Lethal Weapon 5 has a completed screenplay, according to Mel Gibson, but there is no confirmed production start, full cast announcement or release date. Gibson says he intends to direct; that is his stated plan, not a formal studio confirmation.
Is Lethal Weapon 5 confirmed?
The project remains in development rather than production. In an interview reported by Variety on August 13, 2026, Gibson said he and writer Richard Wenk had finished the screenplay and had been poised to begin production, but it never got underway. He described the stall by saying, “But it just never got the wheels under it.” Variety reported that Warner Bros. representatives did not immediately respond to its request for comment.
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Gibson speculated that changes in studio circumstances might create a path forward. That is his conjecture, not a studio announcement or evidence that the film has been greenlit. No confirmed production schedule has been reported.
Who is expected to direct?
Gibson says he intends to direct, following the death of longtime series director Richard Donner. Donner directed the first four films and was developing a fifth before he died in July 2021, aged 91. Gibson has said Donner asked him to carry the project forward. These statements describe Gibson’s intentions and the project’s history; they do not establish a current studio appointment.
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What could the story be about?
Gibson has described a story in which the familiar leads are older and in different circumstances: “They’re older. One’s retired. The other one’s on a desk job.” He also characterized the proposed approach as lower-tech, with fewer large explosions and more emphasis on the characters while retaining action-film energy. These are comments about the screenplay, not a final plot synopsis.
ComingSoon’s August 10, 2026 report says Gibson described the story as able to stand on its own, with minimal references to earlier films, and as simpler and more focused on its characters. No official studio plot description or published screenplay synopsis is available in the cited coverage, and any eventual film could change from the script Gibson discussed.
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Who is in the cast?
The current reporting does not establish a finalized cast. Gibson is the only performer with a clearly reported present-tense statement of involvement: he has discussed the script and his intention to direct. Earlier reporting that Danny Glover and the original cast were expected to return belongs to a previous development phase, not a confirmed 2026 cast announcement.
In the franchise, Gibson played Martin Riggs and Glover played Roger Murtaugh. In 2020, producer Dan Lin was reported as saying the original cast was coming back for a project Donner would direct, while noting that the script remained a key step. That historical expectation is not proof that Glover—or Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock or any other past cast member—is signed for the current version.
What is the development timeline?
- 2020: Producer Dan Lin was reported as saying the original cast was expected to return for a Donner-directed film. The script was still a crucial step.
- July 2021: Donner died at 91. Gibson later said Donner had asked him to continue the project.
- June 18, 2024: Gibson said he was directing the fifth film and described the script, developed from Donner’s work, as both funny and serious.
- August 10–13, 2026: Gibson told Collider at Fan Expo Boston that he and Richard Wenk had completed the script, but production had not begun. His suggestion that the film might happen in about a year was conditional speculation, not a release commitment.
The earlier cast and director statements chart how the project developed; they should not be read as current confirmation of production or casting.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When will Lethal Weapon 5 come out?
There is no confirmed release date. Gibson’s suggestion that the film could happen in about a year was speculative and dependent on studio circumstances; it is not a scheduled release window. The latest reporting says production had not started.
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