In 2015, Denis Villeneuve brought Taylor Sheridan’s script for Sicario to life with Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin and Emily Blunt leading the cast. Talk about a dream team. Then, in 2018, Sicario: Day of the Soldado came out. Since then, fans have been wondering if there will be a third installment in this series of movies about a task force battling the war on drugs at the U.S.-Mexico border. Well, we’re here to provide as much of an answer as we can.
The short answer to this question about Sicario 3 is: sort of. However, the realistic one is that while there’s a want for it and talk about it happening, there’s no confirmation that it’s taking solid steps forward yet. So, with that in mind, let’s break down what we know about this potential film.
Sicario Producers Want Josh Brolin, Emily Blunt And Benicio Del Toro To Star
If Sicario 3 happens, it’d be nice to see the main trio of Josh Brolin, Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro back in action. According to producer Trent Luckinbill, that’s the goal, as he told Collider in October 2023:
Our idea is to get the cast back together with Benicio, Emily, and Josh, and we’ve got a great story to tell...Benicio, by nature of just working with us most recently, has been probably the closest to it at the moment. But we're keeping all the talent informed. They've stayed close to it. Like Trent said, the strike has just slowed us down a bit on this last draft, but I think everybody is very excited. Everyone sort of knows the framework of the story and is very excited to, hopefully, get our shooting draft in order very soon.
So, with the objective to get the on-screen band back together, the questions start to circle around if the actors would be willing and available as well as if the top-tier behind-the-scenes crew wants to come back, too.
Denis Villeneuve Has Nothing To Do With Sicario 3
In the years following the release of Sicario, Denis Villeneuve’s body of work has only grown more impressive, specifically through the releases of 2016's Arrival, 2017's Blade Runner 2049 and the wildly popular and critically acclaimed Dune films that came out in 2021 and 2024. That, mixed with the fact that he has two movies in the works, including Dune 3 and he didn’t direct Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Stefano Sollima did, makes it seem obvious that he won’t be back to helm a third film.
He confirmed his lack of knowledge about Sicario 3 while speaking with The Playlist in February 2024:
Listen, Taylor Sheridan is one of my favorite screenwriters. If Taylor is writing a screenplay, I would be absolutely excited to see that on screen, [but] I have not heard about [a new script or project]. Nobody has talked to me about that.
He continued to explain that he was out of the loop on this topic. However, he reiterated that he’ll be excited to see the film, especially if the screenwriter is involved:
I’m just hearing about it now. I don’t know if thing this will happen, but if Taylor Sheridan is writing it, it’s going to be fantastic.
Well, lucky for Denis Villeneuve and us, Taylor Sheridan is reportedly attached to the project. However, unlucky for us, it’s unknown if he’ll be penning it.
Sicario Producers Said Taylor Sheridan And Christopher McQuarrie Are Involved
While the evergrowing list of upcoming Yellowstone shows might have you wondering if Taylor Sheridan has time to write another Sicario movie, producers have explained that the OG screenwriter will be involved with a third film. Along with Sheridan, producer Molly Smith explained that Christopher McQuarrie – the director, writer and producer behind Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Fall Out and Dead Reckoning – is involved too, telling Collider:
But we don't know who's going to direct yet. It’s all gonna be about timing. We've got obviously a wealth of great partners on it, everybody from Taylor Sheridan to Chris McQuarrie as a partner on it, but it'll all be about the timing and what aligns with everyone's schedule.
Now, while this is thrilling news, it’s important to consider just how busy both these men are, specifically Sheridan. Putting all this in perspective, Sicario producer Trent Luckinbill told the same outlet:
He is so busy, and he stays close to it, and will obviously have input, too. Then it's just a question of when we get schedules lined up and all of that starting to have real conversations to see who's available and who wants to do it. So certainly, I think everybody that's ever been involved with this has stayed really close and has stayed fans of it. So, we'll just push forward and see what lines up and who lines up in our window.
It sounds like many folks who have worked on Sicario want a third film to happen, and like these producers, some of the cast, specifically Josh Brolin, are in the same boat.
Josh Brolin Wants Sicario 3 To Happen
Between playing Thanos in the MCU and Gurney in the incredibly well-reviewed Dune films, as well as leading the series Outer Range over on Amazon Prime, Josh Brolin has been booked and busy since Sicario's release. However, there’s also still no question that this project is one of Brolin’s best films, and he really wants to return as Matt Graver. Speaking with THR in May 2022 about the possibility of Sicario 3 and whether fans should give up on the film ever getting made, the actor explained:
No! I just don’t know when we’ll do it. We may be 80. (Laughs.) But it’s very much at the forefront of all of our minds. It’s been written and it’s been rewritten. So it’s out there. We think it deserves a third one if we can make it in the way that we want to make it. So don’t give up! (Laughs.)
Considering how all the careers of so many involved with the first Sicario have skyrocketed, I’d imagine getting the troops together for a third film is incredibly hard. However, Brolin clearly has hope that it can happen. That should make fans excited, but Emily Blunt’s thoughts on the possible film will likely even out your feelings.
However, Emily Blunt Hasn’t Heard Anything About Sicario 3
Emily Blunt, who wasn’t in Sicario 2, put it bluntly on Happy, Sad, Confused in February 2024 when explaining what she knew about a possible threequel. While Brolin has seemingly talked a lot about it, the Oppenheimer actress hasn’t “seen anything,” she explained:
I hear rumblings, but there's nothing firm…Because I haven't seen anything, I think it's hearsay.
Back when Day of the Soldado was in the works, Taylor Sheridan did tell The Wrap that Blunt’s FBI agent Kate Macer’s story was complete. So, because she wasn’t involved in the sequel – even if it makes sense for the character to come back for a third film – it seems unlikely that she’d come back.
While it seems like Sicario 3 would be a shoo-in for one of Emily Blunt’s best movies considering the success of the first film and the love for her character, according to her, she hasn’t heard anything about it.
Overall, the discourse surrounding Sicario 3 is all over the place. While it’s 100% still in the developmental stages, it seems like many on the creative team want to make it happen. However, considering the schedules of the stars, writer and OG director, it looks like we’ll be waiting for quite some time before we find out who is officially writing, directing and starring in the project.
We’ll be sure to keep you up to date on all things Sicario 3, in the meantime, you can stream Sicario with an Amazon Prime subscription and Sicario: Day of the Soldado with a Hulu subscription.
