In the history of Hollywood, there are those movies that, for whatever reason, become icons of their era. These aren't necessarily the best movies, but the movies that everybody remembers as something special in some way. Michael Mann’s Heat is one of those films that has only seemed to grow in popularity over the years. This is why a lot of people are sort of freaking out over the fact that Heat 2 is seemingly really happening.
Heat 2 is one of those projects that has obtained mythic status. Fans have wanted it for decades. For just as long, it seemed unlikely, but now the movie has begun coming together. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has spoken about the plans for Heat 2, and it sounds like fans who won’t believe it until it really starts filming won’t have too much longer to wait. Speaking with HeyUGuys, the producer simply said…
That hopefully starts in August. That's the next one.
Obviously, the word “hopefully" there would indicate that nothing is set in stone, and that production on Heat 2 happening in August isn’t a guarantee. Still, the fact that the movie has a window of time it is eyeing means that a start is close enough on the horizon that there is a current timeline in mind.
When it comes to the question of what might be the determining factor in when Heat 2 starts filming, Jerry Bruckheimer drops two names: the potential star, Leonardo DiCaprio, and the writer/director, Michael Mann. Bruckheimer continued…
Leonardo, that's a key element there. One of the key elements, Michael Mann is the other.
More than likely, when Jerry Buckheimer calls DiCaprio a “key element,” he means that the movie may need to shift its schedule to accommodate him. If some other project of Leo’s ends up making shooting Heat 2 in August impossible, then rather than cast another actor, the movie will delay its production. The same goes for Michael Mann. Clearly nobody else will be considered to direct this one, since it’s based on a screenplay written by Mann, which was based in turn on a book the director wrote himself.
Heat 2 the book functions as both a prequel and a sequel, with the story being told in a non-linear form, jumping between time periods before and shortly after the events of the original film. While the movie is directly connected to the original, the roles will all be played by different actors. DiCaprio is expected to take on the role originated by the late Val Kilmer, while Christian Bale has also reportedly been in talks for a major role. Adam Driver and Austin Butler are also rumored to be involved, but it’s unclear how likely that is at this point.
Even if filming on Heat 2 ends up being delayed from August 2026, for a movie that has been in some form of development since 2023, it’s clearly closer to becoming a reality than ever before. It’s no longer a question of if this movie will happen; it now feels like it’s only a matter of when.
