Heat 2 has been whispered around Hollywood for the last couple of years. The original 1995 movie led by Robert De Niro and Al Pacino grossed $187.4 million worldwide and has since gone on to be highly regarded as one of the greatest crime movies of all time. In 2022, Heat writer/director Michael Mann teamed with Meg Gardiner to release the novel, Heat 2.
Following its release, Heat 2 landed on the New York Times bestseller list right out of the gate. This kickstarted a conversation with moviegoers and avid readers worldwide who longed for a silver screen sequel to the crime classic. Their excitement was quickly met with confirmation from Michael Mann that a movie adaptation of his book is in the works. So, three years later, here’s everything we know about the film.
What Is the Plot of Heat 2?
Heat focused on a tight-knit group of professional LA thieves led by Neil McCauley (De Niro) who have gone years undetected until they unknowingly leave a clue at one of their jobs. From here, they are relentlessly pursued by obsessed LAPD detective Vincent Hanna (Pacino). After a game of cat and mouse, the movie ends with Hanna taking down the entire crew apart from one criminal, Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), who manages to get away and start a new life. Heat 2 the novel takes place immediately after the events of the first movie, as well as jumping forward to 2002 and also exploring the year of 1989 when these cops and criminals had not yet crossed paths. A large portion of the book is focused on the three central characters of the film, Hanna, McCauley, and Shiherlis, however, plenty of new, multi-dimensional characters are brought into the story too.
Who Will Star in the Movie?
There’s no doubt about it, a plethora of Hollywood talent will be lining up to star in Michael Mann’s Heat 2. After all, it is the follow up to one of the most iconic films of all time, and is helmed by one of cinema’s seminal filmmakers. As of yet, the only two names attached to the project are Austin Butler and Adam Driver.
Butler is a fast rising star in the industry who transcended from Nickelodeon fame to working with some of the top filmmakers in the game, including Quentin Tarantino, Jeff Nichols, and Denis Villeneuve. In 2023, he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his leading role in Elvis, and then garnered a wealth of praise for his fore-fronting rendition in The Bikeriders. In Heat 2, he is in talks to star as the younger version of Kilmer’s Chris Shiherlis, which feels like a perfect role seeing as he has been likened to the actor ever since he rose to fame. While his role has not yet been officially confirmed, reports indicate that he has undergone weapons training for his part.
For the younger role of McCauley, Adam Driver is believed to be in talks. If this comes to fruition, it will mark his second collaboration with Michael Mann following Ferrari, in 2023. It was during the filming for this movie where Driver first became interested as he discussed the role with Mann on set. Mann then confirmed via Deadline that Heat 2 would be his next movie. When asked about the casting of Driver, Mann said: “Perhaps. We don’t talk about that yet. Let me put it this way: Adam and I got along like a house on fire. We have the same work ethic – which is pretty intense. We like each other, and we had a great time working together artistically.”
When Will Heat 2 Release?
Heat 2 went quiet for pretty much all of 2024. Ferrari did not perform well at the box office, grossing only $43.6 million worldwide against a budget of $95 million. And this isn’t the first flop of Mann’s career, making Heat 2 feel as though it may be on shaky grounds. However, it appears Michael Mann has been chipping away at it behind the scenes.
In March 2025, the four-time Oscar-nominee sat down with Vulture to discuss his career and wound up sharing a bombshell piece of news about Heat 2. When asked about the status of the film, he said: “I just finished the screenplay and handed in the first draft.” He was then asked to which studio the movie will go to, replying: “In this case it was Warner Brothers. Any more than that, I can’t talk about. But it’s an exciting project.” So, while not much else is known at this stage, it certainly appears that the movie will go ahead pretty soon. However, it’s fair to say that it will be a lengthy undertaking. If Butler and Driver are playing the younger versions of Shiherlis and McCauley, the role of Hanna still needs to find its star. Also, if Al Pacino will return for the scenes set in 2002, Mann will need to delve into de-ageing, a long and expensive process. So, chances are, we may have to wait another couple of years until Heat 2 hits our screens.
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