Actor Mel Gibson has re-confirmed that yes, he will be sitting in the director’s chair for long-awaited action sequel Lethal Weapon 5. While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Gibson re-confirmed that he will indeed be taking up directing duties on the upcoming fifth chapter in the hugely popular Lethal Weapon franchise, stating that he wishes he wasn’t, as it would mean that beloved filmmaker Richard Donner was still with us.

“Yeah, I am directing that. I’m really looking forward to it. I wish I wasn’t directing it. I wish Richard Donner was still here to do it but left us untimely, and he actually asked me, he said ‘Hey kid, if I don’t make it, you’ll take the reins, huh?’ I told him to shut up. I think it’s an honor for me to be able to carry the flag for him.”

Gibson reiterates that he was given Richard Donner’s blessing in the past, with the actor feeling honored to take over the franchise, which began way, way back in 1987. Gibson continued, revealing that, despite being given the hypothetical go-ahead from Donner himself, who passed away in July 2021 at the age of 91, he still felt the need to reach out to his co-star Danny Glover for his approval.

“I called Danny [Glover] up, of course, and said ‘Hey, dude, is it okay with you if I direct this?’ He said, 'Yeah, let’s go.'”

While very little is known about what Lethal Weapon 5 will involve, and what kind of dangerous shenanigans Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh will be getting up to, Gibson and Glover are ready to bring the beloved pair back for more. Even though both of them are now too old for this sh...

“I know Danny’s going to pull it off real well, too. He’s kind of like the show pony in this one.”

Related: Danny Glover Teases 'Something Extraordinary' for Lethal Weapon 5

Lethal Weapon 5 Sees the Franchise Return After More Than Two Decades

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Warner Bros.

The first Lethal Weapon introduced audiences to the lovable pair of mismatched LAPD detectives, Martin Riggs, a former Green Beret who has become suicidal following the death of his wife, and Roger Murtaugh, a 50-year-old veteran of the force who is getting too old for this. Played by Mel Gibson and Danny Glover respectively, the duo became instant icons of the genre, with the franchise spawning several sequels and bringing in the likes of Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Jet Li, and Chris Rock along the way.

The last time audiences saw Riggs and Murtaugh was back in 1998's Lethal Weapon 4, which found the pair going up against a dangerous crime lord from China battling to get his brother out of jail. Grossing more than $285 million at the box office, Lethal Weapon 4 received mixed reviews, but with legacy sequels now hot property, this could be the perfect time for a fifth adventure with Mel Gibson at the helm.

Gibson will work from a script written by Richard Wenk, screenwriter of The Equalizer. Lethal Weapon 5 does not yet have a release date, but recent rumors have claimed that it will be released straight to HBO Max.