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Mel Gibson Confirms He Will Direct And Star In Lethal Weapon 5
Mel Gibson has confirmed that he will direct and star in Lethal Weapon 5, with production set to start in 2022.
The film series, which first began in 1987, saw Mel Gibson star alongside Danny Glover as two Los Angeles Police Department detectives, who are also best friends.
Last night, November 13, on An Experience With, the 65-year-old confirmed that the franchise would be returning, with production starting next year, a whole 23 years after the last instalment was released.
According to Gibson, who played the lead character of Martin Riggs, the late director Richard Donner requested that if he ‘kick the bucket’, then Gibson take on the franchise.
Gibson explained how Donner, who directed all of the Lethal films, had been ‘developing a screenplay’ and had even ‘got pretty far along with it’, The Sun reports.
Gibson said,
And [Donner] said to me one day, ‘Listen kid, if I kick the bucket you will do it.’ And I said, ‘Shut up.’
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.
As well as taking on the role of director, Gibson is reportedly set to also reprise his role as Riggs.
The source suggested that the character will be ‘older but not necessarily wiser’, but that they expect that fans will be ‘pleased to see him back on screen’ anyway.
‘It is hoped Danny Glover will come back to and reprise his role of Roger Murtaugh,’ the source noted.
Gibson first hinted that the fifth instalment of the franchise would ‘absolutely’ be on the way when he appeared on Good Morning America on November 13, 2020.