Michael Mann wants to make Heat 2. Now, the ball is in Warner Bros.’ court.
While speaking with Vulture, Mann was asked about the status of Heat 2.
“I just finished the screenplay and handed in the first draft,” Mann said. When asked who received the script, Mann said it was given to Warner Bros.
“Any more than that, I can’t talk about,” Mann added. “But it’s an exciting project.”
Heat 2 is based on the 2022 novel by Mann and Meg Gardiner. It is a prequel and sequel to 1995’s Heat, the crime thriller starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
The novel follows two major storylines. In the late 1980s, Neil McCauley, Chris Shiherlis, and Michael Cherrito are working as a crew in Chicago when they get a chance to execute a major score against the cartel in Mexicali. Meanwhile, Detective Vincent Hanna is pursuing a ruthless gang leader in Chicago.
Fast forward to the immediate aftermath of Heat. Chris, on the run from Hanna and the authorities, escapes to Paraguay and begins working security for a crime family in Paraguay. By 2000, Vincent is still searching for the same gang leader, who has relocated to Los Angeles. Chris finds himself in the area for a major business deal. Unbeknownst to Vincent and Chris, their plans will inevitably intersect, leading to another violent showdown.
2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Mann’s Heat. Released in December 1995, Heat marked the first time De Niro (Neil McCauley) and Pacino (Vincent Hanna) shared scenes. The movie became a critical and box office success and influenced several noteworthy films within the genre, including The Dark Knight.
Warner Bros. has not greenlit Heat 2. Adam Driver, who played the titular character in Mann’s Ferrari, has been rumored to star as Neil McCauley in Heat 2.
