Another one of my scoops confirmed — albeit one that I reported on in 2023 and has since grown. Hidden inside Deadline’s piece about Nancy Meyers’ next film is a line that mentions Adam Driver was supposed to star in the rom-com but dropped out because he’s currently “committed” to Michael Mann’s “Heat 2.”
That about confirms Driver’s involvement in Mann’s sequel, which has been heavily name-checked for quite some time now, and it also means he’s joining a cast that already includes Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale.
Driver starred in Mann’s last film, “Ferrari,” and was the very first actor offered a role in “Heat 2,” which entered development in and around 2022. Based on Mann’s novel, the film will tackle dual timelines — including the aftermath of the botched robbery where a new wave of global heists occur.
Mann is currently aiming for “Heat 2” to start production in August — Stephen Graham has also been mentioned as having a role in the film. More casting will no doubt pop up in the coming weeks. Another name that keeps being mentioned is Austin Butler.
Amazon/MGM are backing the sequel after Warner Bros let go of the rights due to Mann’s demand for a $150M+ budget, but hey, they seem to have no issue financing Meyers’ rom-com, which will cost just a bit less than that.
Mann, now 82, has spent the last few years carefully building the foundation for “Heat 2,” a dual prequel-sequel hybrid. The book charted 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.
Mann is said to be deeply involved in every step, with the script described as “dense” and “operatic.” Interestingly, despite being one of digital cinema’s earliest adopters, he’s shot almost exclusively digital for over two decades, the filmmaker recently revealed that “Heat 2” will be shot on film, just like the 1995 original. A return to celluloid feels like the right move.