Taylor Sheridan's Action Movie That Spawned 2 Trilogies Returns As Streaming Hit

Published Aug 5, 2026, 11:38 AM EDT Ryan Northrup is a Senior Staff Writer on ScreenRant's Movie & TV News team, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and reviews. A graduate of McMaster University, Ryan began his career in public relations before attending Vancouver Film School. There, he built lasting industry connections and optioned a feature film screenplay. Taylor Sheridan's best action movie just shot its way onto the streaming charts. For many, Sheridan will be best known as the mastermind behind the Yellowstone universe, which continues in the form of spinoffs Marshals and Dutton Ranch. Sheridan also created shows like The Madison, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lioness, and Landman. Outside of his work in TV, Sheridan is also accomplished in the realm of feature films, writing movies like Hell or High Water (2016), Wind River (2017), and Without Remorse (2021). While the wait continues for the Sheridan-penned Call of Duty movie, one of his most acclaimed movies is experiencing a resurgence with viewers. 11 years after it was released, Sicario is now a hit on HBO Max, ranking as the ninth most popular movie on the platform, as of writing. The film, which Sheridan wrote and Denis Villeneuve directed, comes ahead of Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), but behind titles like Jurassic Sharks (2012), Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026), and Tag (2018). The Drama (2026) occupies the top spot. HBO Max Top 10 Movies 1 The Drama 2 Mortal Kombat II 3 We Live in Time 4 Mortal Kombat 5 The Long Walk 6 Tag 7 Lee Cronin's The Mummy 8 Jurassic Sharks 9 Sicario 10 Pacific Rim: Uprising Sicario's newfound resurgence on streaming follows a stellar critical reception back in 2015. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie enjoys a 91% critics' score, with the Popcornmeter not far behind at 85%. The movie was widely praised for its lead performances from Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro, as well as for its intensity and thought-provoking themes. Also starring Josh Brolin, Jon Bernthal, and Daniel Kaluuya, Sicario marked the start of two trilogies for Sheridan. A sequel called Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), which Sheridan also wrote, saw the return of del Toro and Brolin, but it didn't fare quite as well critically. A Sicario 3 has been in development for years, but the film remains without a release date. Sicario can also be considered the start of Sheridan's American Frontier Trilogy. Making up the rest of this unofficial trilogy are Hell or High Water and Wind River, the second of which Sheridan served double duty as writer and director. Both of these films were also well received critically, with praise aimed at Sheridan's unique voice and the way he explores harsh American landscapes and communities. In addition to continuing his domination of the TV landscape with Lioness season 3, among other shows, Sheridan's next movie project is a big one. The Call of Duty movie, which adapts the popular video game franchise of the same name, is scheduled to arrive in 2028. Peter Berg, best known for Lone Survivor (2013) and Patriots Day (2013), is attached to direct Call of Duty. Though plot details remain under wraps, the movie is confirmed to be adapting the Modern Warfare sub-franchise of games. It remains to be seen how Sheridan's take on Call of Duty will fare, but his feature film screenplay credits suggest the movie is in good hands. Even more than a decade later, Sicario remains an intense and relevant film, and its newfound streaming success only reaffirms its legacy. Release Date September 17, 2015 Runtime 122 minutes Director Denis Villeneuve Writers Taylor Sheridan Producers Basil Iwanyk, Edward McDonnell, Ellen H. Schwartz, Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill, Stacy Perskie Sequel(s) Sicario: Day Of The Soldado