Latest Sicario 3 Update Is Disappointing After Years Of Hope For The $160M Franchise Sequel

Summary After two successful films, Sicario 3 faces production challenges and uncertainty, leaving fans in suspense.

Key players dropping out and lack of a compelling story delay the highly anticipated Sicario sequel.

Without original stars and storytellers, Sicario 3 risks failing to live up to the critical acclaim of its predecessors.

While many remain hopeful that Sicario 3 will one day happen, the latest update on the project is a disappointment for fans of the crime-thriller series. After the release of Sicario: Day of the Soldado in 2018, the franchise has been languishing in development hell, with uncertainty over plans for a third installment or even whether the films' original stars could return. Although both previous films were modest financial successes – with the first film in particular singled out for critical praise – definitive updates around Sicario 3 are far from forthcoming.

In some ways, the difficulties involved in making Sicario 3 are somewhat surprising. While neither Sicario or Day of the Soldado broke financial records, Denis Villeneuve's 2015 original is regarded as one of the most accomplished and nerve-shredding action films of the past decade. The movie holds an impressive 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, highlighting how successful its unique brand of morally nuanced storytelling really was. However, in the six years since follow-up Day of the Soldado was released, the production has been beset by difficulties. Despite the goodwill towards the first film, it seems a solution remains a long way off.

Related Sicario 3: Confirmation & Everything We Know Sicario is one of the best crime movies of the 2010s, and Sicario: Day of the Soldado even set up a threequel, but why hasn't Sicario 3 been made yet?

Sicario 3 Still Doesn't Sound Like It Will Happen Anytime Soon

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Although some of the film's prospective personnel have made positive noises, Sicario 3 has always been problematic. At certain points, various writers and directors have been attached, only to drop out without moving the movie forward. Variously, original writer Taylor Sheridan and director Denis Villeneuve were supposed to be coming back, only for plans to change. Unfortunately, this status quo looks set to continue, thanks to insight provided by original star Josh Brolin.

In an interview with The Playlist, Brolin said the movie was closer, but confirmed that the supposed director, Christopher McQuarrie, had dropped out. As he explained:

"(Producers Black Label) are very much focused on wanting it to happen, but we won’t let it happen until there’s a story interesting enough to want to spend that kind of money on it. “Chris [McQuarrie] was involved for a while, but he’s not now. And I don’t know about [Taylor] Sheridan. I know him really well, but I don’t know if he’s onboard or not.”

This all suggests that the behind-the-scenes picture around Sicario 3 remains as chaotic and uncertain as ever. After the critical success of the first film, it's unsurprising that there is interest in reviving the series. However, with no concrete plan in place for a story, let alone a production schedule, six years after the previous film, the future for Sicario 3 looks increasingly gloomy.

Why Sicario 3 Needs To Happen Sooner Rather Than Later

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Unfortunately for Sicario fans, the longer the delay continues, the less chance there is of a third film being made at all. In order for the third installment to feel like a continuation of the established story, it's essential that key personnel like Brolin, Benicio del Toro, and maybe Emily Blunt – plus Taylor Sheridan behind the camera – are all brought together. However, as more time passes and each crewmember takes on different projects, the likelihood of a reunion for an ill-defined Sicario sequel feels increasingly remote.

...as Day of the Soldado proved, moving away from the first movie's formula is fraught with risk

Of course, it is possible that Sicario 3 moves beyond the original characters that made the first film so memorable. However, as Day of the Soldado proved, moving away from the first movie's formula is fraught with risk. Day of the Soldado was much less positively received than the original, scoring 62% on Rotten Tomatoes, with many critics citing the absence of Emily Blunt as a major factor. Since bringing the same personnel back is crucial, the more time that passes has potentially negative implications for Sicario 3's success.