Mel Gibson is in talks to direct Lethal Weapon 5
It looks like Mel Gibson is returning to the Lethal Weapon franchise, and pulling double duty this time.
The actor and filmmaker, who starred in the first four films in the buddy cop series alongside Danny Glover, is in talks to direct the long-gestating Lethal Weapon 5, EW has confirmed. Gibson, 65, would follow in the footsteps of Richard Donner, who helmed the previous installments and died in July.
"[Donner] was developing the screenplay and he got pretty far along with it," Gibson said at an event in London over the weekend, per The Sun. "And he said to me one day, 'Listen kid, if I kick the bucket you will do it.' And I said: 'Shut up.'"
He continued: "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."
The first Lethal Weapon movie was released by Warner Bros. in 1987 and helped boost the profiles of Gibson and screenwriter Shane Black. Gibson played a reckless LAPD detective paired with a by-the-book partner (Glover). The movie spawned three sequels and a TV adaptation (which starred Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans).
Gibson's other upcoming screen projects include the John Wick prequel series The Continental.
With reporting from Jethro Nededog.
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