Michael Mann‘s long-awaited sequel is officially turning up the heat. After years of work, negotiations, and hope to finally turn his and Meg Gardiner‘s prequel/sequel novel Heat 2 into a feature follow-up to his acclaimed 1995 crime epic, the date is finally set for production to begin. A new report revealed that plans are for filming to get underway in November, with Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio now reportedly set in stone for the lead roles. Deals for both stars are said to be closed or in the final stages, with the duo all but expected to reach an agreement to pick up where the Al Pacino and Robert De Niro-led film left off. With their official casting also came confirmation of who they’ll be playing.
Bale is set to fill Pacino‘s shoes and take the lead as LAPD homicide detective Vincent Hanna, a role that will put him in pursuit of DiCaprio as the late great Val Kilmer‘s character, Chris Shiherlis, the lone survivor of Neil McCauley’s (De Niro) crew. Additionally, a few more stars are confirmed to be in talks to join them on this exploration of the characters from their formative years to after McCauley meets his end. Stephen Graham is negotiating to take on De Niro‘s role, while Adam Driver, who had been previously rumored for the sequel, is in deep talks to embody Otis Wardell, the serial killer who has haunted Vincent since the 1980s. Multiple actresses are also said to be in line for the role of Chris’ ex-wife, Charlene, originally played by Ashley Judd. Amazon MGM Studios has said no deals are finalized yet.
‘Heat 2’ Will Be a Fitting Reunion for Bale and Mann
Taking on Vincent is a fitting reunion for Bale with Mann, considering their last team-up, Public Enemies, had him again playing the lawman as Melvin Purvis chasing down Johnny Depp‘s John Dillinger. Pairing him with DiCaprio was purposeful, both to offer the same level of star power as the iconic De Niro-Pacino duo, but also to capitalize on the intrigue of seeing these two standouts of a generation together on-screen for the first time. It’s also a long-overdue collaboration for DiCaprio and Mann, who have been trying to work together for years to no avail. With big new names, Heat 2 will add further layers of complexity to Hanna, Shiherlis, and McCauley, hopping between 1988, when the trio tangles with the psychotic Wardell and his gang of home invaders, 1995, as Hanna seeks out Chris while the latter flees across the border, and 2000, when the detective picks up his pursuit of Wardell while Shiherlis returns to Los Angeles for business dealings, only to follow Hanna in hopes of repaying him for McCauley’s death.
Reportedly, the budget is nearly three times that of the film’s predecessor at $170 million, making the sequel a big bet on the love of the original heist classic and the names involved. Jerry Bruckheimer will work with Mann for the first time in 45 years as a producer alongside United Artists’ Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt, while his longtime collaborators Shane Salerno and Eric Roth executive produce.
Heat 2 begins filming in November.
via Collider