Mel Gibson Shares His Most Encouraging Update on ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ Amid Challenges

The ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ franchise has faced a long period of uncertainty. Mel Gibson has been vocal about reviving the buddy-cop series since he took over directing duties after the passing of original filmmaker Richard Donner in 2021. The project has often seemed on the verge of progress, only to stall once more.

Gibson has used nearly every convention appearance over the past year to keep the hope alive. At Fan Expo Boston, he informed Collider that he and screenwriter Richard Wenk have completed a script that he believes surpasses the previous four films, despite acknowledging that the project remains ensnared in what he calls “industrial film hell” due to Warner Bros.’ complex business situation.

This optimism continued at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, where Gibson participated in a career retrospective panel discussing his work on ‘Braveheart,’ ‘Mad Max,’ and ‘Lethal Weapon.’ He reiterated his desire to bring back his longtime co-star Danny Glover for a fifth installment, indicating that the reunion he has sought for years is still a possibility.

However, this hope now carries a heavier burden than it did a few months ago. In July 2026, Danny Glover publicly disclosed his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, a condition he had reportedly kept private for three years before going public.

Initially, this news seemed to jeopardize the long-anticipated sequel. Nevertheless, Gibson has remained steadfast, continuing to discuss the project and his commitment to directing it even after Glover’s diagnosis became known.

Gibson has also proposed a potential way forward linked to Warner Bros.’ uncertain future. In his conversation with Collider, he suggested that the script had been buried amid Warner’s challenges, but that David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance acquiring the studio could finally provide ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ with the momentum it needs to enter production.

The narrative Gibson envisions for the film embraces the characters’ age rather than circumventing it. He mentioned that the two leads are “quite different” now, with one retired and the other confined to a desk, and that the film intentionally moves away from the large explosions of earlier installments in favor of a more grounded approach, centered around a foot chase filmed with the intensity of a car chase.

Gibson has also emphasized his desire for the film to resonate with Donner’s vision rather than merely serving as a nostalgia trip. He noted that Donner had already begun developing the story before his passing, and that he and Wenk built upon that foundation while considering what Donner would have wanted, ultimately arriving at a screenplay that Gibson has repeatedly called the best of the entire franchise.

Currently, ‘Lethal Weapon 5’ does not have a confirmed release date, and Gibson remains eager to direct while facing the challenge of a co-star with a diagnosis that complicates the reunion. Each convention appearance moving forward will likely be scrutinized for updates on the project’s status.

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