A sequel for a film that hasn’t even been released? And one that is an early Oscar darling? Pinch me this isn’t real.
But it looks like it is, or at least according to Variety, who reports Lionsgate is developing a sequel to Sicario, which is set to open in theaters this week. The sequel would focus on Benicio Del Toro’s character from the first film.
Taylor Sheridan, who wrote the screenplay for the first movie, is attached to the project with director Denis Villenueve also working on it in some capacity. Variety says it is unclear whether or not he will direct the project and it probably will depend on when they want to sequel and what Villenueve is doing with the Blade Runner sequel he is set to direct.
Lionsgate’s co-chair, Patrick Wachsberger, teased the sequel saying that he wanted to dive into Del Toro’s character more.
“Before the release of this movie, I was talking to Denis and I said what happened to this character? Where is Benicio going?”
Sicario is set to open in more theaters this Friday after a limited release last week. The film also stars Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin with Blunt garnering Oscar buzz for her performance. Wachsberger added that he feels the entire film is Oscar-worthy.
“This movie has multiple Oscar potential — best movie, best director, best cinematography, best music, and, of course, the actors. All of the characters feel real.”
Our own reviewer wasn’t as big of a fan with the casting choice of Blunt, saying the film “does a fine job of ‘scratching the surface,’ as one character puts it, of the hopeless war on drugs and some of the human costs on those involved in it, Emily Blunt’s incoherent casting and appalling performance nearly manage to ruin a fine thriller.”