Michael Mann’s ‘Heat 2’ Scores $37M Tax Credit for 77-Day Shoot in L.A. Next Year

Things are revving up for Michael Mann’s “Heat 2,” which is gearing up for a 2026 shoot.

Nearly 30 years after “Heat” changed the way we look at Los Angeles, Mann is returning to the city with “Heat 2” — and this time, California is helping to foot the bill. Mann’s long-awaited sequel has been awarded a massive $37M in state tax incentives, one of the largest allocations from California’s film credit program this year.

“Heat 2,” now housed at Amazon/MGM following years of development and the success of Mann’s 2022 novel, is projected to generate more than $104M in qualified in-state expenditures. Filings detail a 77-day shoot employing 40 lead and supporting actors, 800 crew members, and 1,350 background performers.

Of course, the overall shoot for “Heat 2” will take much longer than those 77 days in L.A. to complete — Mann recently confirmed that the globe-trotting production will take him to Los Angeles, Chicago, Paraguay, and Singapore.

Now, where’s the cast? We need a cast! Leonardo DiCaprio is said to be circling a role, and Adam Driver recently hinted at his participation as well. An official announcement is likely coming soon, especially if Mann’s planned 2026 shoot comes to fruition.

I can also confirm that, sadly, bringing back original “Heat” DP Dante Spinotti for the sequel is not an option — I'm told Mann and Spinotti had a falling out years ago. Too bad, those bluish, metallic cityscapes of the original are damn-near iconic. Spinotti is 80 years old, but he’s still actively working. Mann should have made it a priority to reach out and bring him back.

Mann, now 82, has spent the last few years carefully laying the groundwork for “Heat 2,” a dual prequel-sequel hybrid based on his 2022 novel co-written with Meg Gardiner. The book charts the early days of Neil McCauley (played by Robert De Niro in the original) and Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), while also following Hanna’s hunt for a new threat in the aftermath of the original film’s climactic shootout.