Lethal Weapon is a 1987 American buddy cop action-comedy film directed and co-produced by Richard Donner, written by Shane Black, and co-produced by Joel Silver. It stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover alongside Gary Busey, Tom Atkins, Darlene Love, and Mitchell Ryan.

Richard Donner was an American filmmaker. Described as "one of Hollywood's most reliable makers of action blockbusters," Donner directed some of the most financially-successful films of the 1970’s and 1980’s. His 50-year career crossed genres and influenced trends among filmmakers across the world.