Another Oscar-winning actor is joining Leonardo DiCaprio for the sequel to Michael Mann’s 1995 hit movie Heat.
Christian Bale confirmed that he is signed on for the sequel in an interview with Fox News journalist Jake Hamilton, saying: “I’ll be back in Chicago soon for Heat 2!”
Rumors about Bale joining the cast circulated in November, but Tuesday marks the first time that the American Psycho star addressed the sequel. Both Bale and DiCaprio’s roles in the movie have been kept under wraps for now.
The long-awaited addition is reportedly set to start production in August. Shoots have been planned all over the world, including in locations like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Singapore and Paraguay.
Mann’s new project is based on his 2022 novel Heat 2, written with Meg Gardiner. The book serves as both a prequel and a sequel to the original crime thriller starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
Heat, which centers around a group of thieves in Los Angeles, is considered one of the best thrillers ever and has been acclaimed over the years for its star-studded performances as well as its action scenes. In addition to its leading men, the cult classic starred the late Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Jon Voight and Natalie Portman.
The book features characters from the original film like detective Vincent Hanna, played by Pacino, and criminal Neil McCauley, played by De Niro.
Due to the new story taking place before and after the events of the original film, speculation has risen over how Mann will tackle portraying younger versions of Pacino and De Niro’s characters.
The legendary filmmaker said at the Lumiere Film Festival in October that he might experiment with artificial intelligence to solve the issue, saying at a press conference: “I don’t experiment with technology gratuitously. When I have a dramatic need or esthetic need for it, then I go deep into what I need.” He added, “Aging and de-aging may be very important in the next film.”
After previously suggesting Timothée Chalamet to play a younger version of him, Pacino said during a 2022 interview with The Independent that he would be open to using Irishman-style de-aging technology to reprise the role himself.
Meanwhile, Adam Driver is rumored to be attached to the film as a younger version of De Niro’s character, while Elvis star Austin Butler has played coy amid speculation that he will play character Chris Shiherlis, the role originally made famous by Kilmer.
