1987’sLethal Weaponwas more than just another buddy action picture of the time. Within the dark intensity of its violence and cynical humor, novice screenwriterShane Blackfound an emotional core to the partnership between a cop with a death wish opposite a family-oriented veteran detective looking to retire. OnceSuperman: The MoviedirectorRichard Donnercame on board, he castMad Max’sMel Gibsonwith one ofThe Color Purple’s breakout actors,Danny Glover, to bring Black’s characters to life. Together,magic was made on the silver screenand audiences were captivated by the duo. In approachingLethal Weapon 2, however,a shift in creative directionchanged the course of the franchise for the worse.
WhenLethal Weapon 2hit cinemas in the summer of 1989, it not onlysurpassed the original 1987 movie’s box office, but also earned wider praise from critics. Audiences loved the large-scale action sequences, the comedic timing of Gibson and Glover, and the addition ofRaging Bull’sJoe Pescias federal witness Leo Getz. Despite its massive success, none of it was what Black intended when he initially returned to write a first draft even darker than the original.
‘Lethal Weapon’ Was Not Intended To Have Sequels
Inspired byDirty Harryand his love for pulp detective novels, then-UCLA graduateBlack sold hisLethal Weaponscript to Warner Bros.for a record $250,000 in 1985. The premise wasBlack’s signature style of storytelling: Against the backdrop of the Christmas holiday, LAPD detectives Martin Riggs (Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Glover) are paired up to investigate a prostitute’s murder at the hands of ex-Vietnam veterans dealing drugs. Simultaneously,the movie finds its levity through Riggs discovering a renewed life through his partnership with Murtaughand his acceptance into his new partner’s family circle.
The 1998 documentaryPure Lethal! New Angles. New Scenes. And Explosive Outtakes, found in theLethal Weapon Collectionon Blu-ray, featured footage from Black’s scripted endingwith no intention of a sequel. Having defeated the drug dealers to save his partner’s daughter, Riggs separates from Murtaugh as partners. Much like the theme of appreciating the preciousness of life in Frank Capra’sIt’s a Wonderful Life,Lethal Weapon’s original ending symbolized how the events of the story gave a new meaning of survival to its heroes.For Riggs, he could start his life over rather than end it. Simultaneously, Murtaugh gets talked by Riggs into not retiring from the force. Warner Bros., however, saw big money in an ongoing franchise and had Donner reshoot the ending with Riggs beingwelcomed into the Murtaugh household for Christmas as part of the movie’s theme of friendship.This was one of the first signs of a deviation from Black’s vision, and it would not be the last.
‘Lethal Weapon 2’s Original Script Was Much Darker
FollowingLethal Weapon’s success, Warner Bros. and producerJoel Silverimmediately hired Black to write the sequel. At the time of his return, however,Black was suffering from depressionafter a breakup with his girlfriend during that period. The thought of writing a sequel to his biggest hit proved overwhelming. So Black decided to bring on a collaborator on the script:Warren Murphy.
Best known for his work onThe Destroyernovels which inspired the 1985 action-adventure pictureRemo Williams: The Adventure Begins, Murphy worked alongside Black to craftLethal Weapon 2’s screenplay where Riggs and Murtaugh battle South African drug dealers while protecting federal witness Getz, who laundered money from the villains. With the working titlePlay Dirty,Black channeled the dark period of his life into the scriptby making the South African villains more dangerous through their acts of violence and torture, in contrast to the previous installment’s rogue army veteran antagonists. Had Black gotten his way,Lethal Weapon 2would have gone further into darkness in a manner more poetic than the original. But one creative choice by the writer proved to be the ultimate deal-breaker for studio executives.
Shane Black Departed ‘Lethal Weapon 2’ After Creative Differences
The biggest source of controversy in Black and Murphy’s screenplay wasthe shocking death of Riggsat the hands of the villains. Aiming to evolve the hero from a reckless cop with no fear of death to a courageous partner,Black believed Riggs would be willing to sacrifice his life for Murtaughfor allowing his family to give him a second chance at life. The screenwriter went as far as writing the final scene where Riggs, foreshadowing his death, has a confessional tape sent to Murtaugh’s home to say his goodbyes.
Despite praise from Warner Bros., Black and Murphy’s script was deemed too dark for Warner Bros. At the time, Gibson had transitioned from a heartthrob to an A-list Hollywood superstar. Taking the chance of killing off a franchise hero may have been artistically satisfying,but a major financial risk for the studio. This was the feel-good ’80s. Killing the main hero after spending two hours cheering for them often turns off the audience, as evidenced in test screenings forFirst BloodandLittle Shop of Horrors. Rather than rewrite his draft, Black accepted a story credit instead and moved on to channel his grief into a new script:The Last Boy Scout.
Donner brought inJeffrey Boam(Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) to write additionaldrafts ofLethal Weapon 2. For the director behindSuperman: The MovieandThe Goonies, theLethalsequel had more of his personal stamp on the action genre: Explosive set pieces mixed with comedic heart. The Getz role was expanded to that of a third “stooge” to Riggs and Murtaugh, breaking the overall dark tension that made the original so memorable. Symbolized by the infamous bomb in the toilet scene,Lethal Weapon 2’s comedy clouded over the dramatic elements of the story.
Future ‘Lethal Weapon’ Installments Made Comedy a Priority Over Plot
Without Black’s involvement,the quality of theLethal Weaponsequels started to diminish. 1992’sLethal Weapon 3felt like an episode of a typical television cop show. The threequel featured forgettable ex-cop bad guy (Stuart Wilson) as well as Riggs’ new relationship with Internal Affairs detective Lorna Cole (Rene Russo). The high dramatic stakes of the 1987 film were lost as the third installment focused more on Riggs and Murtaugh getting into random scenarios on the beat, including a comedic scene where Riggs storms a movie set under the impression that Murtaugh’s daughter is in danger. To raise the humor factor, Pesci’s standout character gets shoehorned into the movie as a realtor trying to sell the Murtaugh home. The emotional jeopardy surrounding Riggs and Murtaugh’s friendship had expanded to multiple supporting characters. That only gets worse in the next installment.
With a production notorious for having multiple writers and a rushed shooting schedule, 1998’sLethal Weapon 4was the most problematic of them all. The tone of the original movie was gone. Comedy and character relationships drove the picture more than the physical jeopardy against them. According to Peter Bart’s bookThe Gross: The Hits, The Flops – The Summer That Ate Hollywood, the script was not completed until the end of production, which resulted in long-winded scenes of improv so out of tone with past installments. Additionally, with the new addition of Det. Lee Butters (Chris Rock) along with Riggs and Murtaugh seeing their respective families expand,Lethal Weapon 4turned into an ultraviolent family sitcom episode.
Since the release ofLethal Weapon 4, there have been discussions of Gibson directing the installment titledLethal Finalethat wouldreturn Riggs and Murtaugh to the darker roots of the 1987 original. That means most of the supporting characters are out with the focus solely on its two main protagonists.Black had previously developed his treatment forLethal 5with the characters in New York City “fighting a team of expert Blackwater guys from Afghanistan that’s smuggling antiquities.” While the script was never produced,Black could have brought the Lethal Weapon franchise full circle. Setting Riggs and Murtaugh in a new location with timely villains could have retained the original movie’s tone while taking the characters into a new story direction worthwhile for a finale.
While Black’s contributions toLethal Weaponcannot be understated, there is no denying how his ideas forLethal Weapon 2would have made for a dark, depressing follow-up. At the end of the day,audiences turned out to the theaters to see Riggs and Murtaugh get in trouble and have a good time experiencing it. Whether or notLethal Finalecan revive the magic of the original remains to be seen.
Lethal Weapon 2
Lethal Weapon 2is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
