Trivia / Lethal Weapon 3

• California Doubling:
  • An interesting inversion in the opening scene, as the external shots were done in Orlando, Florida. Playing the part of the ICSI Building, the one that was blown up, was the city's old City Hall building, whose implosion was used for the victim of the car bomb. The new City Hall received a Coca-Cola sign. Orlando residents can probably make out several other features, including an undressed news van from a local TV station. The official who said "Bravo" during the sarcastic applause at Murtaugh and Riggs? Then Orlando mayor Bill Frederick.
  • The building imploded in The Stinger was in St. Petersburg, Florida.
• Corpsing: During Leo's hospital rant when he says the line, "$10 for a fucking aspirin," you can see Renee Russo break into a smile very briefly before the camera cuts and shows the rest of the monologue from behind her.
• The Danza: Deloris is played by Deloris Hall.
• Dyeing for Your Art: This was the only sequel Joe Pesci dyed his hair for.
• Fake American: Ex-LAPD Corrupt Cop Jack Travis and Internal Affairs Chief Herman Walters are played by Briton Stuart Wilson and Canadian Alan Scarfe respectively.
• Hey, It's That Sound!: When the building blows up at the start of the film, the roaring sound is the same roar used in King Kong (1976) for the giant ape.
• The Other Darrin: In the Latin American Spanish dub, Murtaugh is voiced by Emilio Guerrero instead of Carlos Segundo, who voiced him in the first two movies. Leo Getz is also voiced by Pedro D'Aguillón Jr. instead of his previous voice actor, Herman López.
• Prop Recycling: In the scene where Riggs is in Lorna's apartment and he plays with her computer, the picture of the two boys seen on her mantle is the same picture used in Scarecrow and Mrs. King.
• Throw It In!: When Lorna Cole says to Riggs "Close is a lingerie shop without a front window," Riggs doesn't know how to react to the comment. This was an ad-lib by Rene Russo. So not only does Riggs not get it, Mel Gibson doesn't either.
• Uncredited Role: Carrie Fisher was an uncredited script doctor on the film.
• What Could Have Been:
  • In earlier drafts, Lorna was completely different, had a different name and wasn't a woman, and was actually just as lethal and crazy as Riggs which made him his match. Riggs did however still had different love interest in those drafts. He was actually having an affair with Roger's oldest daughter Rianne, which explains a couple of parts in the finished film where Roger suspects that Riggs and Rianne are having an affair. Those parts are only bits left from original drafts where the two of them were a secret couple.
  • Winona Ryder was the first choice for Lorna Cole, but Joel Silver felt she was too young for the role. But against Silver's wishes, Richard Donner offered her the part anyway. She turned it down, due to her being busy shooting Bram Stoker's Dracula, and because she had no interest in doing action movies. Kirstie Alley, Joan Cusack, Geena Davis, Laura Dern, Jodie Foster and Michelle Pfeiffer were also considered for the role.
  • Alec Baldwin, James Caan, Robert De Niro, Gene Hackman, Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino and John Travolta were considered to play Jack Travis.
  • Leo Getz was originally not in the script and all of his scenes were written in afterwards. In the original script Leo had left L.A. for New York.
• Writing by the Seat of Your Pants: Richard Donner's dissatisfaction with Jeffrey Boam's treatment led to the writer being fired and replaced altogether by Kamen, who made constant revisions between 1989 and 1991 before the producers rehired Boam to make new revisions to Kamen's material. Boam asked to work alone on the script, and made constant revisions between October 1991 and January 1992 while filming was already taking place. Boam and Kamen moved onto other projects, leading to Carrie Fisher to step in as on-set script doctor and writing most of the romantic exchanges between Riggs and Lorna Cole.

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