When news emerged earlier this month that the “Sicario” sequel “Soldado” was pushing ahead, but without the involvement of Emily Blunt, many were dismayed. But even from the earliest whispers, the word on the street was that the focus would pivot elsewhere, and indeed, the followup will center on Benicio del Toro’s “consultant” and Josh Brolin’s shady CIA agent (and to be frank, I’m not sure that Blunt’s character returning would feel organic given the hell she goes through in “Sicario”). However, it now appears the sequel is set in the milieu of “Sicario” but doesn’t necessarily provide a direct a narrative link.
“It’s not a real sequel,” “Soldado” director Stefano Sollima told The Independent. “It’s absolutely a standalone movie – a completely different story with just two of the characters that you met in ‘Sicario.’ The reason that I love [Soldado] is because it’s not exactly a sequel; it’s something you can catch and enjoy even if you haven’t watched the first one.”
It’s an interesting approach, and actually one that in my opinion bodes more favorably, rather than trying to directly connect to Denis Villeneuve‘s masterful film. Screenwriter Taylor Sheridan, who penned the first movie, has also written the followup, and if he’s deciding to tell different stories with these characters, that’s definitely intriguing. And it seems like he has more up his sleeve.
“The idea is to make three anthology movies with some of the core actors and in the same world,” the director added.
Certainly, the drug trade, and the treacherous ground that straddles the U.S./Mexico is fertile territory for stories to tell, and it’ll be fascinating to see what threads the filmmakers choose to pursue in the films ahead. Thoughts? Does this make you more excited for “Soldado”? Let us know below.