Mel Gibson has been developing two high-profile sequels — Lethal Weapon 5 and The Passion of the Christ 2 — but he isn’t sure which project he’ll direct first.
“I don’t know, and that’s the funny thing,” Gibson told ComicBook.com. “I mean, there’s various obstacles to getting any film up on its feet, and not just budgetary, but there’s like, there’s 1,000,001 reason why something goes and why it doesn’t. So it’s really kind of a crapshoot at this point what goes first and which came first, whether it’s the chicken or the egg.“
Richard Donner directed the first four movies in the Lethal Weapon franchise, but after he passed away, the responsibility for the fifth installment fell to Gibson. “I’m going to direct the fifth film in the Lethal Weapon series. You know, Richard Donner, who did the other four, sadly passed away. He was a good friend, and he kind of tasked me with carrying the flag home on that one,” Gibson said earlier this summer. “It’ll be an honor for me to do that. He [Richard Donner] had gotten a fair way into the screenplay, so we’ve used what was there, and we kept poking at it, working at it a little. I’m pretty happy with it, it’s good, I had a lot of fun doing it.” In addition to directing, Gibson would also reprise his role of Martin Riggs alongside Danny Glover as Roger Murtaugh.
As for The Passion of the Christ 2, Gibson was recently doing some location scouting for the project. Jim Caviezel is expected to return as Jesus Christ, with the story focusing on the events surrounding the resurrection. Last year, Gibson teased that he was working on two very different versions of the script. “I have two scripts and one of them is very structured and very strong script and kind of more what should expect and the other is like an acid trip,” Gibson said. “Because you’re going into other realms and stuff. I mean you’re in hell and you’re watching the angels fall. It’s like crazy.“
Our next helping of Gibson will arrive with Flight Risk, an action thriller he directed from a script by Jared Rosenberg. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as a pilot transporting an Air Marshall (Michelle Dockery) who is accompanying a fugitive (Topher Grace) to trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar, and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is who they seem. The film will hit theaters on January 24, 2025.
Also, you should keep an eye out on JoBlo next week, as we’ll be posting our own exclusive interview with Mel Gibson. Stay tuned!
Would you like to see Mel Gibson direct Lethal Weapon 5 or The Passion of the Christ 2 as his next project?