Three decades after Michael Mann's Heat hit theaters, it looks like Mann and Warner Bros are in negotiations to develop Heat 2, a sequel to the 1995 crime classic. The news follows weeks worth of rumors and now adds that Adam Driver is in discussions with Mann to play a young Neil McCauley in the movie.
Heat 2, recently turned into a novel by Mann and Meg Gardiner which became a New York Times bestseller, will continue the storyline of the primary characters. According to an exclusive with Deadline, Warner Bros is in negotiations to fund the development of the project and no partner is currently involved. Mann has been passionate about making Heat 2 for decades, co-writing the novelization of the film and hinting at adapting it into a movie. Though Mann is currently occupied with the post-production of Ferrari, he already has Driver in mind to portray a young McCauley. No other actors are currently on board.
Heat 2 serves as a sequel and prequel as it jumps between the past and present. The novel focuses on four different years in a non-sequential structure taking place in 1988, 1995, 1996 and 2000. The first time period follows a wounded criminal Chris Shiherlis evading authorities. He makes his way to South America where he partners with new characters who ultimately introduce him to two rivaling Taiwanese crime families. Another storyline follows younger versions of Vincent Hanna and Neil McCauley in Chicago. The two nearly cross paths as they encounter a violent criminal. The novel also features an "after" storyline pivoting to Los Angeles five years after Heat.
The 1995 film stars Al Pacino as Lieutenant Hanna, Robert De Niro as McCauley and Val Kilmer as Shiherlis. Though, there is no information regarding if the three will return for the sequel Collider previously reported that Al stated he would love to see Timothée Chalamet portray a younger Hanna. Heat is a crime-thriller focusing on a group of professional criminals who are chased down by the LAPD. With one small mistake the criminal group has Hanna, a relentless detective, right on their trail. The suspenseful film is packed with loads of action, gun battles, chases and so much more.
Though not many details have been released about Heat 2, nor do we know when we can expect it, enjoy a look back at the original theatrical trailer of the 1995 classic Heat: