The Original Trio Returns: Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin to Star in ‘Sicario 3’

The crime thriller “Sicario 3” has finally moved forward after several years of silence. The stars of Denis Villeneuve’s original film — Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin — are preparing to reprise their roles as FBI agent Kate Macer, hitman Alejandro Gillick and CIA operative Matt Graver. Filming is scheduled to begin in early 2027. For fans of the franchise, this is a landmark event: the project will reunite the canonical trio for the first time since 2015.

As Deadline reports, all three actors have already read the current version of the script and agreed to take part. The biggest change to the team is a new writer. Taylor Sheridan wrote the first two films, but the script for the third installment was penned by Steven Knight, creator of the series “Peaky Blinders” and “Taboo.” Knight is now making final revisions to the text based on the cast’s input.

A New Director and a Shift in Tone

Padraic McKinley has been tapped to direct the third film, The Playlist notes. The director recently made a splash on the festival circuit at Sundance and Berlin with the historical thriller The Weight, starring Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe.

Emily Blunt’s return should restore the franchise’s dramatic balance. In the 2015 original, her character served as the audience’s moral compass as she confronted the lawlessness of the intelligence services on the Mexican border. The 2018 sequel “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” went ahead without Blunt, focusing solely on the characters played by Brolin and del Toro, and the story lost noticeable psychological depth as a result.

Search for a Distributor and the Project’s Status

Black Label Media and Thunder Road Pictures are once again handling production; the companies have been developing the third film over the past several years. The movie still has no confirmed release date or distributor.

Lionsgate released the first two films, but the producers plan to put the rights to the third up for bidding among major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms. Plot details are being kept under strict wraps, but with Macer’s return, viewers can once again expect a harsh collision between the idealism of the law and the shadowy methods used to fight the cartels.