Denis Villeneuve’s 2015 gritty masterpiece Sicario carved out a brutal, morally grey niche in modern action cinema, anchored by an unforgettable core trio caught in the crossfire of the drug war. While the 2018 sequel, Day of the Soldado, continued the franchise without its emotional anchor, fans have spent years hoping for a proper reunion on the border. Now, long-awaited developments indicate that the franchise's original heavyweights are finally stepping back into the fray for a third installment.

Latest reports suggest that Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin are set to reunite for Sicario 3.

According to reports from Deadline, Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin are gearing up to step back into the brutal world of the border wars, with Black Label Media and Thunder Road officially developing Sicario 3. Padraic McKinley has signed on to direct the project, working from a screenplay penned by Oscar nominee Steven Knight, though plot details are currently being kept under wraps.

Launched by creator Taylor Sheridan, the gritty franchise began as a breakout box office success in 2015, drawing acclaim for its powerhouse lead performances and cementing Denis Villeneuve's status as an elite visionary director. A 2018 sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, subsequently followed without Blunt, bringing back Del Toro and Brolin to continue the high-stakes narrative.

The franchise's enduring popularity has steadily climbed over the years, and once the principal trio reviewed Steven Knight’s latest script draft, all three actors readily agreed to sign on for a third outing. Finding the right filmmaker proved to be an exhaustive process, with producers from Black Label Media and Thunder Road conducting extensive interviews alongside independent meetings held by the lead cast members. Ultimately, McKinley emerged as the standout choice, impressing the team and securing the director's chair, as reported by Deadline.

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The creative team behind the threequel is still hard at work developing the project in collaboration with the stars attached.

Director Padraic McKinley and screenwriter Steven Knight, who is also busy with the James Bond script, are currently polishing the screenplay by incorporating creative notes from the core cast, with production slated to kick off at the start of next year. While Lionsgate distributed the first two installments, insiders indicate that the package will be taken out to the open market, with multiple major studios already expressing strong interest.

Behind the scenes, Black Label Media’s Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill, and Thad Luckinbill are returning to produce alongside Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, with Ed McDonnell also coming back as a producer. Emily Blunt’s return to the franchise is welcome change that the fans will celebrate but they might miss Denis Villeneuve’s brilliant direction not that Padraic McKinley is not a commendable director, but Villeneuve was the very element that gave the first film its cult status.  

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Does the casting update excite you for Sicario 3? Do let us know.