FOX's "Lethal Weapon" (Season 3)

[Oscar Rothman]

After rebooting Rush Hour as a series last year, Warner Bros TV is doing the same with anotheFox logo horizontalr blockbuster buddy action movie franchise about mismatched cops. A Lethal Weapon hourlong series based on the films that starred Mel Gibson and Danny Glover has landed at Fox with a put pilot commitment. It will be written by former Chuck executive producer Matt Miller, who most recently created and executive produced the ABC drama Forever for WBTV.
Like the Rush Hour series, Lethal Weapon is a relatively straight remake featuring the movies’ central characters, Roger Murtaugh, who was played by Glover, and Martin Riggs, who was played by Gibson.
The feature franchImage (3) millermatt__130815171912.png for post 670463ise kicked off with Homicide Sergeant Murtaugh (Glover), who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, getting partnered with the suicidal and highly volatile ex-U.S. Army Special Forces soldier-turned-LAPD Narcotics Sergeant Riggs (Gibson), who had been reassigned to homicide after a psychotic episode on the job as he deals with grief following the death of his wife in a traffic accident.

On the Lethal Weapon show, when Texas cop and former Navy SEAL Martin Riggs moves to Los Angeles to start anew after the loss of his wife and baby. There, he gets partnered with LAPD Detective Roger Murtaugh, who, having recently suffered a “minor” heart attack, must avoid any stress in his life.

On Lethal Weapon, Miller is reuniting with Forever executive producer Dan Lin whose Warner Bros-based Lin Pictures is producing the project alongside WBTV and Miller’s Good Session Prods. banner. Miller, Lin and Jennifer Gwartz executive produce.

The original 1987 Lethal Weapon movie, written by Shane Black and directed by Richard Donner, was a breakout hit, grossing $120 million on a $12 million budget. It spawned a formidable franchise with three sequels and helped established the comedic action buddy cop genre, influencing such hit follow-up entries as Rush Hour and Bad Boys.

This is the latest high-profile action movie remake sold this TV development season, joining Taken, In The Line Of Fire and RED at NBC; Behind Enemy Lines at Fox; Training Day at CBS; and Jack Ryan at Amazon. Additionally, the CW has a remake of The Notebook in the works, and Fox gave an off-cycle pilot order to an Urban Cowboy reboot.

http://deadline.com/2015/10/lethal-w...er-1201536605/

[LordCrumb]

Another attempt to erase Mel Gibson

Also... Rush Hour became a television show? When did this happen?

[pane]

Theyre really running out of ideas now arent they.

[Samus Aran]

The thing is, something like Lethal Weapon, if you changed the names and called the TV show something else, no one would know it was Lethal Weapon. They just want the name recognition.

[BluRayTim]

Rush Hour is basically a PG13 version of Lethal Weapon. Detective Lee is a younger, Chinese version of Detective Murtaugh while Detective Carter is a younger, black version of Detective Riggs.

Since Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour are Time Warner, the 2 should be crossed over. Detective Lee is HKPD and LAPD while the other 3 characters mentioned above are LAPD. Both series of movies and TV Series take place (or mostly take place) in Los Angeles, California.

[Moviefan2k4]

"Aw, I'm too old for this $#!+...."

Seriously though, the only way I'd be on board for this, is if Shane Black and Richard Donner were involved somehow. I liked "Forever" a lot, but without the original brains behind the franchise, I strongly doubt it would work. Even if they're just producers or advisors, including them would go a long way toward validating the show for the public.

[Walts Ghost]

Damon Wayans Sr. to Star in Fox's 'Lethal Weapon' Pilot

Lethal Weapon is kicking into high gear.

Following a prolonged dealmaking process, the network has tapped Damon Wayans Sr. to star as Roger Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon, lifting the cast contingency on the drama and clearing the way for its formal pilot pickup Friday.

Based on the feature film franchise starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, the reboot — which counted NBC as a bidder — hails from Warner Bros. Television, whose film division, Warner Bros. Pictures, produced the original movies. Here's the formal logline: When Texas cop and former Navy SEAL Martin Riggs suffers the loss of his wife and baby, he moves to Los Angeles to start anew. There, he gets partnered with LAPD detective Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans Sr.), who, having recently suffered a “minor” heart attack, must avoid any stress in his life. Wayans will take over the role of Roger. Gibson's role has not yet been cast.
Fox's reboot hails from Matt Miller (Chuck, Forever), who will exec produce via his WBTV-based Good Session banner. Lin Pictures' Dan Lin (The Lego Movie) and Jennifer Gwartz also exec produce. Lethal Weapon reunites Miller with Lin, who teamed for last year's ABC drama Forever, which was canceled after one season. McG will direct the pilot.

Fox gave a hefty put-pilot commitment to the project in October following a competitive situation. Lethal Weapon is one of multiple movie remakes in the works this pilot season. Fox is also prepping a modern reinvention of The Exorcist and passed on its Urban Cowboy take; CBS is prepping a new version of Nancy Drew and a reimagining of Training Day; and NBC has a sequel to Cruel Intentions as well as a Taken prequel ordered straight to series. Reboots continue to be in high demand as broadcast (as well as cable and streamers) look for proven brands in a bid to break through an increasingly competitive scripted landscape. Key to the reboots is having the original producers involved, which for Fox's Lethal Weapon, is not the case. However, sources tell THR that the original filmmakers have blessed the TV reboot though they will not be credited on the drama.

Lethal Weapon originally opened in 1987 and grossed $120 million worldwide. It spawned three sequels, which grossed a combined $835 million worldwide.

The casting marks a homecoming for Wayans, who starred on and wrote for Fox's popular sketch show In Living Color for four years. He went on to star in and exec produced the ABC family comedy My Wife and Kids, which also ran for four years. Wayans' most recent screen role was on an episode of Happy Endings in 2011. He is repped by ICM Partners and Kleinberg Lange.

[Moviefan2k4]

Damon Wayans as Murtaugh? That just sounds wrong somehow; I can't remember seeing him ever play the "straight man" in a comedy. The closest was probably "Major Payne", but even that was more of a screwball character.

[dohrmannmf]

This is pointless. Lethal Weapon is something that will not be served well by being toned down. And as has been pointed out already, Rush Hour is already a toned down Lethal Weapon, and it works for what it is.

But to be fair, I don't think Damon Wayans is the worst choice for Murtaugh. I just think it's a little weird we're now referring to him as Damon Wayans Sr.

[tigertron]

[Walts Ghost]

The ‘Lethal Weapon’ TV Series Has Cast Its Martin Riggs

The Lethal Weapon franchise will live on, except not to the big screen. While some fans would probably prefer to see Mel Gibson and Danny Glover return their old roles, that’s not happening. There had been talks of another sequel or a possible remake, but the franchise is instead heading to Fox. Damon Wayans Sr. was recently cast in the pilot Fox ordered last fall. As for Martin Riggs, Clayne Crawford (Rectify) will star in Gibson’s old role.

Learn more about the Lethal Weapon TV series below.

The Hollywood Reporter has learned Crawford has joined Wayans Sr. in the show. The characters, based on the plot description, sound fairly close to Shane Black’s (The Nice Guys) original buddy cop duo:

After working on the Rush Hour television series last year, Warner Bros. is next producing the Fox show. Director Richard Donner and screenwriter Shane Black aren’t involved, but apparently they’ve given the project their blessing. McG (Charlie’s Angels) is directing the pilot, following his work on Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments and The Mysteries of Laura, and he will remain involved in the show as an executive producer.

The pilot is written by Matt Miller, a former executive producer on Chuck — which McG also directed the pilot for — and he recently created and executive produced the ABC drama, Forever. Miller is executive producing the Lethal Weapon TV series alongside Dan Lin (Suicide Squad, The LEGO Movie) and Jennifer Gwartz (Lethal Weapon 4).

This isn’t the only film to TV adaptation/remake Fox is working on. The network currently has Behind Enemy Lines and Urban Cowboy to consider, but for now, it looks Lethal Weapon is the one moving forward first. Fox recently turned Minority Report into a show with little success, as it failed to recapture the original movie’s magic. Hopefully we won’t be saying the same thing about Lethal Weapon television series one day, but matching the charisma Mel Gibson and Danny Glover brought to this franchise won’t be easy. Both Wayans Sr., Crawford, and all involved have some large shoes to fill. The Lethal Weapon TV series cast also includes Jordana Brewster (Fast & Furious), Golden Brooks (Hart of Dixie), and Kevin Rahm (Nightcrawler).

[tob]

They can do what they want with the tv version but i hope they never do a remake of Lethal Weapon.

[Moviefan2k4]

I'm still hoping this actually works, and doesn't crash or burn...

[MD-Blu]

Fox has officially ordered to series Lethal Weapon for the upcoming Fall TV season.

[ArmyOfDarknessAW]

I hope this is good. I want this to be good. I feel it will be terrible like Rush Hour is.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by ArmyOfDarknessAW

I hope this is good. I want this to be good. I feel it will be terrible like Rush Hour is.

I have the same feeling...

[kp404]

Damon Wayans can carry this series if the writing is good. This show will live or die by its writing; it doesn't need to be a complete remake, but have a life of its own

[LordCrumb]

Damon Waynes as Murtaugh?! Seriously wtf. Murtaugh is the straight man in the movies, he's not the funny man.

[Samus Aran]

Maybe they should've just made The Last Boy Scout instead and gotten Wayans to reprise his role.

[dvdmike]

The line "has to avoid stress" sounds like some stupid slapstick set up for lots of yelling and chest holding.