Mel Gibson says Lethal Weapon 5 has a finished script, written with screenwriter Richard Wenk, and that he intends to direct it. What has not happened is production. As of the most recent coverage, from August 2026, the film has no confirmed studio backing, no start date, no filming schedule, and no release date. The update is real, but it concerns the screenplay and Gibson’s account of the story, not a film moving toward cameras.
What the update actually is
The news came from Gibson’s interview with Collider at Fan Expo Boston, which Variety reported on August 13, 2026. Gibson said he and Wenk had completed the script and that the project had been expected to move into production, but it “never got the wheels under it.” ComingSoon also covered his comments about the story and the franchise’s late director in an August 10, 2026 report.
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Two quotes from Gibson capture the situation. On the delay, he said: “But it’s tied up in some kind of industrial film hell that you can’t extract it from to make it.” On the script’s approach, he said: “So I got together with the writer, and we completed it thinking, ‘What would Donner do?’ That’s what we were thinking in the room, and I think that the fifth script is better than all of the others.”
The phrase “What would Donner do?” points to Richard Donner, who directed the earlier films in the series. Gibson’s comparison is his own assessment of the screenplay; no outside party has evaluated it.
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Where production stands
Production has not started. Variety reports no studio confirmation of the film, no greenlight, and no start of filming. Gibson’s explanation for the stall points to Warner Bros. complications, but that is his characterization. The reporting does not include a studio statement explaining the holdup, so readers should treat the cause as Gibson’s account rather than an official one.
Who is attached, and who is not confirmed
- Mel Gibson: says he intends to direct the film. Gibson’s stated intention is not a confirmed directing deal. He takes on the role after Donner’s death, and Donner directed the franchise’s prior films.
- Richard Wenk: named by Gibson as the screenwriter who completed the script with him.
- Danny Glover: Gibson and Glover played Riggs and Murtaugh in the earlier films. The reporting does not confirm that Glover will return for the fifth installment, so his participation should not be assumed.
The story as Gibson describes it
Gibson offered a outline of the film’s direction, not an official synopsis. In his telling, the older Riggs and Murtaugh have moved into different stages of life: one is retired, and the other has a desk job. He described the film as low-tech and less dependent on large explosions, with more focus on the characters while keeping the energy of an action film.
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- Runtime: 155 minutes
Those details are useful for understanding what Gibson wants the movie to be, but they are not a studio-approved plot. Story elements can change substantially between a script and a finished film, and no official plot has been released.
What “another year or so” means
Gibson speculated that the film might be seen “in another year or so” if the studio situation changes. Read that as a guess made in an interview, not a release window. It depends on conditions that have not been resolved, and no studio has set a date.
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Established versus unconfirmed
| Question | Current status | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Is the script finished? | Yes, according to Gibson | Gibson in Collider interview, reported by Variety, August 13, 2026 |
| Has production started? | No | Variety, August 13, 2026; no studio confirmation reported |
| Will Gibson direct? | He says he intends to | Gibson’s statement; no confirmed deal reported |
| Is Danny Glover returning? | Not confirmed | Not stated in the reporting |
| Is there a release date? | No | Not stated; Gibson’s “another year or so” is speculative |
| Is the story as described official? | No | Gibson’s description of the script, not an official synopsis |
Signals that would change the picture
A finished script does not mean a film is moving. These are the developments that would show real progress:
- An official studio announcement that the film has been greenlit or placed on a production slate.
- Casting confirmation for the lead roles, including whether Glover is involved.
- A start of principal photography, which would be reported by the trades and by Warner Bros. or its partners.
- An official synopsis or a dated release on the studio’s schedule.
Until one of these appears, the most accurate summary is that the film has a completed script, a director who wants to make it, and no confirmed path to production.
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For background on the franchise, the original film and three sequels are the existing entries; the reporting covered here does not address any changes to those films’ availability.
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