Things are looking up for Heat 2, the long-awaited sequel to Michael Mann’s 1995 epic crime film starring Al Pacino and Robert de Niro, as it gears up for a new home. United Artists, a division of Amazon MGM Studios, and producer Scott Stuber are in final talks to secure the rights to the project, which was previously attached to Warner Bros and fell through due to budget disagreements.
While there are currently no cast deals in place, The Hollywood Reporter reports that A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio is circling a role, with previous big-name considerations including Austin Butler (Dune), Adam Driver (Star Wars sequel trilogy), and Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born). Plot details remain under wraps, but Mann is understood to have adapted the screenplay from the 2022 novel of the same name that he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner. Eric Roth and Shane Salerno will serve as executive producers.
A New York Times best-seller, Heat 2 serves as both a prequel and a sequel that spans several timelines — one following a younger Neil McCauley, played by de Niro on the big screen, and his crew as they live the high life; the other chronicles the fate of Shihirlis, Val Kilmer’s heartbroken thief, after the events of the film, and his quest to reunite with his former girlfriend, whom Ashley Judd (Olympus Has Fallen) portrayed. It also introduces an all-new antagonist in the form of murderer and rapist Otis Wardell.
The original movie focuses on the effect of the conflict between Los Angeles Police Department detective Vincent Hanna (Pacino) and McCauley on their professional relationships and personal lives. It earned US$187 million at the global box office, not adjusted for inflation, and is now considered a seminal work in the genre.
“Master criminal Neil McCauley is trying to control the rogue actions of one of his men, while also planning one last big heist before retiring,” reads the synopsis for Heat. “Meanwhile, Lieutenant Hanna attempts to track down McCauley as he deals with the chaos in his own life, including the infidelity of his wife (Diane Venora) and the mental health of his stepdaughter (Natalie Portman). McCauley and Hanna discover a mutual respect, even as they try to thwart each other’s plans.”
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