Sicario 3 Will Reunite Emily Blunt With Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin

Sicario 3 is reportedly moving forward with Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio del Toro signed on to return.

As Deadline reports, the three stars are attached to return in a new installment of the gritty thriller franchise. Reports of a third Sicario have been floating around for years, but it has actually appeared to gain some momentum this year. Josh Brolin stated earlier this summer that Sicario 3 was happening soon, but didn't reveal any further details. Now, it seems the film has locked in its cast, a director, and a writer.

The film will be directed by Padraic McKinley, who recently helmed a drama starring Ethan Hawke known as The Weight. McKinley is an editor-turned-director, with only two films under his belt as a director. Sicario 3 will be his third project at the helm, and he will be directing from a script by Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders and writer of the next James Bond film.

The three actors signed on for a third film after reading the script, and it's currently being edited with notes from the trio. The actors also interviewed potential directors before eventually landing on McKinley. As of right now, the team behind the film is looking to shop the project around to different studios.

Deadline did not reveal whether or not Taylor Sheridan has any involvement in the project. He wrote the first two films, but it appears he will not be a writer on this film. Presumably, he will stay on as a producer, but that's pure speculation. The prolific writer has his hands tied with a number of TV shows and films, including a Call of Duty movie, so he may not have had time to work on a new Sicario film.

The return of Emily Blunt is also interesting, as she was absent from the second Sicario film. Her character seemed to have largely completed her arc, so it made sense not to bring her back, but some fans thought her exclusion made Sicario 2 feel more like a traditional, less interesting action flick. Having Blunt as part of the cast again may ensure Sicario 3 has more depth.

The film currently has no release date, but it certainly sounds like things are ramping up quickly.