In late 2022, I was hearings rumors about Austin Butler possibly starring in Michael Mann’s “Heat” sequel, but I brushed it off as something that was possibly initiated by his fans. I’m now starting to wonder, maybe it’s true?
Butler was a guest on the latest episode of Marc Maron’s popular WTF podcast. In it he talks about recently seeing ”Heat” again and putting Mann’s “Thief” on his list of movies to watch.
That could be an indication that Mann met with him for the Kilmer role in “Heat 2,” but, as previously mentioned, it’s just a rumor for now.
The resemblance between young Kilmer and current-day Butler is quite uncanny. I can see why people would think he’d be perfect for the role. Casting on the film should start very soon, if it hasn’t already.
Last summer I reported that there was a bidding war for “Heat 2.” It’s quite clear that this is a hot property that execs want to get their hands on. “Heat” has amassed a large fanbase over the years and now we’re witnessing the extent of it.
The gist of this studio battle had to do with securing the rights to Mann’s recently published novel, which is a continuation of the “Heat” saga. The setting takes place both before and after the original, in the same vein as in The Godfather Part II, largely focusing on Hanna and Chris Shiherlis (the character played in the film by Val Kilmer).
Mann confirmed in an interview that he’s working on turning his novel into a movie, adding that he wasn’t worried about finding financing for the project, mostly due to the film’s already-large fanbase.
“It’s sustained in culture. It’s known. I could delude myself into thinking that the whole world is familiar with it, but when you check out its prominence in home vid for over 20 years, this thing really has legs. People are still watching it, people are still talking about it. It’s a brand. It’s kind of a Heat universe, in a way. And that certainly justifies a very large ambitious movie.
It helps that one of the most popular directors in the world bows down to the church of “Heat.” Christopher Nolan has consistently cited the film as one of his main influences. Last year, Nolan even hosted a Q&A with Mann, Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino at Tribeca.
Mann finished shooting “Ferrari” last year, his first film in over seven years. I’m guessing that one gets a splashy premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.
The $90 million “Ferrari” is still being shopped around for American distribution as we speak. Mann’s upcoming epic was originally produced by STX Entertainment, which went bankrupt while filming was taking place.
According to a recent report from Variety, “Ferrari” was picked up by Sky Cinema for a UK release later this year. So, at least there’s that. Otherwise, no US distributor has yet to bite at the prospect of acquiring Mann’s passion project.