Gibson announced the development of “Lethal Weapon 5” on the “Inspire Me” podcast. “Richard Donner, who directed the previous four films, has sadly passed away. He was a good friend of mine and he sort of assigned me to take over the flag from him and bring it to the place. It’s an honor to be able to do this,” said the Oscar winner “Braveheart – Braveheart”.
The actor also revealed that Donner was working on the script for the fifth installment of the series before his death. “He managed to write a lot and we took advantage of it. We stuck with it, we worked through it and I’m happy with it, I had a lot of fun with it,” Gibson continued.
The director also confirmed that the film will feature the series’ signature sense of humor. “(The script) is funny, but it also has some serious moments, and we’re tackling some tough issues and I’m looking forward to getting started,” Gibson said. He also confirmed that he and Danny Glover will return as cops Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh.
Four films in the series “Deadly weapon” were published in 1987-1998. The main characters were two policemen. The elder, Murtaugh, looked forward to retirement with trepidation. His new partner, Riggs, did not shy away from risk due to the tragic death of his wife, whose mystery he failed to solve. Although the beginnings of their cooperation were difficult, the two men soon developed a life-and-death friendship.
The four films grossed a combined total of over $955 million worldwide. In the years 2016-2019, a television series based on the plot of “Lethal Weapon” was also broadcast.