About time: Taylor Sheridan’s Sicario 3 lands proper release news — eight years later
At long last, Josh Brolin’s dropped the most encouraging update on Sicario 3, reigniting hopes for Taylor Sheridan’s cartel saga nearly eight years after Day of the Soldado.
After years of radio silence and false starts, Sicario 3 has finally got a proper pulse again. And it’s Josh Brolin who’s provided the first real jolt of life, finally confirming what fans (and let’s face it, studio accountants) have been waiting for: the third outing in Taylor Sheridan’s borderland thriller series is officially moving ahead, and it’s not just empty talk this time.
Sicario 3 has spent nearly eight years in limbo since Day of the Soldado came out.
Brolin Puts His Foot Down
While out promoting The Dog Stars, Brolin went and told ScreenRant that ‘Sicario 3 is happening’ and filming is due to kick off ‘soon’. For context, Brolin’s been the face (and khakis) of CIA man Matt Graver across both prior films, typically paired with Benicio del Toro’s Alejandro Gillick to kick some teeth in along the Mexico border. For years, they’ve said variations of ‘We might do it’, but this time it actually carries weight—Brolin sounds like he’s got a plane ticket and a call sheet ready to go.
To rewind a bit: this comes one year after Brolin had said Sicario 3 was looking ‘very, very real’, though he was open about nobody having a clue if Denis Villeneuve would be allowed out of Dune jail long enough to direct. Denis did the original. The sequel was helmed by Stefano Sollima, who promptly vanished from the conversation shortly after credits rolled on Day of the Soldado.
Who’s Actually Making This Thing?
In classic Sicario tradition, confusion reigns behind the scenes. There’s still no confirmation on who’s writing Sicario 3: the script was reportedly ‘nearly finished’ before that Writers Guild of America strike hit back in 2023, but since then it’s been tumbleweeds. Taylor Sheridan is supposed to be involved, but with his head up to his ears in Yellowstone spinoffs and dramas for Paramount+, don’t count on him spending his afternoons banging out Sicario dialogue.
Directing’s another pickle. Producer Molly Smith let slip that Christopher McQuarrie was brought in as ‘a partner’ for the third film. Partner in what, exactly? Writing, directing, sewing the costumes? Smith didn’t quite say. Worth noting, McQuarrie’s also swamped with his commitments—there’s a Battlefield film in the offing, and whispers about King Conan. As for Villeneuve, he’s all but welded to the Dune: Part Three production and has the next James Bond project stacked up at Amazon MGM. In summary: nobody who actually makes Sicario is currently sure if they’re making Sicario, but Brolin says somebody is, and that’s apparently good enough for now.
And Who’s Coming Back?
Cast-wise, things are about as clear as border fog. Benicio del Toro’s character survived Day of the Soldado—he was last seen taking a likely new apprentice under his metaphorical wing—so he’s most likely suiting up for more brooding violence. Emily Blunt is the big question mark; her fate was left hanging after the original, and despite fans lobbying for her return, nothing’s settled. Other players? Only Jeffrey Donovan and Raoul Trujillo managed a repeat appearance from film one to two. Everyone else either retired, died, or simply wasn’t calling their agent back.
Still, after nearly a decade stuck in ‘development hell’, Brolin’s latest update at least points to an actual Sicario 3 shoot in 2026—even if most of the details are murkier than a cartel accounting book.