Mel Gibson is facing an uphill battle getting Lethal Weapon 5 off the ground. The veteran actor and filmmaker, who originally announced he'd both direct and star in the fifth installment of the iconic action franchise, recently opened up at FanX convention about the challenges he's facing. Gibson revealed that although the script for Lethal Weapon 5 is finished, production has been stalled indefinitely.
“The fifth one is written,” Gibson said. “It's interesting. It's been held up for one reason or another. There's always issues with these things. It just won't get made for some reason or another. I can't even explain why.”
While Gibson claims he doesn't know why the film can't seem to get greenlit, the reasons are fairly obvious. His public downfall during the mid-2000s, driven by a string of controversies involving racist and sexist behavior, has tainted his reputation in Hollywood. Despite directing the critically acclaimed Hacksaw Ridge in 2016, earning six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, Gibson's comeback was short-lived, with the rise of the #MeToo movement in 2017 casting him back into a controversial spotlight.
Adding to the uncertainty is the age of the franchise's key players. Gibson is now 68, and his co-star Danny Glover is 78. The prospect of an action-packed buddy cop movie starring two aging actors might seem risky for studios, especially since Gibson hasn't appeared in a box-office hit since Edge of Darkness in 2010. The fact that Warner Bros. hasn't fully committed to the project signals the studio's doubts about its commercial viability.
With Lethal Weapon 5 hanging in limbo, Gibson's focus has shifted to his self-financed projects. He's set to direct The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection and Flight Risk, starring Mark Wahlberg, both of which could give him some momentum in Hollywood again. However, for now, the return of Riggs and Murtaugh remains a distant dream for fans of the franchise.
