'Sicario 2: Soldado' Trailer: The Drug War Continues

How on Earth do you make a sequel to the thrillingly terrific and original “Sicario“? How do you it without that film’s central character, played by Emily Blunt? Well, we’re about to find out with “Sicario 2: Soldado” which has a rather high bar, set by Denis Villeneuve, to reach.

Directed by Stefano Sollima (“Suburra”), with Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Donovan reprising their roles, and Catherine Keener, and Matthew Modine joining the ensemble, the story centers on undercover operative Alejandro Gillick and shifty CIA agent Matt Graver, who reteam to bring down a cartel smuggling terrorists across the U.S./Mexico border. And if thought the first movie was white-knuckle ride, you better hang on for this one.

“I think it’s just more severe, man. All the way around. I think the characters are more severe. I think the movie is more severe. I think it’s just much bigger. It’s just a bigger scope film,” Brolin told Collider. “Like I said, when I saw it it was like ‘Sicario’ felt like a small movie to me, even though it was a very intimate movie. I’ve always said I don’t understand why bigger movies can’t be just as intimate, if not more intimate. Why do they have to be less emotional? I think ‘Soldado‘s a perfect example of that. I think it’s extremely emotional. I think it’s extremely tense and it deals with similar subject matters.”

Penned by Taylor Sheridan (“Sicario,” “Wind River“), “Sicario 2: Soldado” arrives on June 29, 2018.