After the stunning one-two punch of Incendies and Prisoners, Denis Villeneuve has proven himself to be one of the most capable thriller directors working today. So, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that A-listers are lining up to work with the guy. He recently became attached to direct Amy Adams in the sci-fi thriller Story of Your Life, which ignited a massive bidding war at the Cannes Film Festival, and is now turning to his next big screen project, a crime drama called Sicario. Today, Josh Brolin and Jon Bernthal both came aboard, joining Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro in the film.
Brolin will play a CIA agent named Matt, who recruits a Tucson cop (Blunt) to escort two rangers to apprehend a dangerous drug kingpin. The cop is aided by a mysterious assassin (del Toro) with a personal connection to the cartels that the group is going after: they were responsible for the death of his family. The story will feature a curious legal loophole in which mercenaries can cross the border into Mexico in order to capture a drug lord. Sons of Anarchy actor Taylor Sheridan penned the script.
As for Bernthal, he will play a character named Ted. Very little is known about the role at the moment, though Bernthal’s history of playing intense, hot-tempered men of action (see: Shane in The Walking Dead, Joe in Mob City) makes me think that he will probably be portraying one of the mercenaries.
Roger Deakins will serve as the director of photography on Sicario, reteaming with Villeneuve after their last collaboration, Prisoners, was roundly acclaimed. That’s particularly exciting news given the barren, sun-scorched landscapes that will factor into Sicario‘s plot. If anyone can work wonders with an expansive setting like that, it’s Deakins.
Villeneuve is a supremely talented director and, with the cast and crew he has helping out on Sicario, this will definitely be a film to watch out for. Given that production is expected to start soon, a release date in the fall of 2015 seems likely.
