Now that we know that Sicario 3 is as close as ever to happening, producers Molly Smith and Trent Luckinbill are hoping – just as much as fans – to bring back the original three stars from the 2015 original, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin and Emily Blunt.
Speaking with Collider, Smith stated that a primary goal for Sicario 3 is to bring back the trio, although only one of whom is considered close to the project at this point. “Our idea is to get the cast back together with Benicio, Emily, and Josh, and we’ve got a great story to tell…Benicio, by nature of just working with us most recently, has been probably the closest to it at the moment.”
Still, those behind Sicario 3 are keeping the aforementioned stars abreast, despite the roadblocks that the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike and the recently settled WGA strike set in place. “But we’re keeping all the talent informed. They’ve stayed close to it. Like Trent said, the strike has just slowed us down a bit on this last draft, but I think everybody is very excited. Everyone sort of knows the framework of the story and is very excited to, hopefully, get our shooting draft in order very soon.” Brolin, who played CIA officer Matt Graver, had previously been far from optimistic about Sicario 3 ever coming to fruition despite so many supporting it.
Whereas Sicario was one of the best-reviewed movies of its year, went on to earn a surprising three Oscar nods and really helped director Denis Villeneuve break out even farther, its 2018 sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, was far less of a hit. One reason is the absence of Emily Blunt’s FBI agent Kate Macer. Instead, 2018 saw a banner year otherwise for Blunt, who starred in husband John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place and led Mary Poppins for Disney. If the producers can get del Toro, Brolin and Blunt back for Sicario 3, we might be headed towards an incredible follow-up.
Do you think Sicario 3 needs the leads from the original to be a success? Will you watch it regardless? Let us know!