After writing the 2015 action hit Sheridan created his neo-Western television empire, he worked as a screenwriter, creating scripts for movies like Hell or High Water. What may be one of his very best movies, however, was Sicario. It tells the story of Kate Macer, an FBI agent who s a special forces team designed to take out a cartel boss at the U.S.-Mexico border.
These days, Sheridan is often recognized for his television series like Yellowstone or Landman, but his movies are just as notable. Sicario, in particular, is a movie that is still being talked about ten years after its initial premiere because it has made such an impact of audiences. With a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, viewers were blown away by the fast-paced action and intensity of the film. It's the type of story that grips you right away and doesn't let go until the credits roll. Sicario earned itself a sequel and may get a third film in the near future.
Taylor Sheridan Was Asked By A Producer To Replace Kate's Role With A Male Character
Changing Kate's Gender Would Have Changed The Entire Film
In an interview with Variety, Sheridan confirmed that producers requested the character of Kate be changed to a male character so that a particular actor could take on the role. Sheridan explained that "I used a couple of strong adjectives in my reply and haven’t spoken to him since," implying that he immediately shut down the idea. Producers seemingly continued to push the idea, but in the end, the role of Kate remained female and was perfectly portrayed by Emily Blunt. This decision was absolutely necessary for Sicario to be as successful as it was.
Taylor Sheridan’s Action Movie Starring Emily Blunt With 92% On Rotten Tomatoes Is Now On Netflix, And Another Sequel Is Currently In The Works
Aside from TV shows like Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan wrote several successful crime movies, including Denis Villeneuve’s thriller now on Netflix.
Turning Kate into a male character would mess with Sicario in a detrimental way. Part of what makes the movie so compelling is this idea that Kate, despite all her training, is a fish out of water. She's working in an area that is new to her, and must work together with men who aren't quite what she's used to. If Kate had been a male action hero, there wouldn't have been such a compelling emotional core to the movie. Thus, Sicario would have become just another action movie with more typical male characters.
Why Taylor Sheridan Wanted Sicario's Lead To Be A Female Character
Sheridan Does Strong Female Characters Well
Sheridan also felt that Sicario needed to be led by a female character. He said, "I didn’t want it to be just this do-gooder guy. I wanted it to be someone that had sacrificed a tremendous amount to achieve her position of respect and authority, and I wanted to see the consequences on her face." Sheridan went on to explain that Kate was never supposed to look like this huge physical threat, but instead, would carry the emotional scars of what she had seen and done. She would be someone who had a reason to fight for justice.
Sheridan's heroines do have physical prowess, but more importantly, they are wise.
Sheridan's explanation of Kate makes a lot of sense when looking at his repertoire of strong female characters. Beth from Yellowstone is an obvious example, but there is also Elsa from 1883 and Joe from Lioness. Sheridan's heroines do have physical prowess, but more importantly, they are wise. They have seen things that allow them to set boundaries and fight for what they believe in. They are able to balance the emotional turmoil of hard situations in a way that male characters can't. Ultimately, this is what makes Sicario so memorable and so lauded.
Sicario
- Release Date
- September 17, 2015
- Runtime
- 122 minutes
- Director
- Denis Villeneuve
Cast
Alejandro Gillick
Kate Macer
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Taylor Sheridan
- Producers
- Basil Iwanyk, Edward McDonnell, Ellen H. Schwartz, Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill, Stacy Perskie
- Sequel(s)
- Sicario: Day Of The Soldado
Your comment has not been saved