Lionsgate is, rightfully, putting a lot of eggs in the Sicario basket. Denis Villenueve's drug war thriller starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro opens wide this week after a booming limited run over the weekend, giving them hope the film can be both a blockbuster hit and an Oscar contender. With those kinds of expectations, it's perhaps not surprising they are looking for ways to keep it going longer with a sequel.
According to Variety, Villeneuve and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan are beginning work on a follow-up that would center on Del Toro's character, Alejandro. He plays one of three agents on a black ops mission to take out a Mexican drug lord. There's significantly more to Alejandro than meets the eye, however, more than enough that following him further makes sense.
“Before the release of this movie, I was talking to Denis and I said what happened to this character?” said Patrick Wachsberger, co-chair of the studio’s motion picture group. “Where is Benicio going?”
Sicario doesn't immediately seem like the launch of a franchise, but personally I'll give anything to see Villeneuve back in that world again with these characters.
