In 1985, fresh out of UCLA, Shane Black wrote the script for Lethal Weapon: Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh, two Los Angeles police officers with diametrically opposite temperaments, must team up to solve the murder of a young girl by ex-soldiers by drug dealers. .
After receiving some rejections from studios, his script sparked the interest of producer Mark Canton at Warner Bros. Associated with Joel Silver, he developed the project, which saw the light of day two years later, directed by Richard Donner.
Budgeted at $15 million, Lethal Weapon was one of the biggest commercial successes of the late 1980s, grossing $120 million at the worldwide box office (including $65 million on American soil). It captured 1.8 million viewers in France. The film becomes the first opus of the cult saga, which consists of three sequels.
The reason for this success? Codes of the 1980s: the look, the music, the extravagant staging… the perfect cocktail of humor and action, laced with fiery spirit. And of course, two iconic performers with undeniable chemistry: Danny Glover and Mel Gibson.
Considered one of the best buddy movies of all time, Lethal Weapon, itself influenced by 48 Hours, revisits the genre and becomes a reference to many feature films after it, such as Tango & Cash, Starsky and Hutch, Bad Boys, Rush Hour or even Men in Black.
Find our AlloCiné ranking of the best Best Friends movies.
Richard Donner’s “Lethal Weapon” with Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey…
from the age of 12
Tonight on TF1 Séries Films at 9pm.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
