Josh Brolin doesn’t sound optimistic about Sicario 3

Last Updated on April 4, 2023

Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario was one hell of a film, but it wasn’t one that I ever expected would spawn a sequel. But two years later, Sicario: Day of the Soldado was released, and there were plans for a third film to complete the trilogy. It’s been five years since the release of the first sequel, but Sicario 3 remains in development hell, and Josh Brolin fears that’s where it will stay.

While speaking with Variety, Josh Brolin touched upon Sicario 3 but expressed his doubts that those types of mid-budget movies can even get made today.

“Because these people that I got to work with aren’t necessarily doing a lot of films now. All these people that you’re talking about, Paul Thomas Anderson, it’s tough for him to do a film,” Brolin said. “Paul’s become a really close friend, and I loved working with him on ‘Inherent Vice.’ I can’t wait to see what he does next. But I think he knows that these types of movies are not necessarily getting made so much anymore, $20 to 45 million dollar movies. Would ‘No Country’ get made today? Would ‘True Grit’ get made today? Would ‘Sicario’ get made today? ‘Sicario 3,’ we’ve been trying to get that right and get that going, but why hasn’t it happened? How long can you wait? A tough movie to get made even though the two made money, and people are asking about it all the time.”

Josh Brolin sounded a little more optimistic about the chances for Sicario 3 just last year. “I just don’t know when we’ll do it. We may be 80,” Brolin said with a laugh. “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!“

The first Sicario made $84.9 million worldwide against a $30 million budget; not huge numbers, but enough to get the green light for Sicario: Day of the Soldado. The sequel earned a little less, grossing $75.8 million worldwide against a reported $35 million budget. Mid-budget movies are a tough sell nowadays, and while these movies certainly made a profit when you also account for home media, cable, and streaming sales, the studio may not want to pull the trigger for a third time.

Are you still holding out hope for Sicario 3?