Back in August, we told you about the budget disputes between Michael Mann and Warner Bros. over Heat 2. The studio didn’t want to go over $150M, while Mann was aiming for something in the $200M+ range. Mann eventually trimmed it down to $170M. Well, it should come as no surprise that a deal couldn’t be worked out, and so the anticipated sequel has found a new home at United Artists, which is an arm of Amazon/MGM that is throwing around money like crazy right now.
THR adds that Leonardo DiCaprio is in early talks to join Heat 2, and take on the role of Chris Shiherlis, originally played by Val Kilmer in the 1995 classic. No offers have been made to anyone at this point, but expect that to change soon.
Adam Driver has long been rumored for a role in the film. Austin Butler and Bradley Cooper’s names have come up, as well. Jerry Bruckheimer and Scott Stuber are aboard as producers.
Heat 2 is based on Mann’s novel, taking place across two time periods, acting as a prequel and sequel to the 1995 film with young versions of the characters played by Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, and Val Kilmer. In the first period, Chris Shiherlis tries to escape the LAPD after the robbery gone wrong, making his way to Southern Asia. The other time period is in 1988 Chicago, as McCauley and Shiherlis and their crew nearly encounter Detective Hannah as he pursues a violent gang of home invaders.
This is clearly a passion project for Mann, but at 81 years old can he handle a project of this scale? His most recent film, Ferrari, was met with mostly positive reviews although I thought it never got out of neutral. That was a story problem more than it was a Mann problem. He hasn’t missed a beat in terms of his craft and attention to detail.
