Warner Bros. is looking to reboot the Lethal Weapon franchise and according to The Tracking Board, they want Justin Lin and Chris Hemsworth to lead the way. The plot will supposedly follow Hemsworth as the son of an older cop (likely Riggs) as he attempts to join the police force. By making him the son of Riggs, it will allow the film to have a connection to the original series, which means that it’s very likely that we’ll be seeing a cameo from Mel Gibson and/or Danny Glover.
Will Beall is the one penning the script for the reboot and The Tracking Board says that Shane Black, who wrote the original Lethal Weapon, will have some input on the project as well. What that means is a bit unclear, but he’ll likely be advising in some capacity, which is a smart idea.
Now, this isn’t confirmed just yet, and is simply a rumor at this point. While I don’t doubt that it’s true (Warner Bros. has wanted to reboot the series for a while now), neither Lin or Hemsworth have been locked down, and considering that they both have very busy schedules, it’s likely that some conflicts may arise. Hemsworth, of course, has his Marvel commitments, among other things, and Lin is set to direct The Bourne Legacy sequel as well as the crime thriller Times Square. Both men are very in demand at the moment and that may keep them from doing Lethal Weapon 5.
If this does all work out though, I can’t say that I’d be disappointed. While the original Lethal Weapon films worked so well because of the amazing chemistry between Gibson and Glover, I definitely think that the reboot stands a chance of succeeding. Lin has proven himself to be one of the most exciting action directors with his entries into the Fast and Furious franchise. Likewise, Hemsworth is proving himself to be a suitable action star and leading man. Together, the two of them could put something really exciting together.
Of course, a lot of the film’s success will depend on who co-stars with Hemsworth and if the two can re-capture that electrifying chemistry that we saw from Gibson and Glover (the script also helped, too). I’m pretty confident though that this can all work out and I’m definitely excited to see where it goes.
Tell us, do you want to see Justin Lin and Chris Hemsworth make Lethal Weapon 5?