Production Budget Analysis

What was the production budget for Sicario: Day of the Soldado?

Directed by Stefano Sollima, with Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Isabela Merced leading the cast, Sicario: Day of the Soldado was produced by Thunder Road with a confirmed budget of $35,000,000, placing it in the low-budget category for action films as part of the Sicario Collection.

With a $35,000,000 budget, Sicario: Day of the Soldado sits in the mid-range of studio releases. Marketing costs for a wide release at this level typically add $30–60 million, putting the break-even point near $87,500,000.

Budget Comparison — Similar Productions

• 1941 (1979): Budget $35,000,000 | Gross $94,900,000 → ROI: 171% • Two for the Money (2005): Budget $35,000,000 | Gross $30,526,509 → ROI: -13% • Ghost Ship (2002): Budget $35,000,000 | Gross $71,142,361 → ROI: 103% • Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022): Budget $35,000,000 | Gross N/A • Lion of the Desert (1981): Budget $35,000,000 | Gross $1,502,136 → ROI: -96%

Key Budget Allocation Categories

▸ Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects Action films allocate a substantial portion of their budget to choreographing and executing practical stunts, pyrotechnics, and CGI-heavy sequences. For large-scale productions, VFX alone can account for 20–30% of the total budget, with additional costs for stunt coordinators, rigging, and safety crews.

▸ Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation. Lead actors in major action franchises typically earn $10–25 million per film, with directors often receiving comparable compensation packages tied to box office performance.

▸ Production Design, Sets & Locations Action films frequently require multiple international shooting locations, large-scale set construction, vehicle acquisitions and modifications, and specialized equipment — all of which drive production costs well above those of dialogue-driven genres.

Key Production Personnel

CAST: Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Isabela Merced, Jeffrey Donovan, Catherine Keener Key roles: Benicio del Toro as Alejandro Gillick; Josh Brolin as Matt Graver; Isabela Merced as Isabel Reyes; Jeffrey Donovan as Steve Forsing

DIRECTOR: Stefano Sollima CINEMATOGRAPHY: Dariusz Wolski MUSIC: Hildur Guðnadóttir EDITING: Matthew Newman PRODUCTION: Thunder Road, Black Label Media, Columbia Pictures, Lionsgate, Redrum FILMED IN: Mexico, United States of America

Box Office Performance

Sicario: Day of the Soldado earned $75,836,683 in worldwide box office revenue.

Break-Even Analysis

Using the industry-standard 2.5x multiplier (P&A + exhibitor shares of 40–50% + distribution fees), Sicario: Day of the Soldado needed approximately $87,500,000 to break even. The film fell $11,663,317 short in theatrical revenue. Ancillary streams (home media, streaming, TV) may have bridged the gap.

Return on Investment (ROI)

Revenue: $75,836,683 Budget: $35,000,000 Net: $40,836,683 ROI: 116.7%

Profitability Assessment

VERDICT: Profitable

Sicario: Day of the Soldado delivered a solid return, earning $75,836,683 worldwide on a $35,000,000 budget (117% ROI). Combined with ancillary revenue, the film was a financial positive for Thunder Road.

INDUSTRY IMPACT

Franchise: Sicario: Day of the Soldado is part of the Sicario Collection.

PRODUCTION NOTES

▸ Filming & Locations

Principal photography on the film began in New Mexico on November 8, 2016, and then it was shot in Mexico City and Tijuana, Baja California.

[Filming] Principal photography on the film began in New Mexico on November 8, 2016, and then it was shot in Mexico City and Tijuana, Baja California.

▸ Music & Score

Hildur Guðnadóttir composed the score for the film, after collaborating with Jóhann Jóhannsson on the first film as a cello soloist. The soundtrack was released by Varese Sarabande Records.

▸ Marketing & Release

On December 19, 2017, the first trailer was released. The second trailer debuted on March 19, 2018, confirming the new title as Sicario: Day of the Soldado. The film was released outside North America under the title Sicario 2: Soldado in some locations, and in Italy, the Philippines and others keeping the initial title of Soldado.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

No awards data currently available for this title.

CRITICAL RECEPTION

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Sicario: Day of the Soldado holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, "Though less subversive than its predecessor, Sicario: Day of the Soldado succeeds as a stylish, dynamic thriller—even if its amoral machismo makes for grim viewing." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 50 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, down from the first film's "A−". Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film as a "worthy, rough-and-tough sequel", highlighting the direction, lead performances and Sheridan's script, and saying "Sicario: Day of the Soldado emerges as a dynamic action drama in its own right."

Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a 'B' rating, praising the performance of Del Toro while criticizing the plot, stating: "Alejandro (played by Del Toro) assassinates a cartel functionary in broad daylight... He executes the man, firing his gun exactly 417 times. So Sicario 2 is junk, but it's terrifically stylish junk. Director Stefano Solima has worked in Italian crime thrillers, and he brings run-and-gun humanity to this, suggesting complexities of border society where the first film defaulted to moody hellscapery". Time magazine's Stephanie Zacharek found the film to be adequate, though lacking the presence of a character in the sequel as emotive as the one played by Emily Blunt in the original, stating: "There's not a Blunt in sight, though special task force macho men Matt Graver and Alejandro... return. This time their job is to stir up a war between rival Mexican drug cartels; part of the scheme involves kidnapping a drug lord's scrappy teenage daughter.