There’s a video circulating on social media of Austin Butler working on his gun skills with Taran Tactical for an unspecified movie role.
Of course, the inevitable “Heat 2” rumors have resurfaced because of it, to the point where the upcoming sequel is now trending on X. It doesn’t help that in the video Butler uses practically the same Colt Model 733 short-barreled carbine that Val Kilmer famously used in the original “Heat.”
The resemblance between young Kilmer, who played Chris Shiherlis, and current-day Butler is uncanny. I can see why the rumors are pointing towards Butler playing a younger version of the Kilmer role. Casting on the film has most likely already started, but, when asked, Michael Mann has been reluctant in confirming any of the actors who will take part in this sequel.
This past January, Mann did confirm his plans to shoot “Heat 2” in 2024. A few days later, he mentioned that he wanted to shoot it on film — something he hasn’t done since the aughts. Mann is coming off last year’s “Ferrari,” which was his first film since 2015’s “Blackhat.”
The Film Stage had recently reported, via “strong sources,” that Warner Bros. was ready to allocate a big budget for the hotly anticipated sequel and that almost every hot young star in the biz had been trying to get cast in Mann’s film — they included the likes of Channing Tatum and Jeremy Allen White, who have apparently made their interest actively known to Mann and Warner Bros.
We already know that Mann’s “Ferrari” star, Adam Driver, will most likely be taking on the role of Neil MacCauley (originally played by Robert De Niro). Other actors who are rumored to have been offered roles in the sequel include Al Pacino and Ana de Armas.
“Heat 2” will be 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).