Of the many terrible things to happen over the last couple of years, losing Legendary American filmmaker Richard Donner was a particularly sad blow for film fans around the world, with The Goonies and Superman director announcing earlier in 2021 that he still intended to direct the long-gestating fourth-sequel to his Lethal Weapon franchise. Well, now another of that series mainstays Mel Gibson has revealed at a fan event in London that he intends to direct Lethal Weapon 5.
Speaking to the crowd at the The O2 Intercontinental London he said “The man who directed all the Lethal films, Richard Donner, he was a big guy. 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.’ But he did indeed pass away.”
Gibson continued “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.”
The actor, who played hot-headed police-detective Martin Riggs during four blockbuster movies, and has directed Braveheart, Apocalypto and most recently the Oscar-nominated Hacksaw Ridge, has continued to work in Hollywood despite a series of controversial incidents and comments. His recent casting in John Wick spin-off The Continental has proven very divisive among fans.
SEE ALSO: Richard Donner’s massive contribution to my love of cinema
UPDATE: According to Deadline, Gibson is now officially in negotiations with Warner Bros. to direct and star in Lethal Weapon 4, which will be developed for the HBO Max streaming service.
What do you think of this news? Do you want to see the further adventures of Riggs and Murtaugh, or are they definitely too old for this shit? Let us know by heading to our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Source – The Independent