“I’m not the guy to ask to write a sequel”: Taylor Sheridan Put Studio in Trouble With His ‘Horrifying’ Script That Made His $85M Movie Look Like a Comedy

Taylor Sheridan is one of the best screenwriter-director of current times. While he might be known best now for creating the epic Western Yellowstone and several of its spin-off series, he also wrote the critically acclaimed Sicario. The action thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve, is considered one of the best movies of the genre.

Starring the likes of Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin in the lead, the movie was generally well-received and grossed about $85 million worldwide. However, when roped in to write its sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Sheridan put the studio in trouble for writing a script that made the first movie seem like a comedy.

Taylor Sheridan on Writing the Sequel to Sicario

Taylor Sheridan is brilliant at scriptwriting, whether it is a movie like Sicario or a series like the Western Yellowstone, one can always count on the actor-director to deliver the best. Yet, when it comes to creating and writing sequels, Sheridan does not believe he is the right choice to do so.

While he has written scripts for several projects, it was Denis Villeneuve-directed Sicario that earned him a Writers Guild of America Award nomination. A brilliantly written movie directed by the acclaimed Villeneuve, the movie is one of the best action thrillers of all time.

The $85 million movie (via Box Office Mojo), was soon followed by a sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Back in 2017, while talking about the sequel to Collider, Sheridan remarked how the script for the movie put the studio in trouble.

When I told them I would write it, they asked for the traditional studio call and the outline and all that, and I said, ‘No, no, no, guys. The first one was original. I’m just going to go away and I’m going to come back with it and there you go.’ And they trusted me to do that, and then read it and were like, ‘Ah, shit. We’re in a lot of trouble.’ It makes the first one look like a comedy. Yeah. I’m not the guy to ask to write a sequel.

Although not as acclaimed as its predecessor, the movie nonetheless is an intense, ruthless ride that fans have come to love with time. And while Sheridan is busy creating the Yellowstone spin-offs, fans are eagerly awaiting a threequel.

Is Sicario 3 Happening Anytime Soon?

The Sicario film series deals with a Mexican drug cartel and how the CIA brings it down. While the first movie attempted to control the organization, the second furthered their attempts and set a brilliant premise for a threequel to follow suit.

However, fans’ dreams of Sicario 3 are yet to materialize. While it was being said that Taylor Sheridan might be willing to write a threequel, nothing of such has been confirmed now. Even the movie’s lead star, Josh Brolin, seems uncertain when the threequel will come about.

In an interview with The Playlist, although the actor maintained the movie is in development, he stated,

Molly Smith, who is a really good friend, who is one of the producers of that on Black Label—I said something. I said, ‘It’s never gonna happen!’ and it kind of went everywhere. And she was very reactive, which I appreciated. I appreciate reaction. They’re very much focused on wanting it to happen, but we won’t let it happen until there’s a story interesting enough to want to spend that kind of money on it.

Brolin also revealed that Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie is no longer involved, and that Sheridan’s involvement is uncertain. While the threequel awaits a story, it seems to be stuck in development hell. Only time will tell whether the movie will ever get made or will continue to remain a mirage.

Sicario can be streamed on Amazon Prime, while Sicario: Day of the Soldado is available on Hulu.