Mel Gibson says the proposed fifth Lethal Weapon film remains stalled despite a completed script, describing it as trapped in “industrial film hell”. He believes the script is stronger than the previous instalments and hopes changes surrounding Warner Bros.’ ownership could allow production to proceed within about a year.

Gibson and writer Richard Wenk completed the script after franchise director Richard Donner died in 2021, aiming to reflect what Donner would have wanted. Gibson said he would intend to direct the sequel, as Donner had reportedly asked him to take over if necessary. The story would feature older versions of detectives Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh, with a lower-tech approach and fewer large explosions while retaining an action-film pace.