The Lethal Weapon director that producer Joel Silver originally wanted could have taken the franchise in an entirely different direction. Richard Donner directed 1987’s Lethal Weapon and its three sequels through 1998 to critical and commercial success. The franchise has come to epitomize the buddy cop genre’s blend of action and comedy despite the first movie being more of an action thriller. However, had Joel Silver’s original choice directed Lethal Weapon, the franchise would have likely gone down a different path.

https://screenrant.com/lethal-weapon-ridley-scott-director-change-franchise/