Producers: Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro & Josh Brolin returning for ‘Sicario 2’
What the fuck? Sicario was sneaky excellent last year, and while it was a dour and miserable trek, I fucking loved it. That said, the idea of a sequel is, uh, odd?
It seemed unreal, almost like an early April Fool’s Day joke. Last fall, shortly after the film’s wildly successful opening in limited release (where it posted one of the best per-screen averages of 2015), it was reported that development was already starting on a sequel. It seemed like a bullish announcement from producers feeling good after their movie did well with critics and audiences, but the rumblings about a follow-up persisted. And now, chatting with THR,Molly Smith and Trent Luckinbill of production company Black Label Media who backed “Sicario,” reveal the follow-up is well on its way.
READ MORE: Review: Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Sicario’ Starring Emily Blunt
“We’re in full development with the studio. I just got a draft [of a script from writer Taylor Sheridan], and we’re really excited,” Smith said.
Initial reports pegged that the followup would focus on Benicio del Toro‘s deadly assassin, and it seems he’s still very much the focus, but that the other leads will also have roles.
“Taylor’s a really great world-builder. He’s got that kind of modern Western voice, which is in vogue right now. And he did it again [with the sequel]. It’s a great big world. We can’t reveal the plot, but you’ll see [Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin] all come back,” Lukinbill said. “You have such a great character with Benicio, who was as dark as he was and still so loved. That character resonates so well with audiences. People want to know what happened to him, so it’s a perfect foray for us to explore. Obviously we would love it if Denis [Villeneuve] could [direct]. He’s a busy man, but he’s certainly part of the process with us right now.”
Wow. It still seems unbelievable, and Villeneuve’s terrific, tight “Sicario” still doesn’t seem like the obvious choice for expansion, but if the trio of leads are all sold, the concept must be strong. Color us intrigued.
For now, Villeneuve is quite busy. He’s got “Story Of Your Life” starringAmy Adams in the can, and this summer he starts shooting “Blade Runner 2.” But if that means “Sicario 2” waits for him, continues development, and gets even stronger conceptually, that’s fine by me.