Why there's going to be a sequel to the great drug-war movie 'Sicario'
The actor-turned-screenwriter's debut script - which explored the War on Drugs centering on the US-Mexico border and starred Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro, and Josh Brolin - became one of the most talked-about movies of 2015 for its unconventional story and incredible cinematography.
Rumors of a sequel quickly spread. The sequel was confirmed this spring with the greenlight of "Soldado." Though "Sicario" director Denis Villeneuve ("Arrival") and Blunt are not returning for the sequel, Del Toro, Brolin, and Sheridan are.
The screenwriter says there's a big reason why it was conceivable to go forward with a part two.
"There were things that we omitted from the original script, we couldn't shoot them in 'Sicario,'" Sheridan recently told Business Insider. "If we had gotten them in there, we wouldn't have a sequel. So it worked out very well."
Sheridan also confirmed what "Soldado" director Stefan Sollima has stated in the past: The movie is a standalone story, though it'll feature Del Toro's assassin Alejandro and Brolin's CIA officer Matt Graver.
"In 'Sicario' they were operating inside the United States and utilizing a legal loophole that actually exists," Sheridan said. "They had a chaperone. They don't have a chaperone in the sequel, for better or for worse."
"Soldado," being released by Lionsgate, will open in 2017.
"Sicario" earned over $84 million worldwide (on a $30 million budget) and was nominated for three Academy Awards this year.