History of Sicario: Day of the Soldado in Timeline

Sicario: Day of the Soldado follows CIA operative Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and hitman Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro) as they are tasked with inciting war between Mexican drug cartels. The US government's rationale is to destabilize the cartels who are suspected of trafficking terrorists across the border. The mission escalates when Graver orders Gillick to kill a cartel lawyer and kidnap Isabel Reyes (Isabela Moner), the daughter of a powerful drug lord. Political considerations force the US to abandon the operation, marking Gillick and Isabel for death. Graver is then ordered to eliminate any trace of the operation and the pair. Gillick refuses to kill Isabel, resulting in a bloody fight. The movie concludes with an injured Gillick being approached by Miguel, a young deaf boy he previously encountered, now seemingly recruited into the cartel, setting the stage for another sequel.

September 2015: Lionsgate commissions Sicario sequel

In September 2015, Lionsgate commissioned a sequel to Sicario, focusing on Benicio del Toro's character, with Taylor Sheridan overseeing the project and Denis Villeneuve initially involved.

2015: Sicario film release

In 2015, the movie Sicario was released, preceding the release of the sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado in 2018.

April 2016: Producers announce returning cast members

In April 2016, producers Molly Smith and Trent Luckinbill announced that Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin would return for the Sicario sequel.

June 1, 2016: Stefano Sollima hired to direct Soldado

On June 1, 2016, Italian director Stefano Sollima was hired to direct the Sicario sequel, now titled Soldado, from a script by Taylor Sheridan.

October 27, 2016: Catherine Keener cast in Soldado

On October 27, 2016, Catherine Keener was cast in the film Soldado, which was financed by Lionsgate and Black Label Media, and produced by Thunder Road, Black Label, and Edward McDonnell.

November 8, 2016: Principal photography begins in New Mexico

On November 8, 2016, principal photography for the Sicario sequel began in New Mexico, followed by shoots in Mexico City and Tijuana, Baja California.

November 2016: Emily Blunt no longer attached; Isabela Moner, David Castaneda, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo join the cast

In November 2016, Emily Blunt was no longer attached to the Sicario sequel. Isabela Moner, David Castaneda, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo joined the cast in November 2016.

January 2017: Elijah Rodriguez, Matthew Modine and Ian Bohen join the cast

In January 2017, Elijah Rodriguez, Matthew Modine and Ian Bohen joined the cast of the Sicario sequel.

April 2017: Sony Pictures acquires distribution rights

In April 2017, Sony Pictures signed a multi-year distribution deal with Black Label Media, acquiring North American and select international distribution rights to Soldado, and changed the title to Sicario 2: Soldado and then to Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

August 2017: Release date set for June 29, 2018

In August 2017, Sony set the release date for Sicario: Day of the Soldado for June 29, 2018.

December 19, 2017: First trailer released

On December 19, 2017, the first trailer for Sicario: Day of the Soldado was released.

March 19, 2018: Second trailer released, confirming new title

On March 19, 2018, the second trailer for the film debuted, confirming the new title as Sicario: Day of the Soldado. The film had different titles in different regions.

June 2018: Third film in development

In June 2018, before the release of Soldado, producer Trent Luckinbill announced that a third film, Sicario: Capos, was in development.

June 29, 2018: Sicario: Day of the Soldado released in the US and Canada

On June 29, 2018, Sicario: Day of the Soldado was released in the United States and Canada by Sony Pictures Releasing under its Columbia Pictures label. Lionsgate handled international distribution, excluding Latin America and Spain, where Sony distributed the film. The film is dedicated to Jóhann Jóhannsson's memory.

2018: Sicario: Day of the Soldado film release

In 2018, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, an American action crime thriller film directed by Stefano Sollima and written by Taylor Sheridan, was released. The film is a sequel to Sicario, and features Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Jeffrey Donovan, and Raoul Trujillo reprising their roles, with Isabela Moner, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Catherine Keener joining the cast.

January 2021: Producers hope to start filming Sicario: Capos

In January 2021, producers expressed hope to begin filming the third installment, Sicario: Capos, in the spring or summer of that year.

February 2021: Sicario: Capos still in development

In February 2021, producer Molly Smith confirmed that Sicario: Capos was still in development.

September 2023: Script for Sicario: Capos being written

In September 2023, it was reported that a script was being written for Sicario: Capos before the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, with writers ready to continue after the strike.