I think that it’s well known around these parts that I’m a big supporter of Mel Gibson (let’s not get into his views, the guy is a movie star), and that I love Richard Donner’s movies. I also love the work of Shane Black – that guy knew how to pen a witty action movie. If you don’t know, check out Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Last Boy Scout.
And now news has come in that Shane Black, writer of the original Lethal Weapon film, has apparently penned a fifth installment of the action series. Allegedly he has shown the script to producer Joel Silver (Speed Racer) and both Danny Glover and Mad Mel are interested in returning to their signature roles!
This is great news – but is it really going to happen?
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Acoording to Tracking B.com (via Comingsoon) :
“Riggs (Gibson) is about to retire, but pulls Murtaugh (Glover) out of retirement to solve one final case, before they both officially head off into the sunset.”
It sounds like a pretty darn cool concept (considering that in the series Murtaugh would now be in his seventies), but will Gibson and Glover really be interested in returning to the franchise? Over the years they’ve both said that they’d never make another Lethal Weapon.
Never say never, and money talks (gee two movie titles in one sentence) in Hollywood.
All of the people named above need a commercial hit, so there is a chance that they might return to the well one last time. Warner Bros. knows that old franchises die hard, and the last few years have shown that you can squeeze an extra few hundred million from an aging icon.
There’s no word on Joe Pesci, Rene Russo or Chris Rock returning, and considering that they weren’t in Black’s original film they may not. Could their characters’ deaths be the reason that Mel is a Lethal Weapon once more?
I know what you’re thinking. What about Dick?
Well, in my eyes Richard “Dick” Donner is the heart and soul of Lethal Weapon, so we need Dick on-board. Now more than ever considering co-composer Michael Kamen’s passing. However, a few years ago Silver and Donner had a falling out, but pray that a reunion is on the cards. Hear that Mel? Pray!
“What about cost ?” I hear you scream from the peanut gallery!
Well… Lethal Weapon 4 cost $150 million back in 1998 and that was mostly due to salary demands. Joe Pesci (home) alone got $12 million for the action flick, while Gibbo got about $35 million – praise the Lord! So a streamlined cast may be the way to go.
Treat this all as rumor for the moment… but pray people: Forget The Goonies 2, we want a Lethal Weapon 5.
Why?
’cause it’s better than a remake and more fun that a special effects laden CGI fest!
More when (and if) we get it.
Sources: Tracking B.com and Comingsoon
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15 Comments
I really loved Lethal Weapon 4…and it brought to us Jet Li
I would also love a sequel, the salary for Glover would be so little nowadays and I’m sure Mel wouldn’t need a high salary either with what’s been going on with him these last 2 years. It would be a good idea to have a propper closing movie to the series and perhaps set some stuff up for a new take on the franchise with new younger actors?
I wouldn’t be a fan of this film focusing on new character but I can definately see the studio wanting to keep the franchise going with some new stars
Oceans 13 cut some casting baggage (the ladies) pretty smoothly, so I don’t see why they couldn’t drop Rock, Russo, or Pesci without having to kill them off.
I loved the first one, the second one was good, I forget the third one, and the fourth was fun in the sense that it was like hanging with old friends, but was kinda meh all around.
They need to get rid of all the extra characters, because it’s bogging everything down. Back to basics! Dick, Shane, Mel and Danny!!
heath
Burnt Offerings ! I say !!
Niall, I share you love for the first 2 Leathal Weapon films but 3 and especally 4, sucked hard.
I really can’t see Gibson’s character still struggling with his suicidal issues, that’s what made the first and second films for me anyway.
This sounds just as stupid Goonies 2,,,
Good god this would be pointless UNLESS they do a prequel and de-age the main characters like they did with Xavier and Magneto in X-Men 3 lol
It’s been 10 years since four came out. You would think after all this time, and this being the 5th movie they would do a remake. One and two have spots in my library but 3&4 don’t, if that tells you anything.
…hmmm, not only Murtaugh, but the whole cast can chime in with “I’m too old for this [shizz].” Ugh, I suppose with the original screenwriter, another installment could work, but not if the script (and plot) is going to seem half improv-ed like part IV. As others have said, it’s become too cast-heavy and too chummy. It’s the fireworks between Raj and Martin that made part I work so well.
If this is going to seem remotely interesting, they have to let Mad Mel off the chain; in especially IV, Riggs seemed so domesticated and tamed, it might as well have been “Lapdog Weapon.”
As tempting as it sounds i think a 5th Lethal Weapon would not be the best comeback for Mel. Considering the accusations against Mel the past few years, i think that certain people are still pissed, and just won’t let go. They will ridicule both Gibson and the film in general(bad reviews and bad distribution. The budget that the film will make is anotther story, i don’t think that Gibson is money he needs.) Since i am a huge fan of Mel Gibson i wouldn’t want to see that happen. And taking the sallary of the actors into account in Lethal Weapon IV the were basicly convinced to make a 4th film…I don’t think they’ re gonna go for it again. I am actually saying that i am afraid what Lethal Weapon may become…a disastrous effort to give a closure to a brilliant action series, and dragging along the rest of the films and the stars.
This sounds like one of the best ideas ive heard in a long time,
For me 1&2 were amazing, 3 was hiddeous but i reli enjoyed 4, whether it was because i wanted to see glover and gibson back together or not, if was a brilliant
so i say make it, for old times sake
let us know what happens to the crazy twosome but please, if it has to end… make it a happy!
sorry there was a typo in there, i wanted to say it was brilliant.. not if was brilliant
I think a fifth installment would be an excellent idea. If Pesci balks at the salary offer, give it to me. I’ll do it for next to noghint because hey whats a Lethal Weapon without a short annoying Italian guy to back Riggs and Murtaugh when things get heated ? I’m also currently pursuing my CCNA if it helps the producers or directors any.
Since the LW franchise was always a personal favorite to me and the 4-disc collection has a secured spot on my DVD shelf, I personally would be deeply enthused if a fifth Lethal Weapon became a reality. I’ve heard through the grapevine that Shane Black would be in the director’s chair, which would make it all the more irresistable to anticipate. Although I hate to say this, the reality seems to be that Mel Gibson has “moved on” from this kind of genre, and even if someone did talk him into doing a fifth installment, he may not have the charisma he exhibited in the first four.
On a separate note, I recently completed a screenplay for a buddy cop vehicle similar in substance to the Lethal Weapon franchise, with which I’ll be trying to grab the attention of Warner Bros. and Joel Silver himself. In fact, the story I spent a few years on even includes the climatic scene taking place right on the Warner Bros. Studios lot, and the characters inadvertently disrupting the filming of a “Lethal Weapon 5″ in the process.
If my own creation doesn’t come to fruition, I’d at minimum like to see the Lethal Weapon series come back to life. If anyone has any feedback or advice in promoting my own similar story to the respective studio and producer, I will be gladly open to it, so don’t hesitate to respond.
I am a fan of all the movies, the first and the fourth are my favorites, the second was good and the third was blah for me. I don’t know what substance there would be to a fifth LW movie, I felt good resolution at the end of the fourth to complete the series and I was happy with that. The fourth movie gets criticized because Riggs had mellowed, but I thought it was the natural evolution of his character. He had matured as a person very much so from the first movie, he was in a successful relationship with Lorna, he relaized he was getting older, all good reasons to reevaluate his life and for him to mellow a little. The fourth really cenetered around the importance of family, Riggs finally had a family of his own. What is there left to resolve at the end of the fourth movie?
3 and 4 are as good (if not better) as 1 and 2. But the 4th movie, if you think about it, implies the end of the story. Murtaugh is already too old for this sh, and even Riggs is nearing that. And just look at the picture album in the end of 4th! It just screams – The show is over! A 5th one would just be too inconsistent.
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