‘Heat 2′ Lands at United Artists,Leonardo DiCaprio in Early Talks to Star
A sequel to Michael Mann’s 1995 crime classic Heat is gaining momentum,with Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists division in negotiations to finance and distribute the project. Sources confirm that leonardo DiCaprio is in early discussions to portray Chris Shiherlis, the role originated by Val Kilmer in the original film.
The project had previously been with Warner Bros., but discussions stalled over budgetary concerns, allowing Mann to seek option studio backing. Amazon reportedly agreed to Mann’s terms, with plans to begin filming sometime next year.
Heat 2 is based on the 2022 novel co-written by Mann and Meg Gardiner,which expands the universe of the original film by detailing events both before and after the 1995 narrative. The book follows Shiherlis’s escape following the botched bank robbery and Hanna’s pursuit, and also a parallel storyline set in Chicago in 1988, exploring the early careers of Neil McCauley and Vincent Hanna.
Michael Mann, Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber, and Nick Nesbit will produce. Shane Salerno and Eric Roth will serve as executive producers. The original Heat starred al Pacino as Detective Vincent Hanna and Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley, and has since become a widely celebrated crime film. as of now, no offers have been made to other cast members beyond DiCaprio.