Screen Rant » lethal weapon 5

10 Badass Characters Neutered by Their Sequels

Chris Schrader — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:10:45 +0000

Sequels are definitely a mixed bag in terms of quality, but one of their advantages is an audience’s immediate connection and empathy towards a familiar and (hopefully) beloved character. No one really cares what’s inside the Temple of Doom or where the Holy Grail is hidden, they just want to go on another adventure with Indiana Jones.

Our interest and investment in these characters and their worlds often percolates in the years (or sometimes decades) between installments, and the opportunity to revisit them is often greeted with unmatched fervor – which makes it enormously disappointing as you watch a film unfold and realize that while the character on the big screen may look and sound the way you remember, something is… missing.

Characters originally depicted as being total badasses ...

Click to continue reading 10 Badass Characters Neutered by Their Sequels

Warner Bros Preparing ‘Lethal Weapon’ Reboot

Chris Schrader — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:26:11 +0000

I suppose this was inevitable. We’re living in an age of remakes, reboots, re-imaginings, and anything else you can stick that “re” prefix in front of. I’m sure many of you have felt the sting of Hollywood’s magic eraser and cringed at its desire to tarnish the beloved properties you grew up with. While it’s certainly a practice I feel has spun wildly out of control, I’ll admit that this is the first time it’s escalated past a mere annoyance for me. This one actually sort of hurts.

Deadline is reporting that Warner Bros and producer Joel Silver are pushing forward with a Lethal Weapon reboot. Screenwriter Will Beall (Gangster Squad) evidently pitched a take on the material that convinced the studio to definitively abandon any plans for the oft-rumored Lethal Weapon 5 and ...

Click to continue reading Warner Bros Preparing ‘Lethal Weapon’ Reboot

Could Mel Gibson Make a Movie Comeback In Lethal Weapon 5?

Niall Browne — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 10:38:14 +0000

We all know that Mel Gibson has been going through some tough times. The star is caught up in a tabloid feeding frenzy, a custody battle, Leonardo DiCaprio has dropped out of his Viking project and god knows what else.

However, redemption might just be around the corner: apparently producer Joel Silver has put another offer out to Gibson to reprise his signature role of Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon 5.

We don’t do gossip here at Screen Rant, so if you’re looking for Gibson tittle-tattle then you’ll have to look somewhere else. However, we do cover movie news, so if that’s what you’re here for then keep reading!

Development on Lethal Weapon 5 has been off and on for years, with pretty all of the principal players being lined up at one ...

Click to continue reading Could Mel Gibson Make a Movie Comeback In Lethal Weapon 5?

It’s Official: No Lethal Weapon 5

Niall Browne — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 01:59:53 +0000

It looks like Mel Gibson fans will have to make do with those old DVD box sets of Mad Max and Lethal Weapon.

Hot on the heels of the news that Mel wont be returning to Mad Max comes official news that Warner Bros. has given up on the Lethal Weapon franchise due to Mel’s lack of interest.

Clint Morris at Moviehole (who appears to have a mole deep inside the Warner Bros lot) spoke with an executive who said :

“That one is as good as dead. It won’t happen. Which is a pity”

Franchise creator Shane Black had written a script for a fifth film and producer Joel Silver had the writer in the frame to direct, but Mel Gibson’s loyalties lay with original director (and mentor) Richard Donner who was sidelined from the project due to a ...

Click to continue reading It’s Official: No Lethal Weapon 5

Lethal Weapon 5 Is Dead

Niall Browne — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:35:31 +0000

When news broke that Joel Silver was producing a Shane Black-penned and directed Lethal Weapon 5 the internet went crazy with the prospect of another Riggs and Murtaugh adventure.

However, the main sticking point appeared to be Mel Gibson. Would the star return to his trademark role of Martin Riggs, considering the amount of time that had passed since the last installment?

These guesses and rumors were recently shot down by original franchise director Richard Donner – who says that Mel turned the flick down.

The Reason?

Donner wasn’t asked back to the party.Donner told The LA Times:

“Mel turned it down. I would like to think that Mel turned it down because I wasn’t involved. Knowing Mel, I would like to think that. Would that be the kind of thing he does? It sure would be.”

Donner went on to say ...

Click to continue reading Lethal Weapon 5 Is Dead

Lethal Weapon 5: Son Of Murtaugh

Rob Keyes — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:07:01 +0000

In August, Screen Rant reported that Shane Black was writing the script for the fifth installment of the Lethal Weapon franchise with interest from both Danny Glover and Mel Gibson making their return.

The reported synopsis had Riggs (Gibson’s chracacter) who’s just about to retire, bringing Murtaugh (Glover’s character) out of retirement to solve one final case. This sounds like it would be the final sendoff the characters and it would allow the franchise to end with some closure.

My guess is that the big case would include characters very important to them (perhaps major characters from the prior films?) to make them partner up yet again for another action-packed adventure.

2 weeks ago, we reported that Black had been asked by producer Joel Silver to helm the project – taking over from Richard Donner who had directed all four previous films in the series. In that article, Niall said ...

Click to continue reading Lethal Weapon 5: Son Of Murtaugh

Shane Black To Direct Lethal Weapon 5?

Niall Browne — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:29:49 +0000

As a huge fan of the Lethal Weapon movies, Mel Gibson, Richard Donner and the work of Shane Black, I was excited when news surfaced that Black had penned a treatment for Lethal Weapon 5.

However, I’m now torn due to the news that Black has been asked by producer Joel Silver to helm the project, leaving Dick Donner out of the project. Strange news indeed, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was an exceptional piece of entertainment, but I don’t know if I’d want to see a “Dickless” Lethal Weapon movie.

So why has Lethal Weapon 5 not been offered to Donner – and will Mel Gibson star in the film?

The answer is simple enough.

Several years ago Donner and Silver had a falling out, and it would appear that time has not healed the wounds. As Black now appears ...

Click to continue reading Shane Black To Direct Lethal Weapon 5?

Lethal Weapon 5?

Niall Browne — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:28:03 +0000

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?

Click to continue reading Lethal Weapon 5?