Sicario 3 was originally confirmed back in 2018, and after a couple of years of radio silence, new reports say that production is coming soon. The great Denis Villeneuve helmed the original Sicario (which means "hitman" in Spanish), a taut thriller about FBI agent Kate Mercer (Emily Blunt) joining a mystery task force run by a tough CIA agent (Josh Brolin). Before she can blink, Kate is pulled into a deadly battle against Mexican cartels where nothing is as it seems and the tactics of her team seem highly questionable. Sicario was greeted with praise in 2015 for the performances of its cast, its suffocating atmosphere and Villeneuve's brilliant direction.

Despite its high praise and commercial success, there was little about the premise of Sicario that seemed to suggest a franchise was possible. Nonetheless, a sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, was released in 2018. Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan opted not to bring back Blunt's Kate character, with the story instead focused on Brolin's Matt and Benicio del Toro's returning assassin Alejandro. Things get badly out of hand quickly in the sequel, with Alejandro left to protect Isabel, the young daughter of the man who ordered the murder of his own family. While Day of the Soldado received positive reviews and high praise for its intense action, the absence of Blunt was felt heavily, and the film is generally seen as less narratively interesting than the original.

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Despite being seen by many as a step-down, it was announced that Sicario: Day Of The Soldado would have another sequel. For years, the team on the third film went silent with no real news, but more recent reports from production studio Black Label Media say it's back on. Here's what we know.

Sicario 3: Capos Is Being Developed By Black Label Media

Alejandro wields a gun in Sicario

Ahead of the release of Sicario: Day Of The Soldado in June 2018, series producer Trent Luckinbill confirmed Sicario 3 was definitely in the works. The story would likely pick up from the Sicario 2 ending, which saw Alejandro survive a gunshot to face by young gang member Miguel, who was forced to shoot him. The final scene takes place a year later, where the recovered Alejandro seemingly recruits Miguel, setting up a potential apprentice relationship in the next movie. A sequel would also have to deal with the career impact facing Matt, as a rare display of emotion caused him to disobey orders and rescue Isabel against the strict orders of his superiors.

In February of 2021, Black Label Founder Molly Smith confirmed to Deadline that Sicario 3 is still in the works, and is planned for production in either late 2021 or early 2022. The film also has an official title: Sicario: Capos, roughly translated in English as "bosses." That suggests that the new movie could set Matt and Alejandro up against the toughest drug kingpins they've dealt with yet.

Sicario 3 Returning Cast

Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin in Sicario 2

No official casting has been confirmed for Sicario: Capos at this point, but Smith did tell Deadline that Black Label has every intention of bringing back del Toro to star. It seems likely that Josh Brolin and supporting star Jeffrey Donovan would also come back for a third film, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. Given the dip in interest for Sicario 2, it feels like Emily Blunt's Kate is a must for a trilogy capper too, and an exploration of how she evolved following the traumatic events of the original film could be great material for a new movie. Reports say that the series' producers are interested in bringing Blunt back to the world of Sicario, but her incredibly busy filming schedule these days could make a reprisal difficult.

Sicario 3 Release Date

Emily Blunt in Sicario

As of now, there is no official release date for Sicario: Capos. However, if Black Label's hopes for a late 2021/early 2022 production start hold true, that could mean a theatrical release for Sicario 3 as soon as late 2022. Taking into account Sicario: Day Of The Soldado's mixed response and the fact that it cost more to produce but grossed less, the studio may be taking careful steps in setting up the next installment. Perhaps if Emily Blunt signs back on, interest in the new movie will be reignited. For now, though, many of the details about Sicario 3 remain unclear.

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