Josh Brolin Says ‘Sicario 3’ Is Happening — And It Could Be Moving Forward Soon

Brolin gave the update while promoting his new Ridley Scott movie The Dog Stars.

Asked about the long-discussed third Sicario, the actor offered a remarkably simple answer: “It is happening.”

When pushed on when audiences might hear more, his answer was equally tantalising: “Soon.”

It's a short update, but an important one, given how long the third movie has been floating around Hollywood.

Brolin has previously said he kept hearing the film was around the corner, without knowing precisely when. His latest comments sound considerably more confident.

Whether “soon” means an imminent production announcement or simply another significant development remains to be seen.

Another piece of the puzzle is worth paying attention to.

Producer Thad Luckinbill, who worked on both previous Sicario films, recently confirmed that conversations about a third movie have taken place.

His wording, however, wasn't quite as definitive as Brolin's.

Luckinbill told Entertainment Weekly that the team is hoping to make another movie, while acknowledging one obvious complication: Taylor Sheridan is exceptionally busy.

Sheridan has become one of television's most prolific creators since writing the original Sicario, with shows including Yellowstone, Lioness and Landman forming part of an enormous television workload.

So while Brolin sounds convinced that another movie is coming, there are clearly still pieces that need to fall into place.

The original Sicario arrived in 2015 and was directed by Denis Villeneuve, based on Sheridan's screenplay.

Emily Blunt starred as FBI agent Kate Macer, who is recruited into a covert task force led by Brolin's Matt Graver. That operation brings her into contact with Benicio del Toro's mysterious Alejandro Gillick and gradually exposes her to a world where the lines separating law enforcement, revenge, and criminality become increasingly difficult to see.

Villeneuve's direction, Roger Deakins' cinematography and Jóhann Jóhannsson's ominous score helped turn the film into something far more unsettling than a conventional crime thriller.

The movie received three Academy Award nominations, including recognition for cinematography, original score and sound editing.

Then came Sicario: Day of the Soldado in 2018.

Brolin and Del Toro returned, as did Sheridan as screenwriter, but Villeneuve and Blunt did not. Stefano Sollima took over directing duties for the sequel.

And that's where the movie series has remained ever since.

Here's where we need to separate what fans want from what has actually been announced.

Brolin's comments strongly suggest he expects to remain involved, but there hasn't been a formal announcement confirming the full cast of Sicario 3.

That means Benicio del Toro's return as Alejandro shouldn't be treated as confirmed yet.

The same applies to Emily Blunt.

Blunt didn't appear in Day of the Soldado, and there is currently no confirmation that Kate Macer will return for the third movie.

Years of speculation have followed about possible returning characters, but until the studio or filmmakers announce them, that's exactly what they remain.

And we'd rather wait for the announcement than turn somebody's IMDb wish list into news.

That's another enormous question mark.

Villeneuve directed the first Sicario but didn't return for Day of the Soldado, and his current schedule makes a reunion far from straightforward.

He's currently bringing his Dune trilogy to a conclusion and is also attached to direct the next James Bond movie.

Meanwhile, Sollima has previously indicated that he wouldn't want to direct another Sicario, arguing that individual instalments should have their own filmmaking identity.

That potentially leaves the director's chair wide open.

And with a series as visually and tonally distinctive as Sicario, whoever eventually occupies it will matter enormously.

This isn't the first time we've heard that a third movie could happen.

Plans for another instalment have circulated for years, and the project has previously been associated with the working title Sicario: Capos.

What makes the latest development interesting is the timing.

Brolin isn't merely saying he'd like to make another one. He's saying it's happening.

At almost the same moment, one of the franchise's producers has confirmed that conversations are actively taking place.

Those two things together make this feel considerably more substantial than another round of Sicario 3 speculation.

But until cameras actually start rolling, we'll keep the champagne — or perhaps something considerably stronger given this particular franchise — firmly corked.

The difficult thing about making another Sicario isn't convincing audiences that the world can support another story.

It's living up to what came before.

The first film remains a masterclass in tension. It didn't need constant action because Villeneuve could make a convoy approaching the Mexican border feel more terrifying than most movies' entire third acts.

Brolin's wonderfully casual Matt Graver and del Toro's almost spectral Alejandro made the movie even harder to shake.

Day of the Soldado changed the equation and divided audiences more sharply, but it also demonstrated that Sheridan's world could continue beyond Kate Macer's original story.

Now, eight years later, Brolin appears convinced that there's another chapter coming.

We'll believe Sicario 3 has truly escaped development hell when the studio gives us the cast, director and production date.

But for the first time in quite a while, we'd probably start rewinding the first two.