‘Heat 2’ Adds Odessa Young as Charlene, With More Casting Still Underway

Here’s another “Heat 2” update. Odessa Young has nabbed the role of Charlene, previously played by Ashley Judd. Young is coming off her supporting turn in “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.”

Furthermore, it sounds like Mann is about to cast newcomer Maria Cid as Gabriela. No word yet on Eiza González, who was recently in consideration for the role of Elisa. There is still one more female character left, and that’s Ana Liu, who is Taiwanese in the book.

In terms of overall importance to the story, the four biggest female roles in “Heat 2,” the novel, are Ana Liu, Elisa, Charlene Shiherlis, and Gabriela, in that order. Ana, the daughter of crime boss David Liu, becomes deeply involved with Chris Shiherlis and his criminal world; Elisa is Neil McCauley’s girlfriend in the 1988 storyline, with her death serving as a major catalyst for Neil; Charlene, Chris’s estranged wife, remains an important part of his personal storyline and the fallout from his criminal life; and Gabriela, Elisa’s daughter, becomes central to the 2000 storyline through her connection to Otis Wardell and his kidnapping plot.

“Heat 2” stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Shiherlis, taking over the role originally played by Val Kilmer, and Christian Bale as Vincent Hanna, the LAPD detective portrayed by Al Pacino in the 1995 film. Stephen Graham is rumored to play McCauley, the master thief originally played by Robert De Niro, while Adam Driver was in negotiations to portray Otis Wardell, one of the novel’s new central antagonists. But will his recent casting in “X-Men” complicate scheduling?

These latest updates come as Mann is expected to begin shooting in November, with his DP Dion Beebe, and with DiCaprio having recently wrapped Martin Scorsese’s “What Happens at Night,” leaving him with a four-month break between the two projects.

Amazon/MGM took over “Heat 2” after Warner Bros. found the $200M budget too pricey—the film is now said to cost around $170M. No release date has been announced, but since production is expected to last around six months, a 2028 theatrical release seems inevitable.

Mann, 83, is coming off “Ferrari,” released in 2023. He’s released just four films in the last 20 years, including “Miami Vice,” “Public Enemies,” and “Blackhat.” Many wonder if he still has the juice to deliver a great film. After all, this is the man who gave us “Heat,” “The Insider,” “Manhunter,” “Collateral,” and “Thief.”