Back in the fall of 2023, director legend Michael Mann revealed that he really wanted to tackle ‘Heat 2’ as his next project. But at the same time, he added a caveat: He could very well only be allowed to make the film if “Ferrari” posted good numbers at the box office. That didn’t happen. Despite positive reviews, the supposedly $95 million biopic about the mastermind behind Italian sports cars grossed just $18.6 million at the U.S. box office and $42.3 million worldwide. In Germany, the film, which is worth watching, was released directly as a streaming subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
Fan concerns now circulating that a sequel to the classic ‘Heat’ is not possible can likely be put to rest. Michael Mann now reveals that he is already deep in pre-production for his highly anticipated sequel. Filming is expected to take place this year. Reports suggest filming will begin in summer 2024 with a theatrical release in 2025.
“Heat 2” – with Adam Driver instead of Robert De Niro?
This means that “Heat 2” would be released exactly 30 years after the original. The action thriller masterpiece tells the story of how LAPD detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) hunts down the gang of career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro). “Heat 2” should now be a sequel and a prequel at the same time. Part of the story takes place in 1988, eight years before the first film. Another part takes place in the year 2000 and therefore a few years after the events in “Heat”. Mann has already published the story as a novel, but will make minor adjustments for the film.
Michael Mann hasn’t said a word about the casting yet. It has long been an open secret that Adam Driver would play Neil McCauley. Additionally, Ana de Armas and “Dune 2” villain Austin Butler have been repeatedly linked to roles. The latter could take over the role of Chris Shiherlis, played by Val Kilmer in the original.
Chris Shiherlis plays a central role in ‘Heat 2’. In the prequel, we see him planning a major coup as part of Neil McCauley’s gang. Because he manages to escape at the end of the first film, he is also central to the second storyline. Here we find out that he is building a new life for himself in South America – and will soon have a career there in a gangster syndicate.
So far there is no confirmation of any of these names. What’s interesting in this context is that Austin Butler was recently observed during firearms training – a common part of preparing for a role that involves handling many such weapons. The part in ‘Heat 2’ would be exactly such a role.