Lionsgate has preemptively snapped up Denis Villeneuve's next film, Sicario, for the U.S. The studio will also represent foreign rights, The Hollywood Reporter said.

The movie, starring Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro, revolves around a law enforcement agent (Blunt) who works with a mysterious government operative (del Toro) and an elite group of fellow agents to track down a drug kingpin.

Villeneuve, who impressed Hollywood with his last film, Prisoners, is set to start shooting early next month from a script by Taylor Sheridan.

Lionsgate International will launch the project to foreign buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.

Basil Iwanyk's Thunder Road Pictures is producing Sicario alongside Black Label Media and Edward McDonnell. Black Label, run by Molly Smith and Thad and Trent Luckinbill, financed the film.