Excellent news for emotionally withholding men with scrupulous work ethics: the sequel to Michael Mann’s 1995 classic is getting closer.
Heat 2 is one step closer to reality, with The Hollywood Reporter announcing that producers Jerry Bruckheimer (every second megabudget explosion-fest of the last 40 years) and Scott Stuber have joined the crew, with the picture set up at United Artists under Amazon MGM Studios. What’s more, none other than Leonardo DiCaprio is mulling over the key role of Chris Shiherlis, replacing the late Val Kilmer. Michael Mann will direct.
That’s not too bad – I can definitely see DiCaprio as Shiherlis. You know Heat, of course. The 1995 crime epic from director Michael Mann famously saw Robert de Niro and Al Pacino share the screen for the first time ever as calculating criminal Neil McCauley and driven cop Vincent Hanna, respectively (both actors appear in The Godfather Part II, but share no scenes). It’s one of the greatest crime films of all time, and a touchstone for an entire generation or two of filmmakers and movie fans.
Heat 2 already exists – in book form, that is. Co-written by Mann and Meg Gardiner, the 2022 novel takes a few cues from The Godfather Part II itself, telling both a prequel story about Hanna and McCauley’s earlier exploits, and a sequel wherein we follow Hanna and Shiherlis, the only survivor of McCauley’s criminal crew. I recommend not sleeping on that book – it’s a legit banger, and well above the usual grade of movie tie-in novels.
Naturally enough, the possibility of a film adaptation was soon floated, with a number of hot ticket young actors being mentioned as casting possibilities: Austin Butler, Adam Driver, Glen Powell, Jeremy Allen White, Channing Tatum, Ana de Armas, and more. However, battles over the budget (Mann initially wanted $230m!) and other hassles mean the switch has yet to be thrown on the green light.
Indeed, no official cast announcements have been made, nor has a production date been named. But we’re a step closer! You can practically feel the heat around the corner.
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