There has been a lot of discussion about cop films over the past several weeks. Particularly, film fans have gone through Hollywood’s history with how studios portray police officers (in films that have been dubbed “copraganda”) and shown that the industry has failed to really show the truth behind what happens in many of the departments around the US. So, with this renewed focus on telling appropriate cop stories, it makes sense that maybe the much-discussed, new “Lethal Weapon” sequel would maybe be put on the back burner. And in a new interview with Variety, “Lethal Weapon” star Danny Glover talks about the possibility of a sequel (which was revealed to be in development already) and what that might look like given today’s politics.
“There has been a conversation about that in January,” said Glover. “I don’t want to give away the plot on the script that I read, but I found the plot had very strong relevance to some of things that are happening today. I can say that. But that was in January. History changes so fast…But yes, there’s been talk about it. There is something of a plan.”
And as Glover hinted at, a lot has changed since he read the script back in January. The global pandemic has wreaked havoc on the globe. Plus, in the US, the last couple of months have been dominated by protests in response to police brutality that resulted in the murder of George Floyd. Clearly, a film about a Black cop teaming up with a loose cannon white cop, such as “Lethal Weapon,” would likely have to figure out how to deal with this reality.
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“I can only tell you, if it does happen, there is something extraordinary in it,” he explained. “If ‘Lethal Weapon’ gives us some sort of contribution to understanding a little bit more…It would be interesting to do.”
He continued, “It would be interesting to see how we take this within the political framework we are in; the economic framework that we are in. And especially that framework as opposed to the communities that have been affected by the kind of police violence, the kind of police standards, and the power that they exert as well. And what would be interesting from that vantage point is what that attempt could be like at this particular moment. And maybe it will attempt to confront the issue head on, within whatever script comes out.”
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The “Lethal Weapon” franchise has become iconic for really laying out the blueprint for how to do the buddy cop story, especially when it comes to racially diverse pairings. So, it would almost be an imperative for the proposed sequel to deal with the current climate in some way, shape, or form. Especially given the series has never shied away from the racial issues of the era.
Another complication with this could come with the inclusion of Mel Gibson. Obviously, if you have Glover in the cast, you would have to include Gibson. And given his history of, uh, bigotry, would that become an issue for the filmmakers? We’ll just have to wait and see.