Stephen Graham has confirmed the roles he and his co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale will play in the sequel to the Hollywood blockbuster Heat. The actor revealed the casting during an appearance on Heart Breakfast on Tuesday.
Sequel and Prequel Storyline
The first film, released in 1995, starred Al Pacino as detective Vincent Hanna, who attempts to apprehend career thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) as he prepares his final heist before retirement. The crime film marked the first time Pacino and De Niro starred together on the silver screen and also featured Val Kilmer as Chris Shiherlis, a skilled bank robber who works closely with McCauley.
The film inspired director and screenwriter Michael Mann to release his 2022 sequel and prequel novel Heat 2, which follows the three main characters in the years surrounding the events of the first film. The big-screen adaptation has since been in development with an expected release date of 2027, and Graham has confirmed that filming begins soon.
Cast Confirmations
Graham, 53, explained the premise for Heat 2 and confirmed the roles for him and his co-stars. He said: “It’s a sequel and then it flashes back to a prequel. So in the sequel, if you remember the film, the last one that survived was Val Kilmer. Leonardo DiCaprio is playing Val Kilmer and Christian Bale is playing the Al Pacino character.”
Graham confirmed he would be playing De Niro’s character as the non-linear story unravels, adding: “Yeah. It’s mental! I’m really looking forward to it. Fear and excitement live in the same place. There is a little bit of fear, which is healthy.”
