Sicario 3 Is Officially Happening, Josh Brolin Confirms

What did Josh Brolin actually say?

Speaking to ScreenRant while promoting his new film The Dog Stars, Brolin confirmed plainly that Sicario 3 "is happening" and that filming will begin "soon." This wasn't the first time he'd teased the project, a year earlier he'd described it as looking "very, very real" following years of more sporadic development updates, but this is genuinely the most concrete confirmation yet that the film is actually moving toward production rather than remaining stuck in permanent limbo.

Why has this sequel taken so long to actually get made?

Genuinely one of the more prolonged cases of "development hell" in recent memory. Talk of a third film dates back to at least 2018, around Day of the Soldado's release, with producer Trent Luckinbill confirming even then that Taylor Sheridan had always envisioned the story as a trilogy. Collider reported in October 2023 that Christopher McQuarrie had become involved at one stage, only for Brolin to say in 2024 that McQuarrie was no longer attached and that Sheridan's own involvement had become uncertain. More recently, producer Molly Smith has said McQuarrie is back involved as "a partner," though his specific role hasn't been detailed.

Why has Denis Villeneuve, who directed the first film, not been confirmed to return?

Because he's genuinely become one of the busiest directors in the industry, currently occupied with Dune: Part Three and the next James Bond film for Amazon MGM Studios. His unavailability has been one of the recurring practical obstacles slowing Sicario 3's development, since much of the franchise's critical acclaim is tied directly to his specific directorial approach on the original film.

Is Taylor Sheridan actually writing this one himself?

Genuinely unclear, and that uncertainty is part of why fans should stay cautiously optimistic rather than assume the film is definitely coming soon. Sheridan wrote both previous Sicario films, but given how stretched his schedule has become across the Yellowstone universe and his broader Paramount+ slate, alongside other confirmed projects like F.A.S.T. and a Call of Duty film with director Peter Berg, it would be a genuine surprise if he hadn't needed to delegate at least some of the writing this time, even though it would also be surprising if he weren't involved at all given how personally connected he's been to the franchise's direction from the start.

What made the first two Sicario films so different in reception?

The original 2015 film, starring Brolin, Emily Blunt, and Benicio del Toro, was a genuine critical and commercial success, widely praised for its tension and moral ambiguity around the drug war. The 2018 sequel, Day of the Soldado, didn't fare as well critically or commercially, with much of the shift attributed to Emily Blunt not returning and the cast dynamic changing considerably as a result, even though Sheridan wrote both scripts.

Will Benicio del Toro return as Alejandro Gillick?

Likely, based on how the story left his character, though this hasn't been formally confirmed. Del Toro's Gillick survived the events of Day of the Soldado, leaving the door open for his return, and given he and Brolin are the two actors who've appeared in both prior films, a third installment without at least one of them would be a genuinely unusual choice.

Is this connected to Taylor Sheridan's other current projects?

Not directly in terms of story, but very directly in terms of scheduling and Sheridan's overall workload. He's simultaneously juggling the Yellowstone franchise's various spinoffs, Lioness, Landman, and other Paramount+ properties, alongside these separate feature film commitments, which is genuinely part of why a project first discussed back in 2018 has taken this long to move toward actual production.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sicario 3 officially confirmed? Yes, according to Josh Brolin, who says the film "is happening" with production starting "soon."

Why has Sicario 3 taken nearly eight years to get made? A combination of scheduling conflicts, uncertain director and writer availability, and the 2023 Writers Guild strike all contributed to delays.

Is Denis Villeneuve directing Sicario 3? Unconfirmed, and he's currently occupied with Dune: Part Three and the next James Bond film, making his involvement uncertain.

Will Emily Blunt return for Sicario 3? Unconfirmed. She did not appear in the second film, Day of the Soldado.

Is Benicio del Toro expected to return as Alejandro Gillick? Likely, though not formally confirmed, since his character survived the events of the second film.

Is Christopher McQuarrie involved in writing or directing Sicario 3? Producer Molly Smith says he's involved as "a partner," though his specific role hasn't been detailed.

Is Taylor Sheridan writing Sicario 3 himself? Unclear, given how stretched his schedule is across other projects, though he wrote both previous films.

How did the original Sicario and its sequel compare critically? The 2015 original was a major critical and commercial success; the 2018 sequel, Day of the Soldado, was less well received, partly due to Emily Blunt not returning.

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