Director Michael Mann is moving forward with his long-awaited sequel to the 1995 crime classic Heat. Sources confirm that Amazon MGM Studios division United Artists is in talks to finance and distribute the project, after it was dropped by Warner Bros due to budget disagreements.
Leonardo DiCaprio is in early negotiations to play Chris Shiherlis, the role originally portrayed by Val Kilmer. No other casting offers have been made yet, but with the studio now attached, further announcements are expected soon.
The film is based on the 2022 novel Heat 2, co-written by Mann and Meg Gardiner. The book spans two timelines: one follows Shiherlis after the events of the original film, while the other goes back to 1988 Chicago, following Neil McCauley and his crew alongside a young Detective Vincent Hanna.
Producers include Mann, Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber, and Nick Nesbit, with Shane Salerno and Eric Roth executive producing. Production is slated to begin next year.
