Sicario 3: Blunt, Brolin and del Toro reportedly returning for sequel
A report says Sicario 3 is in development and being shopped to studios, with Blunt, Brolin and del Toro set to return.
Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro are also named in the report as returning leads.
Padraic McKinley is said to be directing and Steven Knight to be writing the script; the cited report does not confirm Taylor Sheridan’s involvement.
What happened
IGN reported, based on Deadline, that Sicario 3 is actively being pitched to several studios. That means the project is moving forward, but the available information does not mention a final studio deal or a start date for filming. The reporting places the movie in an early development stage, with cast, director and script still described as reported attachments.
The same report names Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro as being attached to return. That matters because the three also starred together in the first Sicario film in 2015. However, the report does not present their return as a formal studio announcement, but as information passed along by Deadline and relayed by IGN.
The creative team is also mentioned in the report. Padraic McKinley is said to be taking on directing duties, while Steven Knight is said to be writing the screenplay. Deadline did not say whether Taylor Sheridan, who wrote Sicario in 2015, is involved in this third entry. That leaves Sheridan’s role unconfirmed for now, along with the possibility that the current lineup could still change before a studio officially signs on.
Timeline
2015: Sicario is released, written by Taylor Sheridan, starring Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin.
2018: Sicario: Day of the Soldado arrives as the sequel and expands the franchise.
earlier this summer: according to the report, Sicario 3 is being shopped to studios again, pointing to active development.
2026-10-05: IGN publishes the report on the alleged cast, director and writer.
2026-10-05 16:40:24: the publication time included in the provided data falls on the same day as the IGN report.
Background
The Sicario franchise began with the 2015 film, which brought Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin together in a story by Taylor Sheridan. That first movie set the tone for the series with a mix of crime, thriller and border-crossing tension. The sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado from 2018, continued that world, but the third film is still only in reported development for now.
The current information points to a project that has not yet been officially confirmed by a studio. As a result, the return of the three leads, Padraic McKinley’s involvement and Taylor Sheridan’s possible participation remain subject to further confirmation. The provided details also say the project is being offered to multiple studios, which suggests no distributor or financier has been locked in yet.
The available source information also names Steven Knight as the writer of the third film. That is a notable new name for the franchise, since Taylor Sheridan wrote the first Sicario script in 2015 and is not confirmed for this sequel in the report. The combination of a reported new director, a new writer and three returning leads makes it clear that Sicario 3 is still in negotiation and development, not in an official production announcement phase.
Padraic McKinley is identified in the provided context as the intended director. External context shows him listed in other databases as a director and producer, with credits including The Weight, The Good Lord Bird and The Loudest Voice. That supports the idea that his name is not random in the reporting, but it does not change the fact that his involvement with Sicario 3 should still be treated as reported rather than confirmed.