Warner Brothers Planning Lethal Weapon Reboot
Update: Producer Joel Silver has hired former L.A. cop Will Beall to write a script for the new Lethal Weapon movie.
Get out your torches and pitchforks, folks… it looks like Warner Brothers is the early stages of rebooting the beloved Lethal Weapon series. After years of rumours about a possible fifth installment (with Mel Gibson himself apparently being the main holdout), it seems that they have finally decided to move on without Gibson and Glover and start over again from scratch. Heat Vision reports that the departure of studio exec Jessica Goodman has led to a number of stalled WB projects being re-assigned to new producers with the hopes of getting them off the ground again. Some of the other projects being considered include remakes of The Dirty Dozen, Westworld, and The Wild Bunch. Oh yes, I can already sense the outrage brewing.
While Westworld is a more obscure sci-fi film that might actually benefit from an update, I am pretty sure that most people see both The Dirty Dozen and The Wild Bunch as classics that should never be touched. However, the recent success of The Coen Brothers’ True Grit remake probably makes Sam Peckinpah’s western the most likely of these to be revamped in the near future.
As for Lethal Weapon, there is not much info to go on at the moment, but Heat Vision suggests that a smaller, grittier take on the series might be the way to go. Personally, I think that Mel Gibson and Danny Glover will forever be seen as Riggs and Murtaugh, and Warner Brothers would be crazy to mess with that. Even if they could get Shane Black on board to write a new script (he is apparently adapting the Japanese manga Death Note right now), they’d be better off calling it something else. What do you think, could a newer, younger Lethal Weapon actually be successful or would a reboot cause a backlash? Can you think of two actors that could easily step into the shoes of Gibson and Glover?
Comments (17)
I could see a reboot at least years have passed since the originals not like Spiderman etc, it could exist in the same universe as the originals and maybe feature Mel and Danny in cameos or even in a background photo on the wall at the station. Its not a far stretch that 20 plus years later a new pair of mismatched cops could come together, heard Shane Black penned a script a year or so back and am sure it could be reworked for new stars. Also whats wrong with rebooting Wild Bunch and Dirty Dozen, I would love to see a new version of those.
Posted by Ryan on January 20th, 2011Its a very bad and dumb idea.
Posted by Juan on January 20th, 2011Why would you reboot the Lethal Weapon series? It like trying to reboot classics sush as Forrest Gump. It’s just unnecessary.
Hollywood please do originality!
I’m getting too old for this shit.
Posted by Mark In Ottawa on January 20th, 2011hahaha @ Mark
Posted by Mike on January 20th, 2011Did someone just call Forrest Gump a classic?
Posted by Colin on January 20th, 2011this century sucks – the great recession and the great Hollywood reboot!!!
Posted by rus in chicago on January 20th, 2011In my opinion, the only movies that should be rebooted, are the movies that either originally sucked or are considered outdated films (for examples, the original DEATH RACE 2000, CASINO ROYAL,ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, or even GET CARTER). However… There are certain films that do seem ta do just about as well as the originals, like TRUE GRIT; but I don’t think a
Posted by Derek on January 20th, 2011LETHAL WEAPON reboot is really one of them. I mean what’s next… a reboot of DIE HARD; of even worst, a reboot of DONNIE DARKO?
I say if it ain’t really broke don’t fix it.
@Colin yes i did
Posted by Juan on January 20th, 2011The word reboot is such a game changer!
Posted by Boomer on January 20th, 2011But if they absolutely had to make a reboot of this awesome franchise, I would have to say that the best actors to fill the shoes of Mel and Danny would definitely be Jeremy Renner as Riggs and
Posted by Derek on January 20th, 2011Michael Jai White as Murtaugh. When I saw, Renner’s performance in THE HURT LOCKER, I couldn’t help but totally see Martin Rigg’s suicidal like recklessness all through the film. It kind of made me wonder what Riggs was like in the first Lethal Weapon, or even possibly when the character was serving in Vietnam; which was never shown in the movies.
Who wants to bet that this will be PG-13?
Posted by rjdelight on January 20th, 2011So the heads at WB read my comment on the last podcast and saw my suggestion about Debbie Gibson and Crispin Glover? Awesome, I’ll wait for my million dollar check then.
Posted by Swarez on January 20th, 2011How about Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds, Dharma & Greg) and Donald Glover (Community)? Then it’d still be Gibson & Glover. Makes about as much sense as anybody else.
Posted by Brendan on January 20th, 2011@Swarez: I didn’t see your Gibson & Glover post before mine. I’ll sign over the million dollar check.
Posted by Brendan on January 20th, 2011BTW, new game show idea: Hillary Swank hosts Million Dollar Baby Drop! You can take that to the bank.
Naaaahhh… How ’bout not.
Posted by Fatbologna on January 20th, 2011Why would you reboot a series that was pretty much only successful because of the actors, not the characters?
Posted by Rynn on January 20th, 2011Why would they reboot it? Because it’s a recognizable franchise and these days that means everything. Whether or not it’s still a profitable franchise that remains to be seen, but they’re of course going to try. Also, a reboot wasn’t the first choice for Joel Silver and Shane Black. They tried really hard to get LW5 off the ground a couple of years ago and Mel Gibson nixed it, not because of his social life but because he passed on the project.
I’ve also heard that this reboot may not be a total “start from scratch” flick, because it may involve the children of Riggs and Murtagh. My gut reaction to this reboot news was like the majority, but depending on who they get to star and to direct, you never know.
Time will tell. But as we all know the internet has no patience…
Posted by rjdelight on January 21st, 2011Leave a Reply