Taylor Sheridan shows no signs of slowing down as he adds more projects to his impressive resume. He’s seen incredible success with television series, but one film stands out as one of his best works. For those who weren’t aware, Sheridan was the writer behind the 2015 action crime thriller Sicario and the 2018 sequel Sicario: Day of the Soldado. It’s hard to believe that this was Sheridan’s film screenwriting debut, but with projects like Yellowstone, 1883, 1923, Landman, and Tulsa King in mind, he’s proven he can venture into different avenues within the entertainment industry and conquer them. Sheridan’s exceptional storytelling caught the attention of Denis Villeneuve, the creative mind behind the recent Dune films, who signed on to direct the movie after reading the script.
The film stars Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin and is centered around Kate Macer (Blunt), an FBI agent who joins a covert government task force led by Matt Graver (Brolin), a CIA operative, and Alejandro Gillick (Del Toro), an ex-prosecutor, aimed at confronting the escalating tensions in a drug war that’s overpowering the U.S.-Mexico border. A task force is assembled to catch the leader of a powerful and violent Mexican drug cartel.
In a male-dominated field, Macer must confront the complex realities of this line of work and the moral implications that come with the territory. The sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, hit Netflix on April 1, and rumors of a third installment have circulated since 2018. Sheridan could return to the franchise, and many Sicario fans can agree that Villeneuve should also return to complete the trilogy, as it’s considered one of his best films, and the first installment still sits at a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score.
‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’ Suffered Without Villeneuve’s Creative Vision
Sheridan returned to write Sicario: Day of the Soldado, the 2018 sequel to Sicario, but Villeneuve didn’t return as he had moved on to direct 2017’s Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival. Without Villeneuve’s directing, the film struggled to have the same impact as the first. Sheridan’s writing remained consistent and strong, but there’s no denying that, paired with Villeneuve, the sequel could’ve been on par with the first film. The action and intensity are still there, but the director’s absence is felt throughout the film. Taking a look, for instance, at the Rotten Tomatoes scores for both films is proof enough.
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Sicario received a 92% rating from critics and 85% from audiences. Meanwhile, Sicario: Day of the Soldado received a 62% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics and 66% from audiences. There’s a 30% critic-rating difference between the two films, so while Sheridan’s writing wasn’t lacking, Villeneuve’s directorial vision was a crucial part of the success of the first film, and had he returned for the second, the critics and moviegoers might’ve had a more favorable review of the film.
Day of the Soldado isn’t necessarily a bad film by any means, but the same emotional storytelling that came with the first movie was mostly absent. Without Emily Blunt, the whole thing felt like a cheap copy of a better film. In addition to the departure of Villeneuve, the Sicario sequel also lost Roger Deakins, the beloved cinematographer who followed Villeneuve to Blade Runner 2049. Dariusz Wolski took his place, and while he did a fine job, the final film felt quite different without two important pieces behind the camera.
A Third ‘Sicario’ Film Could Reunite Sheridan and Villeneuve
Sicario marked the first and only time that prestigious screenwriter Sheridan and Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve worked together. With these two at the helm of the film, it’s no wonder it was a success. Sicario grossed $84.9 billion worldwide and received three Oscar nominations in 2016. With Sheridan’s writing, Villeneuve’s beautiful direction, and the all-star cast, the film was a hit and warranted a sequel after the first film’s success. Sheridan returned to write the screenplay for Sicario: Day of the Soldado, but Villeneuve was replaced by Stefano Sollima. Unfortunately, in addition to Villeneuve’s absence, the script from Sheridan felt noticeably weaker as well.
A potential third installment would give Sheridan and Villeneuve a chance to finish what they started together and allow Sheridan a bit of redemption after the disappointing second installment. Since the dream team worked together on Sicario, they’ve both gone on to create masterful stories and hone their medium. Sheridan has seen incredible success on television with critically acclaimed series like Yellowstone, Tulsa King, and Landman, while Villeneuve has directed box-office hits like Dune and Dune: Part Two. Their creative paths haven’t crossed since the successful film wrapped and premiered in 2015, so a reunion wouldn’t just be fan service but would do justice to the story they began 10 years ago. It would be a full circle moment for them to reunite for a third film.
Is ‘Sicario 3’ Happening?
The final installment of the Sicario trilogy has been in development since 2018, after Sicario: Day of the Soldado was released. Sheridan’s return as screenwriter was confirmed, and the potential title for the final film was also revealed: Sicario: Capos. With the film being at a standstill in development, its future remains unclear. One good thing to come out of this limbo is Villeneuve somewhat hinting at a return to direct the final film if Sheridan also plans to be involved. In an interview with The Playlist, Villeneuve said:
“Listen, Taylor Sheridan is one of my favorite screenwriters. If Taylor is writing a screenplay, I would be absolutely excited to see that on screen, [but] I have not heard about [a new script or project]. Nobody has talked to me about that. I’m just hearing about it now, I don’t know if thing this will happen, but if Taylor Sheridan is writing it, it’s going to be fantastic.”
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While the last Sicario film’s journey to the big screen might be delayed, this would give Sheridan and Villeneuve time to clear their schedules. Sheridan is currently focusing on writing for television, while Villeneuve is preparing to begin production on Dune: Messiah, the final film in his Dune trilogy. Both creatives have expressed interest in working together again, so it’s a matter of timing now. Sicario: Day of the Soldado is streaming on Netflix.