Editing Lethal Weapon 4 (section)

==Production==
In early 1993, after the release of ''[[Lethal Weapon 3]]'', Warner Bros. and producer [[Joel Silver]] tried buying a new spec script titled ''Simon Says'' in hopes of rewriting it into a script for ''Lethal Weapon 4''. Written by [[Jonathan Hensleigh]], the story was about a police detective and a shop owner forced to find and stop bombs planted all over a city as part of a mad bomber's revenge plot against the detective.

However, 20th Century Fox purchased the script first, planning a project for [[Brandon Lee]]'s next film after ''[[The Crow (1994 film)|The Crow]]''. It was considered for a standalone film or to be re-written into a sequel to his 1992 action film, ''[[Rapid Fire (1992 film)|Rapid Fire]]'', when Lee was killed during filming on ''The Crow''. Fox would then use the script as the basis for a third ''Die Hard'' film they were having trouble developing. After many rewrites by several writers, it was finally made into ''[[Die Hard With a Vengeance]]'' (1995).<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-strange-history-of-the-die-hard-movies/|title = The Strange History of the Die Hard Movies|date = December 2019|access-date = 2022-03-26|archive-date = 2022-08-20|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220820034728/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-strange-history-of-the-die-hard-movies/|url-status = live}}</ref>

In July 1993, Warner Bros. and Silver started working on not just the fourth ''Lethal Weapon'' film but a fifth as well. Screenwriter and script doctor [[Jonathan Lemkin]], who had just done some uncredited work for them on ''[[Demolition Man (film)|Demolition Man]]'' (1993), was hired to write the script for ''Lethal Weapon 4'' while another writer worked on the script for ''Lethal Weapon 5''. According to Silver, the plan was to shoot both films back-to-back, with the possibility of using the best parts of both scripts for a single film.<ref>L.A. Times - "FILM CLIPS - A look inside Hollywood and the movies : 'What're You Working On?' 'What!? So Am I!' - July 18, 1993 - JEFFREY WELLS - "A two-man derby is now behind the development of Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver's upcoming "Lethal Weapon 4." Scripter Jonathan Lemkin ("Demolition Man") is working on the sequel while another as-yet-unhired writer will tap out "Lethal 5." According to Silver, both scripts may be filmed back-to-back or "we may fold the best elements of both into one script . . . we're keeping our options open."</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://variety.com/1997/film/news/lemkin-pens-2nd-twister-1116678481/|title = Lemkin pens 2nd 'Twister'|date = 22 August 1997|access-date = 1 March 2022|archive-date = 1 March 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220301211858/https://variety.com/1997/film/news/lemkin-pens-2nd-twister-1116678481/|url-status = live}}</ref>

In June 1994, [[Richard Donner]] was still planning on making both films. Asked about them in an interview at the time, however, [[Mel Gibson]] said he was not interested in doing any more ''Lethal Weapon'' sequels.<ref>https://ew.com/article/1994/06/03/end-lethal-weapon-franchise/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301234500/https://ew.com/article/1994/06/03/end-lethal-weapon-franchise/ |date=2022-03-01 }} EW.com - "The end of the ''Lethal Weapon'' franchise - Mel Gibson turns down the possibility of another sequel - By Cindy Pearlman - June 03, 1994 - Danny Glover and Mel Gibson may be reunited (briefly) in Maverick, but don’t count on seeing the two together in another Lethal Weapon flick. When asked about director Richard Donner’s plans for two more sequels, Gibson puts his head in his hands and makes a snoring sound. "My answer to more Lethal Weapons? Nah," he says. "I know that there’re two scripts out there. My suggestion is that they change the title to Die Hard 3 and 4. Call the scripts Angry Bruce Willis 4. I’m not interested now."</ref>

Between late 1994 and early 1995, screenwriter [[Jeffrey Boam]] was brought in to rewrite the script for the fourth film. Boam had previously done uncredited work on the first ''[[Lethal Weapon]]'', rewrote an original script by [[Shane Black]] and [[Warren Murphy]] called ''Play Dirty'' into ''[[Lethal Weapon 2]]'', and wrote the story and script for ''Lethal Weapon 3''. He was initially unsure of working on the film, as he had problems with the script and following a bad experience on the third film: he had to keep rewriting that script all through filming and was fired at one point only to be rehired later. Agreeing to work on the fourth script, he tossed out the existing story and began work on his own. His first draft was completed in January 1995, focusing on Riggs and Murtaugh fighting neo-Nazi survivalists committing terrorist attacks on L.A., including using Stinger missiles to attempt to shoot down a jet carrying the [[Los Angeles Lakers]]. He said in an interview at the time that he would probably have to write at least three more drafts. By October 1995, Boam was still working on the script, while at the same time also working on a fourth ''Indiana Jones'' film which went unproduced.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://theoccasionalcritic.blogspot.com/2009/09/jeffrey-boam-interview-1992.html|title = The Occasional Critic: The Jeffrey Boam interview, 1992|date = 24 September 2009|access-date = 1 March 2022|archive-date = 1 March 2022|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220301211900/http://theoccasionalcritic.blogspot.com/2009/09/jeffrey-boam-interview-1992.html|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://theoccasionalcritic.blogspot.com/2009/09/jeffrey-boam-interview-june-1995.html|title = The Occasional Critic: Jeffrey Boam interview, June 1995|date = 30 September 2009}}</ref>

[[Peter Bart]]'s book ''The Gross: The Hits, The Flops -- The Summer That Ate Hollywood'' offered many details regarding ''Lethal Weapon 4'''s troubled production, from writing to release. While Boam was still working on his version of the story, other writers were brought in to pen their own versions, all of which were rejected. Though many were positive on the darker, edgier, more serious tone of Boam's script that recalled the first film, it was ultimately rejected because of the tone. Finally, Warner Bros. decided that they wanted to focus on a storyline involving the [[Triad (organized crime)|Chinese Triads]]. Boam would later say he felt that the main plot about counterfeiting Chinese money was not a good or suspenseful enough plot for a ''Lethal Weapon'' sequel.

Jonathan Lemkin was once again brought in to write the first version of the script involving the Triads, about four years after he wrote his first rejected script. Although his new script was received very positively, Warner Bros. again had other writers work on their own versions of the story. [[Alfred Gough]] and [[Miles Millar]] wrote one of the unused scripts; they would be credited with Lemkin for the story of the finished film.

Silver ultimately brought in TV writer [[Channing Gibson]] to work on the script, after he was impressed by Gibson's rewrite of a spec script titled ''Sandblast'', an action adventure thriller by screenwriter [[Steven Maeda]] described as "''[[Die Hard]]'' (1988) meets ''[[Cliffhanger (film)|Cliffhanger]]'' (1993)". Gibson took the gig thinking it would be a more relaxed writing job than anything he did for TV. However, much like the previous two sequels, the script kept getting changed and rewritten over and over again. Gibson would end up doing more work and revisions on it than on all of his TV work put together. Production even started with only half of the script. The ending was not written until it was finally time to film it.

The characters of Leo Getz and Lee Butters were not in the original scripts. [[Joe Pesci]] was hired and paid $1 million for three weeks of work, forcing rewrites. Gibson was "three-fourths" through his newest draft when [[Chris Rock]] was hired, which caused yet another rewrite. Butters was originally written to be a homosexual detective. When they started filming the police station scene between Riggs, Murtaugh, Leo, and Butters, everyone felt the character did not work. He was changed to be Rianne's husband and father to her unborn child. The two only share one scene in the final film with no written dialogue, due to last minute changes made to his character.

Besides Lemkin, Gibson, Gough and Millar, other writers did uncredited work on the script, including Michael Curtis, [[Greg Malins]], [[Fred Dekker]] (who came up with the scene where Riggs and Murtaugh drive their car off the freeway and through the building), and even Boam was brought in to work on the script.

The film entered production in early January 1998 with a planned summer release of that same year. Due to issues during filming, including the script changes, production ended around mid May, less than two months before its scheduled July release. Editors had to work very quickly to have the film ready, which is why the trailers feature some deleted and alternate scenes which are not in the film. Despite this, the film was finished and released as planned.<ref>The Gross: The Hits, The Flops: The Summer That Ate Hollywood by Peter Bart</ref><ref>Maximum Impact: The Legacy of Lethal Weapon - Lethal Weapon Blu-ray Collection</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-ridiculously-fast-turnaround-time-of-lethal-weapon-4/|title=The Ridiculously Fast Turnaround Time of Lethal Weapon 4|date=23 July 2015|access-date=26 March 2022|archive-date=14 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814081046/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-ridiculously-fast-turnaround-time-of-lethal-weapon-4/|url-status=live}}</ref>