Michael Mann has confirmed he is working on a sequel to his movie Heat released in 1995 and has started sharing updates on production. According to Deadline reporting, Mann said he is working on the screenplay for the sequel based on his novel, Heat 2. He also said that he wants to begin shooting by the end of 2024, the beginning of 2025 at the latest. Mann stopped before answering any questions about the cast, saying “I can’t talk about that.” 

The original film, written and directed by Mann, followed the conflict between a career criminal, played by Robert De Niro, and an LAPD detective, played by Al Pacino. Heat 2 functions as both a prequel and sequel to the original. The book follows two plots, the first following Chris Shiherlis, played by Val Kilmer in the movies, as he evades the LAPD and the detective following the bank robbery gone bad. The second timeline takes place around Chicago in 1988, according to Deadline. 

There are rumors that Adam Driver and Austin Butler will be taking over for De Niro and Kilmer’s roles. Mann has worked with Driver before, and when asked if he would work with him again on this new project, he 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 [regarding Ferrari],” Mann said. “We have the same work ethic – which is pretty intense. We like each other, and we had a great time working together artistically,” according to Deadline.