A few weeks ago, I reported on Michael Mann’s “Heat 2” having had a slight delay. Numerous factors were given as a reason, including costs, and rewrites.
Warner Bros is backing “Heat 2,” which will have a pricey budget, and a starry cast. About that cast, plenty of names have been mentioned as possibilities, including Austin Butler, Adam Driver and Ana de Armas.
Mann is now giving us an update on the status of the sequel (via Collider). He’s telling the outlet that the script is almost done, but that, as with anything Warner Bros related these days, there’s no guarantee it’ll go forward.
Nothing’s definitely going [forward] because the sky may fall. But “Heat 2” is at Warner Bros. I'm writing the screenplay for them, and hopefully, we will go forward as soon as possible.
In January, Mann had told Variety’s Clayton Davis that the plan was for “Heat 2” to shoot in 2024 and that he was putting the finishing touches on the script which he described as both a “prequel and sequel.” More recently, he had been eyeing a “late 2024” or “early 2025” shoot.
“Heat 2” is an adaptation of Mann’s own published novel, which became a New York Times #1 best-seller in August 2022 — it’s a continuation of the “Heat” saga. The setting takes place both before and after the original, utilizing flashbacks in the same vein as in The Godfather Part II, and largely focusing on Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer).
This latest update comes as Mann’s $95M “Ferrari” struggled at the box-office, only grossing $44M worldwide, and garnering no awards buzz. If you ask me, a real shame since “Ferrari,” although not his best work, was still a sumptuous and, at times, thrilling arthouse film.