The Boys are Back in Town?
Article by Ray Schillaci
In an interview with The Telegraph days ago, famed director Richard Donner revealed that he is once again taking the director reins at the age of 91 to deliver the last installment of the beloved franchise Lethal Weapon with its major stars intact. Yes, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are back. No word as to whether or not Joe Pesci will make an appearance. Donner insists that this will be the final installment and knowing Gibson, he’ll probably agree since he refused to do a fifth one in 2007 that Warner Brothers greenlit, but without Donner.
Whatever you may think of Gibson, the one thing that can be said is that he can be a loyal and dedicated friend. He couldn’t see doing another Lethal Weapon without the talented director that helmed all four movies. Donner made his mark in television in the early ’60s with such diverse and popular shows as The Rifleman, The Twilight Zone, Get Smart, even the wacky children’s show The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, among others. In ’76 he finally received the chance at a feature film and managed to scare and shock audiences with The Omen.
The film rocketed him to feature film fame and he continued his winning streak with Superman, Superman II, Ladyhawke, The Goonies and the Lethal Weapon franchise. Besides blockbusters, Donner also displayed a sensitive side with his title indie Inside Moves that developed a strong cult following. The director has not directed a movie since 2006, but that is not hampering his enthusiasm for the project and has hinted that he wants to end the franchise on an emotional note which seems to deviate from the last Lethal Weapon that appeared to be a fond and fun farewell.
Danny Glover has been working consistently and continued to display his humor and knack for adventure in the sequel to Jumanji. On the other hand, Mel still finds himself surrounded in controversy and some bad films that did not help his stature. But, he recently returned vibrant and fun in the very dark comedy Fatman. Could the reemergence of this terrific trio mean another box office bonanza? Could they prove that age does not matter when it comes to an action film? And, could this be a jumpstart for Mel’s career? And, why not make it a fantastic four and invite original writer Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys) back to the fold?
Only time will tell how this project will turn out, and with Donner’s age we can only hope that he sees this film through. I know Die Hard is considered a favorite Christmas movie to some, but for my money, the first two Lethal Weapon movies are more fun for the yule tide spirit. In fact, Die Hard only had a Christmas background after producer Joel Silver saw how well it worked in Lethal Weapon.
If writer Black ends up on board, we may get another Christmas themed Weapon since he has proven a penchant for using the holiday as a background as he did for the first two Lethal Weapon films, The Last Boy Scout, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3 and The Nice Guys. So, chalk up another wish on a list to Santa for a fun-filled return to a Riggs and Murtaugh adventure helmed by Black and Donner.
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