Mel Gibson is back in the director’s chair, this time capturing fellow action star Mark Wahlberg in the skies for pilot drama “Flight Risk.”
Gibson directs the Lionsgate thriller that centers on a pilot (Wahlberg) who is tasked with transporting a fugitive (Topher Grace) to trial. While an air marshal (Michelle Dockery) is onboard, tensions soar, trust is tested, and secrets are revealed above the Alaskan wilderness. Turns out, that pilot is actually a hit man….
“Flight Risk” is written by Jared Rosenberg, with director Gibson producing along with John Davis, John Fox, and Bruce Davey.
The executive producers are Alex Lebovici, Jenny Hinkey, Ryan D. Smith, Natasha Stassen, Allen Cheney, Christopher Woodrow, K. Blaine Johnston, Christian Mercuri, Petr Jákl, Vicki Christianson, Nick Guerra, Russell Hollander, Jon Huddle, Patrick Josten, Walter Josten, and Jordan Wagner.
Lionsgate presents “Flight Risk” in association with Media Capital Technologies/Hammerstone Studios. The film is an Icon and Davis Entertainment Company co-production.
Gibson has been set to direct “Lethal Weapon 5,” but shared in 2022 that the production was stalled amid the Warner Bros. Discovery merger at the time.
“The only delay is now with all the shake-up at Warners, with Discovery coming in and the new boss [David Zaslav],” Gibson told ScreenRant. “They chop everyone else up and throw them away and get new people. It always takes time for these companies to regroup, so that’s been a delay, but I’m pretty confident we’ll get this one up on its feet, probably shoot it in the first quarter of the New Year.”
Both of the original “Lethal Weapon” stars Gibson and Danny Glover are supposed to reprise the respective roles almost 30 years after the latest sequel in 1998. Plot details for the fifth film remain under wraps, though Gibson teased that the feature has a “really good screenplay.”
“We tried to get that flavor, and we were pretty happy with what we came up with,” Gibson said, citing that after franchise director Richard Donner died in 2021, his remaining script was polished by Richard Wenk (“The Magnificent Seven,” “The Equalizer”) developed alongside the late Donner.
“Flight Risk” premieres October 18 in theaters. Check out the trailer below.
