Heat 2, the movie, is going to happen, according to a new report.
Warner Bros. has finally given the green light to Michael Mann’s Heat 2, according to World of Reel.
It quotes “insiders” who say the studio is “extremely enthusiastic” to get going with the sequel to one of the most venerated crime thrillers of all time.
Back in March we heard Michael Mann had finished the film’s script, which in turn is based on a novel he wrote with Meg Gardiner, a prolific crime writer. That was published back in 2022.
It acts as both a sequel and prequel to the original Heat, jumping between time points before the events of the film, in 1988, and periods after its events. It's a sprawling story, but did pick up favourable write-ups after its publication.
Replacing an iconic cast
The original 1995 Heat film starred Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, raising the all-important question of who will fill those imposing shoes in Heat 2.
Deadline reported as far back as 2023 that Adam Driver was in talks to take on De Niro’s role, that of Neil McCauley.
Driver has previously worked with Michael Mann on Ferrari, Mann’s most recent feature film. And while that movie made headlines for its dodgy accents, Adam Driver’s included, Mann said “Adam and I got along like a house on fire,” when discussing the potential for the actor to star in Heat 2.
Austin Butler has also been heavily rumoured to take on the role once played by Val Kilmer, Chris Shiherlis. But the chatter on who might play Pacino’s Vincent Hanna in the earlier era is more diffuse.
World of Reel claims Mann plans to shoot Heat 2 this year, with an eye to getting it released before the end of 2026. But he’ll have to get moving fast to have a chance of making that timeline a reality.
Mann is currently 82 years old, while Heat celebrates it 30th birthday later this year. It came to US cinemas on December 15th, 1995.
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