Sicario 3 to reunite Blunt, del Toro and Brolin, with new writer and director
In short
A third Sicario film is moving forward, with Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin set to return, according to reports cited by IGN and Polygon. Steven Knight is writing the script and Padraic McKinley is attached to direct. The documents disagree over Taylor Sheridan’s involvement: Variety recently reported he had written the script, while Deadline reported the production companies are going in a different direction.
Read the full story 2 min read
A third film in the Sicario franchise is moving forward, with Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin attached to return, according to IGN and Polygon. CNN’s Hollywood Minute headline also said Emily Blunt will rejoin the franchise. IGN described the project as “reportedly” moving forward, while Polygon said it is “officially” happening; both cited Deadline in their reports. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The new installment is set to be written by Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders and writer of the next James Bond film, IGN reported. Polygon said Knight also wrote Eastern Promises and Spencer. Padraic McKinley is attached to direct, according to both outlets. IGN said McKinley is an editor-turned-director with two previous films as director, including The Weight starring Ethan Hawke; Polygon said his credits include the TV series Fightworld and Kingdom and the recent film The Weight starring Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe. [ 1 , 2 ]
The three actors signed on after reading the script, IGN reported, and the film is currently being edited with notes from the trio. IGN also said the actors interviewed potential directors before McKinley was chosen, and that the team behind the film is looking to shop the project to different studios. IGN noted that Josh Brolin said earlier this summer that Sicario 3 was happening soon, without giving further details. [ 1 ]
There is disagreement in the documents over Taylor Sheridan, who wrote the first two Sicario films. IGN said Deadline did not reveal whether Sheridan is involved and that he appears not to be a writer on the new film, though it speculated he might stay on as a producer. Polygon said that while Variety reported last week that Sheridan had written the script for the third film, Deadline reported that production companies Black Label Media and Thunder Road are going in a different direction, with Knight handling the story. [ 1 , 2 ]
Polygon described the original 2015 Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve, as exploring America’s morally compromised war on drugs along the U.S.-Mexico border. It starred Blunt as FBI agent Kate Macer, Brolin as CIA agent Matt Graver and del Toro as Alejandro Gillick. Sheridan wrote the 2018 sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, directed by Stefano Sollima; Brolin and del Toro returned, while Blunt did not. Polygon said the sequel was less well-received both commercially and critically. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The third Sicario film would bring back Emily Blunt’s character after she was absent from the 2018 sequel, alongside Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin, according to the reports. The documents also point to a possible authorship change for a series associated with Taylor Sheridan, though that remains disputed. Because IGN says the team is still shopping the project to studios, the reported package may not yet be final.
Key facts
- A third Sicario film is moving forward with Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin attached to return, according to IGN and Polygon. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders, is writing the script, IGN and Polygon reported. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Padraic McKinley is attached to direct, according to IGN and Polygon. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The project follows the earlier Sicario films; the 2018 sequel was Sicario: Day of the Soldado. [ 2 ]
- Josh Brolin said earlier this summer that Sicario 3 was happening soon, IGN reported. [ 1 ]
- The team is looking to shop the project to different studios, IGN reported. [ 1 ]
- The documents disagree over Taylor Sheridan: Variety reported last week that he had written the script, while Deadline reported Black Label Media and Thunder Road are going in a different direction. [ 1 , 2 ]
- CNN’s Hollywood Minute headline said Emily Blunt will rejoin the franchise. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- A third Sicario film is moving forward, with Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin attached to return, according to IGN and Polygon. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Steven Knight is set to write the script, according to IGN and Polygon. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Padraic McKinley is attached to direct, according to IGN and Polygon. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Taylor Sheridan’s exact involvement in Sicario 3 is disputed. IGN said Deadline did not reveal whether Sheridan is involved and that he appears not to be a writer, while Polygon said Variety reported Sheridan had written the script and Deadline reported the production companies are going in a different direction.
- Which studio will release the film and when. IGN said the team is looking to shop the project to different studios; the documents give no distributor or release date.
- Whether the project is fully greenlit. IGN describes it as reportedly moving forward; Polygon says it is officially happening, but both rely on Deadline reporting rather than a studio announcement.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- On October 5, IGN publishes a report that Sicario 3 is reportedly moving forward with Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin returning. [ 1 ]
- On October 5, Polygon publishes a report saying Sicario 3 is officially happening, with Steven Knight writing and Padraic McKinley directing, and notes conflicting reports about Taylor Sheridan. [ 2 ]
- On October 6, CNN’s Hollywood Minute headline says Emily Blunt will rejoin the Sicario franchise. [ 3 ]