Oscar-nominated scribe Michael Mann has shared a new Heat 2 update regarding the current status of the long-in-development sequel to 1995’s Al Pacino and Robert De Niro-led crime drama.
At the moment, the project has no official cast yet, but Oscar nominees Adam Driver and Austin Butler were previously rumored to be in talks for the respective lead roles of young Neil McCauley and Vincent Hanna. Besides Butler, Pacino also previously suggested Timothée Chalamet as the perfect actor who could takeover his role in the sequel. Described as a both a prequel and sequel, it features stories that occur in both 1989 and 2002 with its cast of characters.
What did Michael Mann say about Heat 2?
During a recent interview, Mann confirmed that he’s almost finished writing the screenplay for Heat 2, which will be based on his 2022 novel of the same name. However, he admitted that the sequel is still not guaranteed to move forward since Warner Bros. Pictures hasn’t greenlit it.
“I’m finishing the screenplay, and at 2:30 this morning, it woke me up in the middle of the night,” Mann said (via Collider). “So, I’m in the middle of writing the screenplay, and I wound up driving through LA at 3 a.m., which is fantastic, there are no cars, and ended up at Canter’s Delicatessen because that’s the only thing open 24 hours.”
He added, “Nothing’s definitely going because the sky may fall. But Heat 2 is at Warner Bros. I’m writing the screenplay for them, and hopefully, we will go forward as soon as possible.”
Heat also starred Val Kilmer, Natalie Portman, Diane Venora, Tom Sizemore, Hank Azaria, Ashley Judd, Danny Trejo, and more. The 1995 film was Pacino and De Niro’s first-ever on-screen appearance together after they both starred in the acclaimed sequel The Godfather Part II in 1974.