Lethal Weapon (franchise)
Lethal Weapon | |
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File:Lethal Weapon (franchise logo).png
Official franchise logo
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Created by | Shane Black |
Original work | Lethal Weapon |
Owner | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Years | 1987–present |
Films and television | |
Film(s) | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
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Television series | Lethal Weapon (2016–2019) |
Games | |
Video game(s) | Lethal Weapon (1992) |
Audio | |
Soundtrack(s) | List of soundtracks |
Original music | List of original songs |
Miscellaneous | |
Theme park attraction(s) | Lethal Weapon – The Ride (1995–2012) |
Pinball |
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Lethal Weapon is an American buddy cop action-comedy media franchise created by Shane Black. It focuses on two Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detectives, Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. The franchise originally consisted of a series of four films released between 1987 and 1998, and later a television series which aired from 2016 to 2019. All four films in the series were directed by Richard Donner and also share many of the same core cast members, while the television series recast the main roles with younger actors instead. Though the first film was not explicitly a comedy, the later films and the television series gradually became comedic in nature.
Films
Film | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Story by | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) |
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Lethal Weapon | March 6, 1987 | Richard Donner | Shane Black | Richard Donner & Joel Silver | |
Lethal Weapon 2 | July 7, 1989 | Shane Black & Warren Murphy | Jeffrey Boam | ||
Lethal Weapon 3 | May 15, 1992 | Jeffrey Boam | Jeffrey Boam & Robert Mark Kamen | ||
Lethal Weapon 4 | July 10, 1998 | Jonathan Lemkin & Alfred Gough and Miles Millar | Channing Gibson | ||
Lethal Finale | TBA | TBA | Richard Donner & Dan Lin |
Lethal Weapon (1987)
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Anxious with age and retirement, homicide detective Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is partnered with young and suicidal narcotics officer Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson). Together, they work the case of the alleged suicide of Amanda Hunsaker (Jackie Swanson), daughter of a wealthy businessman who served with Murtaugh in Vietnam. Murtaugh and Riggs soon discover that Hunsaker was involved in a heroin-smuggling scheme led by a retired general (Mitchell Ryan) and his lead enforcer (Gary Busey).
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
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During a car chase, Riggs and Murtaugh stumble upon a trunk full of smuggled South African Krugerrands. This sparks a series of attempts at their lives, forcing them to take a less dangerous case, protecting Leo Getz (Joe Pesci), a loud-mouthed whistleblower with whom they gradually bond and befriend. However, they realize that Getz was involved in the same South African illegal activities. As a result, the three men become entangled in a drug-smuggling operation involving South African diplomats in Los Angeles, using their immunity and biting wit as a shield. Riggs kills the murderer of his wife who is among the criminals.
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
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As Murtaugh, who is one week from retiring, and Riggs investigate a robbery committed using a duplicate armored car, they find themselves in the middle of an Internal Affairs investigation led by Sergeant Lorna Cole (Rene Russo). With assistance from Leo, they learn that the subject of the investigation is a rogue AWOL cop (Stuart Wilson) who is stealing impounded weapons and selling them on the black market. During the investigation, Murtaugh shoots and kills a teenager who attacks him and Riggs; he turns out to be a friend of his own son. This prompts Murtaugh to capture the man responsible for the distribution of illegal firearms and to rethink his retirement.
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
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While Lorna and Murtaugh's daughter Rianne are both pregnant, Riggs and Murtaugh once again team up with Leo as well as rookie Detective Lee Butters (Chris Rock) to investigate a Chinese immigrant smuggling ring. Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li) is a ruthless enforcer who personally attempts to murder Murtaugh's family by burning them alive in their own home. As the story progresses, Murtaugh discovers that Lee is the father of his daughter's unborn child. The two slay dozens of Chinese gangsters and ultimately manage to catch up with the boss of the smuggling ring. Riggs and Lorna are married at the end of the film as their child is born.
Lethal Finale (TBA)
There had long been talk of a fifth Lethal Weapon film, although both Mel Gibson and Danny Glover had initially expressed a lack of interest. In 2007, Moviehole.net received word from sources that Warner Bros. were in the early stages of trying to relaunch the Lethal Weapon series sometime in 2009 or later.[1] A spec script treatment was written by Shane Black and Chuck Mondry,[2][3] leading to rumors that the sequel was on fast track by Warner Bros. with Black in the director's chair. In 2008, Richard Donner said, "Mel turned it down. I would like to think that Mel turned it down because I wasn't involved." Donner said that he and Lethal Weapon 4 writer Channing Gibson "had an incredibly strong story for the fifth movie" but that the studio had opted to work with Joel Silver instead.[4]
In November 2017, Mel Gibson hinted that a fifth movie might happen and that he, Richard Donner, and Danny Glover have discussed the idea to return. In December 2017, Donner confirmed in an interview on the Spocklight podcast that Gibson and Glover have agreed to return as Riggs and Murtaugh respectively and that he has a story all set. The only obstacle is Warner Bros. greenlighting the film. Channing Gibson remains involved as screenwriter. The story will take place in present day and is intended to be the final film in the series.[5] In February 2018, Donner revealed the film's official title to be Lethal Finale; while also stating that the film is being held up by the production company and story.[6] In January 2020, producer Dan Lin confirmed that Lethal Weapon 5 is in active development, with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover confirmed to return, and Richard Donner returning to direct, but that a script had not yet been finalized.[7] In December 2020, Richard Donner confirmed that he is developing the sequel and will produce and direct it, adding that it will be the last film he directs.[8] However, Donner died on July 5, 2021, leaving the fate of the film unknown.[9]
Television
Lethal Weapon (2016–2019)
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Deadline reported that Matthew Miller will create and co-executive produce a Lethal Weapon TV series with Dan Lin and Jennifer Gwartz for Fox.[10] In February 2016, The Hollywood Reporter reported that FOX had officially picked up the Lethal Weapon pilot, with McG directing and Clayne Crawford as Riggs and Damon Wayans as Murtaugh.[11][12] The cast was further expanded in February and March, with Keesha Sharp replacing Golden Brooks as Trish, Jordana Brewster as Dr. Maureen Cahill, Kevin Rahm as Captain Brooks Avery, Chandler Kinney as Riana Murtaugh, Dante Brown as Roger "R.J." Murtaugh Jr., Johnathan Fernandez as Scorsese, and Thomas Lennon in the recurring role of Leo Getz.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Fox gave Lethal Weapon a series order on May 10, 2016.[20] For the third season, Crawford was replaced by Seann William Scott, as a new character named Wesley Cole. Crawford was fired from the show after Fox and Warner Bros. refused to aid in escalating tensions between Crawford and Wayans, and the series killed off the character of Riggs.[21] On May 10, 2019, after three seasons Fox canceled the show.[22] List of Lethal Weapon episodes
Cast and crew
Cast
Key
- A Y indicates the actor portrayed the role of a younger version of the character.
- A P indicates the actor portrayed the role of the character in a photograph.
- A dark gray cell indicates the character was not in the film.
Characters | Films | Television series | ||||
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Lethal Weapon | Lethal Weapon 2 | Lethal Weapon 3 | Lethal Weapon 4 | Lethal Finale | Lethal Weapon | |
1987 | 1989 | 1992 | 1998 | TBA | 2016 – 2019 | |
The Gang | ||||||
Martin Riggs | Mel Gibson | Clayne Crawford[lower-alpha 1] | ||||
Roger Murtaugh | Danny Glover | Damon Wayans | ||||
Leo Getz | Joe Pesci | TBA | Thomas Lennon | |||
Lorna Cole Riggs | Rene Russo | Seann William Scott[lower-alpha 2] (as Wesley Cole) |
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Lee Butters | Chris Rock | |||||
Riggs' Love Interests | ||||||
Victoria Lynn Riggs | Uncredited ActressP | Mentioned | Mentioned | Floriana Lima (as Miranda Riggs) |
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Rika van den Hass | Patsy Kensit | |||||
Karen Palmer | Hilarie Burton | |||||
Molly Hendricks | Kristen Gutoskie[lower-alpha 3] | |||||
Murtaugh's Family | ||||||
Trish Murtaugh | Darlene Love | TBA | Keesha Sharp | |||
Rianne Murtaugh | Traci Wolfe | Chandler Kinney (as Riana Murtaugh) |
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Nick Murtaugh | Damon Hines | Dante Brown (as Roger Murtaugh Jr.) |
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Carrie Murtaugh | Ebonie Smith | |||||
The Cast | ||||||
Captain Ed Murphy | Steve Kahan | TBA | Kevin Rahm (as Captain Brooks Avery) |
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Dr. Stephanie Woods | Mary Ellen Trainor | Jordana Brewster (as Dr. Maureen Cahill) |
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Mr. Joshua | Gary Busey | |||||
Gen. Peter McAlliser | Mitchell Ryan | |||||
Michael Hunsaker | Tom Atkins | |||||
Arjen Rudd | Joss Ackland | |||||
Pieter Vorstedt | Derrick O'Connor | |||||
Rika van den Haas | Patsy Kensit | |||||
Mickey McGee | Jack McGee | |||||
Jack Travis | Stuart Wilson | |||||
Tyrone | Gregory Millar | |||||
Wah Sing Ku | Jet Li | |||||
Uncle Benny Chan | Kim Chan | |||||
Hong | Eddy Ko | |||||
Detective Ng | Calvin Jung | |||||
Bernard Scorsese | Johnathan Fernandez | |||||
Detective Sonya Bailey | Michelle Mitchenor | |||||
Detective Alejandro "Alex" Cruz | Richard Cabral | |||||
Detective Zach Bowman | Andrew Creer | |||||
Natalie Flynn | Maggie Lawson | |||||
Erica Malick | Nishi Munshi | |||||
Louie "The Gute" Gutierrez | Paola Lázaro |
Crew
Crew/Detail | Film | |||
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Lethal Weapon | Lethal Weapon 2 | Lethal Weapon 3 | Lethal Weapon 4 | |
1987 | 1989 | 1992 | 1998 | |
Director | Richard Donner | |||
Producer(s) | Richard Donner Joel Silver |
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Screenwriter(s) | Shane Black | Jeffrey Boam | Jeffrey Boam Robert Mark Kamen |
Channing Gibson |
Story by | Shane Black Warren Murphy |
Jeffrey Boam | Jonathan Lemkin Alfred Gough Miles Millar |
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Composer(s) | Michael Kamen Eric Clapton |
Michael Kamen Eric Clapton David Sanborn |
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Director of photography | Stephen Goldblatt | Jan de Bont | Andrzej Bartkowiak | |
Editor(s) | Stuart Baird | Robert Brown Battle Davis |
Frank J. Urioste Dallas Puett |
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Production companies | Silver Pictures | Silver Pictures Doshudo Productions |
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Distributor | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Reception
Box office performance
Film | Release date | Box office revenue | Box office ranking | Budget | Reference | ||||
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North America | Other territories | Worldwide | All time domestic | All time worldwide | |||||
Lethal Weapon | March 6, 1987 | $65,207,127 | $55,000,000 | $120,207,127 | #795 | $15 million | [23][24] | ||
Lethal Weapon 2 | July 7, 1989 | $147,253,986 | $80,600,000 | $227,853,986 | #190 #172(A) |
#323 | $25 million | [25] | |
Lethal Weapon 3 | May 15, 1992 | $144,731,527 | $177,000,000 | $321,731,527 | #199 #189(A) |
#189 | $35 million | [26] | |
Lethal Weapon 4 | July 10, 1998 | $130,444,603 | $155,000,000 | $285,444,603 | #255 | #236 | $140 million | [27] | |
Total | $487,637,243 | $467,600,000 | $955,237,243 | $215 million(E) | |||||
List indicator(s)
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Critical and public response
Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore |
---|---|---|---|
Lethal Weapon | 80% (56 reviews)[28] | 68 (23 reviews)[29] | A[30] |
Lethal Weapon 2 | 82% (45 reviews)[31] | 70 (21 reviews)[32] | A+[30] |
Lethal Weapon 3 | 60% (48 reviews)[33] | 40 (26 reviews)[34] | A–[35] |
Lethal Weapon 4 | 54% (68 reviews)[36] | 37 (21 reviews)[37] | A–[30] |
Music
Soundtracks
Title | U.S. release date | Length | Performed by | Label |
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Lethal Weapon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | 1987 | 40:00 | Michael Kamen, Eric Clapton and David Sanborn | Warner Bros. Records |
Lethal Weapon 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | 1989 | |||
Lethal Weapon 3: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | 1992 | |||
Lethal Weapon 4: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | December 3, 2013 | La-La Land Records | ||
Lethal Weapon: Soundtrack Collection | 464:51 |
Singles
Title | U.S. release date | Length | Artist(s) | Label | Film |
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"Cheer Down" | August 22, 1989 | 4:08 | George Harrison | Warner Bros. Records | Lethal Weapon 2 |
"It's Probably Me" | June 23, 1992 | 4:41 | Sting feat. Eric Clapton | A&M | Lethal Weapon 3 |
"Runaway Train" | July 20, 1992 | 3:56 | Elton John and Eric Clapton | MCA and Rocket |
Other media
Video game
- Lethal Weapon – Based on Lethal Weapon 3. Released in 1992
Pinball
- Lethal Weapon – Based on Lethal Weapon 3. Released in 1992
Theme park ride
References
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- ↑ https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/919259-donner-reveals-lethal-weapon-5-title-but-is-doubtful-it-will-happen
- ↑ https://popculture.com/movies/2020/01/28/lethal-weapon-5-mel-gibson-danny-glover-set-to-return/
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