Lethal Weapon ( franchise ) - wikipedia Lethal Weapon ( franchise ) Lethal Weapon Lethal Weapon collection Blu - ray cover Directed by Richard Donner Produced by Richard Donner Joel Silver Screenplay by Lethal Weapon : Shane Black Lethal Weapon 2 : Jeffrey Boam Lethal Weapon 3 : Jeffrey Boam Robert Mark Kamen Lethal Weapon 4 : Channing Gibson Story by Lethal Weapon 2 : Shane Black Warren Murphy Lethal Weapon 3 : Jeffrey Boam Lethal Weapon 4 : Jonathan Lemkin Alfred Gough Miles Millar Starring Films : Mel Gibson Danny Glover Joe Pesci TV series : Clayne Crawford Damon Wayans Keesha Sharp Music by Michael Kamen Eric Clapton David Sanborn Production company Warner Bros. Pictures, Silver Pictures Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Release date 1987 -- 1998 ( films ) 2016 -- present ( television series ) Country United States Language English Budget $215 million Box office $955,237,243 Lethal Weapon is an American buddy cop action comedy franchise created by Shane Black. It focuses on two Los Angeles Police Department ( LAPD ) detectives, Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. The franchise consists of four films released between 1987 and 1998, as well as a television series in 2016. 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. Contents 1 Films 1.1 Lethal Weapon ( 1987 ) 1.2 Lethal Weapon 2 ( 1989 ) 1.3 Lethal Weapon 3 ( 1992 ) 1.4 Lethal Weapon 4 ( 1998 ) 2 Future 3 Television 3.1 Lethal Weapon ( 2016 -- present ) 4 Cast 4.1 Films 4.2 Television series 5 Crew 6 Reception 6.1 Box office performance 6.2 Critical and public response 7 References Films Lethal Weapon ( 1987 ) Main article : Lethal Weapon 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, 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 ) Main article : Lethal Weapon 2 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 form a bond. 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 ) Main article : Lethal Weapon 3 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 ) Main article : Lethal Weapon 4 While both Lorna, and Murtaugh 's daughter Rianne are pregnant, Riggs, Murtaugh, and Leo team up with 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. Murtaugh and Riggs slay dozens of Chinese gangsters and ultimately manage to catch up with the boss of the smuggling ring. Future There has been talk of a fifth Lethal Weapon film, although both Mel Gibson and Danny Glover have 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. A spec script treatment was written by Shane Black, leading to rumors that the sequel was on fast track by Warner Bros. with Black in the director 's chair. Actor Columbus Short said he was being considered for the role of Murtaugh 's son. Director Richard Donner was not involved with these plans, but had his own ideas for a Lethal Weapon 5. According to the LA Times, Gibson refused to reprise his role as Martin Riggs for the fifth time, which Donner thought was out of personal loyalty because Donner is not involved. Joel Silver later confirmed Gibson 's lack of interest in the project. `` We talked about it, but it was something that Mel did n't want to do now, '' he explained. `` It does n't mean that he does n't want to do it ever, but as of right now, he does n't. '' There are presently no plans for a fifth movie. It was reported by The Tracking Board that the studio was planning to reboot the film series with the working title `` Lionhunters '', with Justin Lin directing, Will Beall writing, Black involved in the new film and Chris Hemsworth on the producers ' radar for the starring role. The movie reboot with Hemsworth has been put on hold because of the TV series reboot. In November 2017, Mel Gibson hinted that a fifth movie might happen and that himself along with 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. Pictures greenlighting the film and Donner has recruited Channing Gibson, the original screenwriter from the fourth film, to begin writing the script. The story will take place in present day and will be the final film in the series. Television Lethal Weapon ( 2016 -- present ) Main article : Lethal Weapon ( TV series ) Deadline reported that Matthew Miller will create and co-executive produce a Lethal Weapon TV series with Dan Lin and Jennifer Gwartz for Fox. 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. 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. and Johnathan Fernandez as Scorsese. Fox gave Lethal Weapon a series order on May 10, 2016. Cast The series is notable as having significant continuity within its cast, with every recurring character in each film being played by the same actor or actress throughout. Even relatively minor characters, such as Roger Murtaugh 's younger family members and his L.A.P.D. co-workers, are played repeatedly by the same people ( although some of these characters are killed off as the series progresses ). Films Characters Film Lethal Weapon ( 1987 ) Lethal Weapon 2 ( 1989 ) Lethal Weapon 3 ( 1992 ) Lethal Weapon 4 ( 1998 ) Martin Riggs Mel Gibson Roger Murtaugh Danny Glover Trish Murtaugh Darlene Love Rianne Murtaugh Traci Wolfe Nick Murtaugh Damon Hines Carrie Murtaugh Ebonie Smith Captain Ed Murphy Steve Kahan Dr. Stephanie Woods Mary Ellen Trainor Gen. Peter McAllister Mitchell Ryan Mr. Joshua Gary Busey Michael Hunsaker Tom Atkins Leo Getz Joe Pesci Arjen Rudd Joss Ackland Pieter Vorstedt Derrick O'Connor Rika van den Haas Patsy Kensit Mickey McGee Jack McGee Lorna Cole Rene Russo Jack Travis Stuart Wilson Lee Butters Chris Rock Wah Sing Ku Jet Li Uncle Benny Chan Kim Chan Detective Ng Calvin Jung Television series Characters Lethal Weapon ( 2016 -- present ) Martin Riggs Clayne Crawford Roger Murtaugh Damon Wayans Trish Murtaugh Keesha Sharp Captain Brooks Avery Kevin Rahm Dr. Maureen Cahill Jordana Brewster Scorsese Johnathan Fernandez Detective Sonya Bailey Michelle Mitchenor Leo Getz Thomas Lennon Karen Palmer Hilarie Burton Detective Alejandro `` Alex '' Cruz Richard Cabral Miranda Riggs Floriana Lima Ronnie Delgado Tony Plana Crew Position Film Lethal Weapon Lethal Weapon 2 Lethal Weapon 3 Lethal Weapon 4 Director Richard Donner Writers Shane Black Robert Mark Kamen Jonathan Lemkin Jeffrey Boam Alfred Gough & Miles Millar Warren Murphy Channing Gibson Producers Richard Donner Joel Silver Composers Eric Clapton Michael Kamen David Sanborn Director of Photography Stephen Goldblatt Jan de Bont Andrzej Bartkowiak Editors Stuart Baird Robert Brown & Battle Davis Dallas Puett, Kevin Stitt, Eric Strand & Frank J. Urioste Production Designer J. Michael Riva James Spencer J. Michael Riva Reception Box Office performance Film Release date Box office revenue Box office ranking Budget Reference 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 Lethal Weapon 2 July 7, 1989 $147,253,986 $80,600,000 $227,853,986 # 190 # 172 # 323 $25 million Lethal Weapon 3 May 15, 1992 $144,731,527 $177,000,000 $321,731,527 # 199 # 189 # 189 $35 million Lethal Weapon 4 July 10, 1998 $130,444,603 $155,000,000 $285,444,603 # 255 # 236 $140 million Total $487,637,243 $467,600,000 $955,237,243 $215 million List indicator ( s ) A dark grey cell indicates the information is not available for the film. ( E ) indicates an estimated figure based on available numbers. indicates the adjusted totals based on current ticket prices ( calculated by Box Office Mojo ). Critical and public response Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore Lethal Weapon 84 % 67 Lethal Weapon 2 83 % 70 A+ Lethal Weapon 3 56 % 36 A -- Lethal Weapon 4 52 % 37 A -- List indicator ( s ) A dark grey cell indicates the information is not available for the film. References Jump up ^ Kegar, Kirby ( August 6, 2007 ). `` Will Lethal Weapon be reloaded ? ''. Moviehole. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved October 27, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Gibson and Glover Up for Lethal Weapon 5 ? ''. ComingSoon.net. August 6, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2009. Jump up ^ Vejvoda, Jim ( October 6, 2008 ). `` Lethal Weapon 5 Exclusive ''. IGN. Retrieved October 27, 2009. Jump up ^ Boucher, Geoff ( October 13, 2008 ). `` Richard Donner says ' Lethal Weapon 5 ' is ' dead in the water ' ''. Los Angeles Times blog. Retrieved October 27, 2009. Jump up ^ Douglas, Edward ( November 9, 2008 ). `` Joel Silver & Susan Downey on Sgt. Rock & More ''. ComingSoon.net. Retrieved October 27, 2009. Jump up ^ `` ' Lethal Weapon 5 ' is NOT Dead ''. WorstPreviews. November 10, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2009. Jump up ^ Barnes, Madison ( May 8, 2014 ). `` ( TB EXCLUSIVE ) CHRIS HEMSWORTH OFFERED A `` LETHAL WEAPON '' IN FRANCHISE REBOOT ``. The Tracking Board. Retrieved May 8, 2014. Jump up ^ https://spocklight.podbean.com/e/supplemental-6-interview-with-richard-donner/ Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( October 2, 2015 ). `` Lethal Weapon TV Series From Forever Creator Set At Fox As Put Pilot ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved October 3, 2015. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( March 10, 2016 ). `` ' Lethal Weapon ' : Clayne Crawford To Star As Mel Gibson 's Martin Riggs In Fox Pilot ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved March 11, 2016. Jump up ^ Stanhope, Kate ; Goldberg, Lesley ( February 12, 2016 ). `` Damon Wayans Sr. to Star in Fox 's Lethal Weapon Pilot ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 14, 2016. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( February 19, 2016 ). `` ' Lethal Weapon ' Pilot : Golden Brooks Cast ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved March 9, 2016. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( March 3, 2016 ). `` ' Lethal Weapon ' Pilot : Jordana Brewster To Co-Star ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved March 3, 2016. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( March 7, 2016 ). `` ' Lethal Weapon ' : Kevin Rahm To Co-Star In Fox Pilot ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved March 7, 2016. Jump up ^ Petski, Denise ( March 16, 2016 ). `` ' Lethal Weapon ' Casts Chandler Kinney ; Sarayu Blue Joins ' No Tomorrow ' ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved March 16, 2016. Jump up ^ Ge, Linda ( March 15, 2016 ). `` ' Lethal Weapon ' Pilot Casts Newcomer as Murtaugh 's Son ( Exclusive ) ''. TheWrap. Retrieved March 16, 2016. Jump up ^ Petski, Denise ( March 17, 2016 ). `` ' Lethal Weapon ' Pilot Casts Johnathan Fernandez ; Tommy Savas In ' The Fluffy Shop ' ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved March 17, 2016. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( March 17, 2016 ). `` ' Lethal Weapon ' Fox Pilot : Keesha Sharp Set For Co-Starring Role In Recasting ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved March 17, 2016. Jump up ^ Andreeva, Nellie ( May 10, 2016 ). `` ' The Exorcist ', ' Lethal Weapon ', ' Making History ', ' Pitch ', ' The Mick ' & ' APB ' Get Fox Series Orders ''. Deadline.com. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved May 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon ( 1987 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon - Production Budget ''. The - Numbers. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon 2 ( 1989 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon 3 ( 1992 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon 4 ( 1998 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon ( 1987 ) : Reviews ''. Metacritic. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon 2 ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon 2 ( 1989 ) : Reviews ''. Metacritic. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon 3 ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon 3 ( 1992 ) : Reviews ''. Metacritic. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon 4 ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Lethal Weapon 4 ( 1998 ) : Reviews ''. Metacritic. Retrieved December 2, 2009. Lethal Weapon Films Lethal Weapon ( Soundtrack ) ( 1987 ) Lethal Weapon 2 ( 1989 ) Lethal Weapon 3 ( 1992 ) Lethal Weapon 4 ( 1998 ) Television Lethal Weapon ( Episodes ) Characters Martin Riggs Roger Murtaugh Songs `` Cheer Down '' `` It 's Probably Me '' Games Video game Pinball Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lethal_Weapon_(franchise)&oldid=816000160 '' Categories : English - language films American film series Films adapted into television programs Lethal Weapon Warner Bros. franchises Film series introduced in 1987 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Italiano עברית Edit links This page was last edited on 18 December 2017, at 16 : 14. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when was the last lethal weapon movie made
Answer: 1998