Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
Michael Mann’s sequel to his iconic 1995 film Heat has recently gotten both a promising and concerning update.
On one hand, acclaimed director Michael Mann reportedly wants $170 million to shoot the film, which is giving Warner Bros. cold feet and leading them to potentially explore a co-finance deal with Apple (having just worked on a similar arrangement with F1). That’s the bad news.
The good news is that Academy Award winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio has met with Mann about starring in the film, and if he did sign on, it would likely get immediately green-lit.
Leonardo DiCaprio circling Heat 2, which Michael Mann wants $170 million to shoot
Warners’ Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy want to make the movie, but Mann’s initial budget came in at more than $200 million, per two sources close to the discussions. He’s brought it down to about $170 million, per one of those sources, but still too rich for Warners’ blood.
Warners is open to potentially partnering with another studio or streamer on the prequel film, which would be based on Mann’s bestselling 2022 book, so his team has given the script to Apple for consideration. [via Puck News]
It’s difficult to imagine DiCaprio playing Pacino’s character, Lt. Vincent Hanna, given the differences in the pair’s appearances and performance styles.
Having read Heat 2, the most likely option is Chris Shiherlis, the character played by the late Val Kilmer that was the only surviving bank robber in Heat, and makes his way down to Mexico and back again in the Heat 2 novel.
Released in 1995, Heat is widely regarded as one of the greatest crime films of all time and one of the best movies of the decade, in addition to likely being Mann’s magnum opus. The film was also a massive pop cultural event as it featured Robert De Niro and Al Pacino sharing a scene for the first time in their storied careers.
Heat 2 was published in 2022, with Mann co-writing the novel with Meg Gardiner. The book serves as both a prequel and a sequel to heat, as its story is set in 1988, 1995-96 (the immediate aftermath of the film’s events), and 2000.