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Mel Gibson to Direct Lethal Weapon 5 in Wake of Franchise Director Richard Donner’s Death
By Mel Gibson said he got Richard Donner’s blessing to direct the fifth installment in the Lethal Weapon franchise
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 05: Mel Gibson (L) and Rosalind Ross attend Michael Muller’s HEAVEN, presented by The Art of Elysium, on January 5, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for The Art of Elysium)
Mel Gibson is returning to the Lethal Weapon franchise.
Gibson, 65, is planning to direct the upcoming fifth installment of the buddy-cop action movie series, a rep for the star confirmed to PEOPLE. No additional details were offered.
While speaking Sunday at the “Experience With…” event in London, Gibson said, according to The Hollywood Reporter and The Sun, that director Richard Donner, who helmed all four Lethal Weapon movies, gave his blessing for Gibson to take over. Donner, also known for films like The Goonies and Superman, died in July at age 91.
“He was developing the screenplay and he got pretty far along with it. And he said to me one day, ‘Listen kid, if I kick the bucket you will do it.’ And I said, ‘Shut up,’ ” Gibson reportedly said over the weekend. “But he did indeed pass away. But he did ask me to do it and at the time I didn’t say anything. He said it to his wife and to the studio and the producer. So I will be directing the fifth one.”
Gibson played Martin Riggs in all four Lethal Weapon movies opposite Danny Glover. The first film hit theaters in 1987, while the fourth one debuted in 1998.
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Gibson has previously directed films like Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and, most recently, 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge, which scored him an Oscar nomination for Best Director.
RELATED VIDEO: The Cast Of Lethal Weapon Reunite To Honor Director Richard Donner
Back in January 2020, producer Dan Lin said Lethal Weapon 5 was close to happening during a roundtable interview with THR. He said at the time it would be the final installment: “We’re trying to make the last Lethal Weapon movie. And Donner’s coming back. The original cast is coming back. And it’s just amazing. The story itself is very personal to him. Mel and Danny are ready to go, so it’s about the script.”
“I’m ready to do 5. It’s called Lethal Finale,” the director said in a February 2018 interview. “It is dark, but I wanted to end it on an emotional note, and I don’t think it’s gonna happen. It’s heartbreaking.”