea and both the actors are ready to bring Riggs and Murtaugh back one more time.
Appearing on the Spocklight podcast, Richard Donner seems to be fairly confident that this movie might really happen. It's not a guarantee, but this is more than just a pipe dream or a concept, the work is absolutely being done on the production end to make this movie happen. If a studio will give them money, there will be a Lethal Weapon 5.
And let's be honest, a studio supporting another Lethal Weapon movie isn't the craziest thing that could happen. The franchise was popular and successful when it was new and nostalgia properties are always things that studios seem interested in pursuing because they already have an existing fan base. We've seen a number of sequels to decades-old franchises in recent years. Granted, they don't always work. Nobody seemed that interested in an Independence Day sequel, and the audience wasn't up for Blade Runner 2049 regardless of how good critics said it was, but maybe Lethal Weapon has that special something that will bring the audience back.
If it's all in the studio's hands we'll likely know fairly soon whether or not Lethal Weapon 5 will ever be real. It seems those involved don't think they're too old for this shit quite yet.
