Lethal Weapon 5 gets a new update from original Lethal Weapon writer Shane Black, who explains why the sequel may be stuck in development. After the success of Richard Donner’s 1987 original film, Mel Gibson returned as Martin Riggs and Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh for four sequels, the last of which arrived in 1998. Donner passed away in 2021, but Gibson is expected to direct Lethal Weapon 5, which has struggled to advance beyond the script stage for several years.
In a recent interview with ScreenRant at the Saturn Awards, Black, who wasn’t involved in either Lethal Weapon 3 or 4, shares what he knows about Lethal Weapon 5. Black admits that he’s not entirely in the know regarding the fifth film, but he outlines what he thinks is the main problem when it comes to crafting the movie’s script, which is writing something that feels like a natural extension of and conclusion to the first four. Check out Black’s comment below:

I’m in the dark. It’s been tough since Richard Donner passed, and it’s become tougher. But there’s a basic task that has to be addressed, which is, “How do you make something, after this many years, that seems like it was intended from the start?” There has to be a reason to have made another one, right? Because it wasn’t intended. We didn’t think we were going to be at Lethal Weapon 5!

But, actually, what’s great is that the passage of years [helps] you find something that’s appropriate and gives closure. It has to feel like it’s intended, and it’s also informed by the magic of all those years having intervened. That’s a tough writing job, and I haven’t read a script in a while, but I know they’re trying. I hope someone finds the one thing thematically that makes them say, “That’s the soul [of the franchise].” And I hope it gets its proper day in court because, for some reason, these ’80s things just keep coming back.

What Shane Black’s Update Means For Lethal Weapon 5

Mel Gibson Has Shared Positive Updates About The Script

Black doesn’t seem to be heavily involved in Lethal Weapon 5, but he clearly understands what makes the franchise tick, having written the first installment. He also helped to develop the story for Lethal Weapon 2 (1989). Together, these two movies are widely considered the best in the franchise. His comments about the fifth film speak to the types of problems Gibson could be encountering while getting another sequel off the ground.

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Richard Wenk penned the script for the fifth film, with Jez Butterworth having been brought on for revisions in early 2023. Gibson spoke about Lethal Weapon 5 while on the Inspire Me podcast last June, revealing that Donner left a partially-completed script for the fifth movie. “He had gotten a fair way into writing the screenplay,” Gibson said, “And we’ve used what was there. We kept kind of poking at it, working it a little and I’m pretty happy with it, it’s good.” Gibson then provided another positive update in September 2024 while at FanX (via ABC4):

The fifth one is written. It’s interesting. It’s been held up for one reason or another. There’s always issues with these things. I think it’s the best one of the whole series. But it just won’t get made for some reason or another. I can’t even explain why.

Our Take On Lethal Weapon 5’s Delays

What’s Holding The Project Up?

Custom Image by Dalton Norman

With the script for Lethal Weapon 5 seemingly written and ready to go, it would seem that crafting the story for the film isn’t actually what’s holding the project up. Part of the problem could be scheduling, with Gibson also working on Passion of the Christ 2, his sequel to his 2004 religious epic. The negative response to Gibson’s latest directorial effort, Flight Risk, also isn’t likely to help.

Whatever the case may be, it’s not unusual for projects to just struggle to move forward in Hollywood. It’s now been 27 years since the previous installment, and it’s not clear how much of an appetite there will even be for more of Riggs and Murtaugh, especially since Gibson remains a somewhat controversial figure. It remains to be seen whether Lethal Weapon 5 will actually happen, but getting the film right will evidently be a challenging endeavor.