Finally, it appears that the long-gestating sequel to Michael Mann’s 1995 sprawling crime thriller classic “Heat” is coalescing.
At last report back at the end of March, Mann had finished the script and handed it in to Warner Bros. Pictures. Although he co-wrote the sequel initially as a novel released a few years back, Mann has taken his time adapting it into a screenplay.
Prior to the submission, it was reported Warners was seemingly hesitating on the project. That no longer seems to be the case with World of Reel reporting that the studio is now “extremely enthusiastic” on what is a “operatic” and “dense” script and are reportedly fully onboard.
As a result, Mann has now begun the casting phase. If it follows the book, the film will adopt a “The Godfather Part II” style approach as it jumps between two different time periods.
The first follows Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer’s role) as he tries to evade LAPD and Detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino’s role) following the events of the original film.
The second takes us back to Chicago in 1988 when McCauley, Shiherlis, and their high-line crew took scores on the West Coast, the US-Mexican border, and now in Chicago.
Hanna, meanwhile, is cutting his teeth as a rising star in the Chicago police department, chasing an ultraviolent gang of home invaders. The fallout from those past events causes unexpected repercussions in the present.
Adam Driver has long been rumored for the young McCauley, but no deals have been signed as yet. Though he’s shot digitally since the turn of the millennium, Mann is expected to shoot the new “Heat” on film.
