The Sicario franchise, which started with the critically acclaimed 2015 film directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Taylor Sheridan, is set to continue with a third installment. However, the details about the plot, the cast, and the director are still unknown. What we do know is that Christopher McQuarrie, the writer and director of the Mission: Impossible series, will be involved in some capacity with Sicario 3.
McQuarrie’s name was revealed by producers Molly Smith and Trent Luckinbill in an interview with Collider1. They said that McQuarrie is a partner on the project, but did not specify what his role will be. McQuarrie has been working with Tom Cruise for over a decade, writing and directing films such as Jack Reacher, Edge of Tomorrow, and three Mission: Impossible movies. He is currently busy with the next Mission: Impossible film, which is expected to resume production in Australia soon.
Smith and Luckinbill also commented on Sheridan’s involvement in Sicario 3. Sheridan, who wrote the first two Sicario films and received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay for Hell or High Water, is now also a successful director and showrunner. He is behind the Yellowstone universe, which includes several spin-offs and a follow-up series starring Matthew McConaughey. The producers said that Sheridan is still a partner on Sicario 3, but he may not have the time to write or direct it.
The original cast of Sicario, which includes Benicio del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Josh Brolin, has expressed interest in returning for the third film2. However, their involvement will depend on the script and the schedule. Blunt did not appear in the second film, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, which was directed by Stefano Sollima and received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.
Sicario 3 is produced by Black Label Media, which has confirmed that the movie should enter production this year3. Therefore, it is possible that we will not see a finished product until the end of 2022 at the earliest. Taking into account the second installment’s mixed response, the studio may be taking extra caution in assembling the next installment. With names like McQuarrie and Sheridan attached to it, Sicario 3 has the potential to be another thrilling and gritty crime drama that explores the dark side of the war on drugs.