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Mel Gibson Says Lethal Weapon 5 Script Is Finished and He Wants to Direct

Studio-level corporate turmoil at Warner Bros. is blocking production and a possible Paramount/Skydance change of ownership could free the project.

Overview

  • Gibson, who spoke to Collider at Fan Expo Boston on Wednesday, Aug. 12, said he and writer Richard Wenk completed a screenplay that he believes is "better than all the others."
  • He said the finished script was built from work Richard Donner had been developing before his 2021 death and that the creative team asked themselves "what would Donner do" while completing it.
  • Gibson said the film was set to enter production after the script was done but is now "tied up in some kind of industrial film hell" because Warner Bros. has been caught in corporate changes.
  • He reiterated that he intends to direct the movie to honor Donner’s wishes and described a lower-tech, more character-driven story focused on older versions of Riggs and Murtaugh.
  • Casting remains uncertain: Gibson said he expects Danny Glover to return, but the leads’ advanced ages and recent health disclosures introduce practical doubts and the project’s path now depends on studio decisions or a change in ownership.