Thirty years after 1995's Heat turned downtown L.A. into a war zone and rewired every crime movie that came after it, Michael Mann is finally bringing us back into that world with Heat 2 — this time as a movie based on his own novel. Here’s what we actually know so far, no rumours, no fantasy.
1. It’s Based on Mann’s Own Bestselling Novel
Before it was a movie project, Heat 2 was a novel Michael Mann co-wrote with crime author Meg Gardiner, released in August 2022. The book is both a prequel and a sequel to the 1995 film, jumping across multiple timelines: 1988, 1995–96, and 2000, spanning North America, South America, and Southeast Asia.
So the movie isn’t starting from scratch — the blueprint already exists, and it’s dense, detailed, and absolutely built for a big, sprawling crime epic.
2. Michael Mann Is Writing and Directing
This isn’t a “legacy sequel” being handed off to someone else. Mann is writing and directing the film adaptation himself. He’s said repeatedly that Heat 2 is his next movie and that he’s deep in the screenplay, working to compress the novel’s many threads into a single, large-scale theatrical film.
Right now, the plan is to shoot in 2026 with an eye on a 2027 release, with location work planned in Los Angeles, Chicago, Mexicali, Paraguay and Batam. The production is slated for a 77-day shoot in L.A. and has already secured California tax credits to help bankroll the thing.
3. Studio Shuffle: From Warner Bros. to Amazon’s United Artists
Originally, Warner Bros. was developing Heat 2, but the budget became a problem. Mann’s first ask reportedly pushed $200 million, later trimmed to around $170 million, which was still too hot for the studio to carry alone. They began looking for a streaming partner to co-finance.
By August 2025, Warner Bros. exited, and Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists label swooped in and picked up the project. The current reported budget is around $150 million, with heavy emphasis on the global scale and practical locations Mann wants.
The TL;DR: the movie is alive, just expensive — and it’s now being treated like a prestige, big-swing crime epic rather than a modest little sequel.
4. Casting: DiCaprio, Driver, Butler… But Nothing Is Official (Yet)
Here’s the key thing: no casting has been officially confirmed. Everything right now is “in talks” or “circling.”
What’s out there:
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Leonardo DiCaprio is reportedly being eyed to play Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer’s character), particularly in the later timeline where the character is older — which lines up with DiCaprio’s age.
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Earlier reports had Adam Driver in talks to play a younger Neil McCauley, and Austin Butler linked to a younger Chris in the prequel sections. Bradley Cooper’s name has also floated around as being in the mix.
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Mann has said the film will feature an entirely new cast, meaning original stars like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are not expected to return as their characters.
Until contracts are signed and announcements made, all of this lives in the “very plausible, but still not official” bucket.
5. The Story Will Expand the Heat Universe in Both Directions
If the film follows the novel closely (which is the current assumption, but not a guarantee), Heat 2 will do two big things:
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Go back in time to the late ’80s, focusing on Vincent Hanna in Chicago hunting a brutal home-invasion crew led by Otis Wardell, while a younger Neil McCauley and his crew are working high-end scores.
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Move forward past the events of Heat, especially following Chris Shiherlis after the L.A. shootout, as he’s pulled into new criminal worlds and cross-border operations in places like Mexico and Asia.
So instead of just “more of the same,” expect something bigger and more novelistic: multiple cities, shifting alliances, and the fallout of the first film playing out years later.