There were reports around the time of Sicario‘s release last September of a potential sequel that Lionsgate was planning. Since then, with its high critical acclaim, grossed $81 million worldwide. The thriller centered around a young FBI agent (Emily Blunt) who gets way in over her head in a corrupt drug war deal along the U.S.-Mexico border. While the film earned three Oscar nominations, its minor marketing campaign and short theatrical run seemed to dismiss those possibilities. But fans can rest easy now that producers on the film have officially announced that a sequel is in the works.

Sicario also starred Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin, and was helmed by director Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners). The news of a second film is somewhat uncommon for a indie thriller like this, particularly with the lower-than-tentpole box office total. But clearly producers Molly Smith and twins Trent and Thad Luckenbill have faith in what the sequel could explore. In a recent interview with THR, Trent stated his excitement about the project:

It’s a great big world. We can’t reveal the plot, but you’ll see [Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin] all come back. You have such a great character with Benicio, who was as dark as he was and still so loved. That character resonates so well with audiences. People want to know what happened to him, so it’s a perfect foray for us to explore. Obviously we would love it if Denis could [direct]. He’s a busy man, but he’s certainly part of the process with us right now.

The three lead characters were all very compelling as well as given outstanding performances by the stars. Although some felt like Blunt’s character was the least explored, which could end up being a good thing for what the sequel could do; Del Toro was given plenty to do but was still very mysterious and enigmatic, there’s a lot of potential with what more could be revealed. Either way, this news is comforting to hear even if Villeneuve may not be able to return; he’s currently working on the science-fiction thriller Story of Your Life and then has Blade Runner 2 set for a January 2018 release. So the director could change for Sicario 2, but since the three leads and the writer, Taylor Sheridan, are coming back, there’s not much to worry about.