The third Sicario movie is officially moving forward, and Taylor Sheridan isn’t writing it anymore. Original stars Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin are returning to the crime drama series, but Deadline reports that production companies Black Label Media and Thunder Road have hired Steven Knight to write the script and Padraic McKinley to direct.
Knight is the creator of Peaky Blinders and the writer behind films like Eastern Promises and Spencer. McKinley’s credits include the TV series Fightworld and Kingdom, plus the recent film The Weight, starring Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe.
Sheridan’s Exit
Last week, Variety reported that Sheridan had written the script for the third Sicario film. Sheridan created the original movie and wrote the sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado.
Deadline now says the production companies are going in a different direction. Knight will handle the story instead.
The Returnees
Blunt, del Toro, and Brolin all appeared in the original 2015 Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve. The film followed FBI agent Kate Macer, played by Blunt, as she worked with CIA agent Matt Graver (Brolin) and former Mexican prosecutor turned assassin Alejandro Gillick (del Toro) to capture a Mexican drug cartel leader.
Graver and Gillick operated on the edges of the law and withheld crucial information from Macer, creating a constant sense of tension and unease throughout the film.
Day of the Soldado
Sicario: Day of the Soldado was directed by Stefano Sollima. Brolin and del Toro reprised their roles, while Blunt did not appear in the sequel.
The film was less well-received both commercially and critically. Villeneuve’s sensibilities and Roger Deakins’ Academy Award-nominated cinematography were sorely missed in the sequel.
Knight and McKinley
Knight’s writing credits include Peaky Blinders and a long list of films. McKinley’s directing work includes Fightworld and Kingdom, as well as The Weight.
The move removes Sheridan from the writer’s chair after he created both films in the series. Whether that changes the tone of the story remains to be seen.
The Development Timeline
There is no release date set for Sicario 3, often referred to as Sicario: Capos. Deadline reports that producers are aiming to start filming in early 2027.
The film has been in development in some form since 2018.
The Creative Shift
This is a surprise turn for a franchise built around Sheridan’s voice. He created the original film and wrote the sequel, so his departure as writer changes the creative direction significantly.
Whether Knight can deliver a script that matches the series’ reputation remains to be seen. The film has been in development since 2018, so this shift is notable after so much time.
What Comes Next
Sicario 3 is finally moving forward, but it is doing so without its original writer. That is the story here, and it is a significant one for fans of the series.
The cast is back, the filmmakers are new, and the production companies are aiming for an early 2027 start. Whether the result lives up to the legacy of the first two films is a question that will only be answered when the film arrives.
Key Facts
- Original film: Sicario (2015), directed by Denis Villeneuve
- Sequel: Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), written by Taylor Sheridan, directed by Stefano Sollima
- New writer: Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders
- New director: Padraic McKinley
- Starring: Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin
- Filming target: Early 2027
See the video the story is built around at Polygon.
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