Michael Mann, the acclaimed filmmaker behind the iconic 1995 crime epic Heat has officially finished the screenplay for its long-anticipated follow-up, Heat 2. During a recent chat with Vulture, Mann revealed, “I just finished the screenplay and handed in the first draft.”
He went on to say that Warner Bros., the same studio behind the original, has the script, and that’s about as much as he was willing to share, though. He did add: “Any more than that, I can’t talk about. But it’s an exciting project.”
Heat 2 has been a passion project that Mann’s been quietly developing ever since the release of the bestselling novel Heat 2, co-written with Meg Gardiner. It’s both a sequel and prequel to the original film, expanding the world of master thief Neil McCauley and detective Vincent Hanna.
While discussing his broader approach to storytelling with Vulture, Mann reflected on why his films still resonate: “I’m not a journeyman director; I’d like to be, because I love shooting. But I put a lot into a film, and so I think sometimes they have layers of relating.”
“They’re not simple,” he continued. “They may be totally accessible — not all my films, but some of them may be accessible just as something that’s going to flow, just going to occupy you for two hours, or two hours and 45 minutes in the case of Heat and Insider — but there’s also a lot there, because my ambition was to put a lot of depth into it.”
Heat 2 will tell the story of what led up to the events in the first film, which is set in 1989, and what happened after, which is set in 2002.
It covers “the formative years of homicide detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and elite criminals Neil McCauley (De Niro), Chris Shiherlis (Kilmer), and Nate (Jon Voight), and features the same extraordinary ambition, scope, rich characterizations, and attention to detail as the epic film.”
This new story “leads up to the events of the film and then moves beyond it, featuring new characters on both sides of the law, new high-line heists, and breathtakingly cinematic action sequences.
“Ranging from the streets of L.A. to the inner sancta of rival Taiwanese crime syndicates in Paraguay to a massive drug cartel money-laundering operation just over the border in Mexico, Heat 2 illuminates the dangerous workings of international crime organizations and the agents who pursue them as it provides a full-blooded portrait of the men and women who inhabit both worlds.
“Operatic in scope, Heat 2 is engrossing, moving, and tragic—a masterpiece of crime fiction from one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers in American cinema.”
It’s explained that the book jumps between two time periods, “the first following Chris Shiherlis as he tries to evade the LAPD and Detective Vincent Hanna following the bank robbery gone bad and moves forward into new territory in the tri-border zone and Southeast Asia.
“The second storyline takes readers back to Chicago in 1988 when McCauley, Shiherlis and their high-line crew are taking scores on the West Coast, the U.S.-Mexico border, and in Chicago.
“At the same time, Hanna is cutting his teeth as a rising star in the Chicago police department chasing an ultraviolent gang of home invaders. The fallout from McCauley’s scores and Hanna’s pursuit cause unexpected repercussions in a parallel narrative.”
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Heat, the gripping Los Angeles crime saga that gave us the iconic face-off between Al Pacino’s relentless cop and Robert De Niro’s disciplined criminal. It’s become a high watermark of the genre.
Aside from Heat 2, Mann is also circling a Vietnam War-era project focused on the 1968 Battle of Hué, and a U.S. remake of the South Korean crime thriller Veteran.
Now, we’ll just have to wait and see if WB is going to greenlight Heat 2.
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