Sicario drug wars thriller rests on Emily Blunt's shoulders

A crime thriller set in the world of Mexican drug traffickers and populated by shadowy agents would typically cast a male lead, but in Denis Villeneuve'snew drama Sicario, actressEmily Blunt is the star in the spotlight.

The gritty tale,showing the intensity for whichQuebec filmmaker Villeneuve (Prisoners, Enemy, Incendies, Polytechnique) is known, arrives in cinemas on a wave ofbuzz after earning kudos on the film festival circuit.

SicariostarsBlunt as a tough FBI agent involved in a secret operation to topple a drug cartel operating on the U.S.-Mexican border withJosh Brolinco-starringas a government operative and Benicio Del Toro appearing as a mysterious consultant.

"I feel in the cinema today, there's not a lot of female parts good leads and when I see a good one, I'm trying to protect it," Villeneuvetold CBC News.

Click on thevideo above to watchBlunt, Villeneuve and Brolin talk about Sicario, the need formorefemale protagonistsin action-packed lead roles and viewing her character as an outsider.

The dramatic crime tale, which opensFriday in Toronto and Montreal, then in wide release on Oct. 2, already has a follow-up in the works.Earlier this week, industry publication Variety reported that Lionsgate is developing a sequel that will centre on Del Toro's hitman character.