Michael Mann’s ‘Heat 2’ Officially Faces Major Roadblock

3 days ago 21

Published Oct 26, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

A cinematic obsessive with the filmic palate of a starving raccoon, Rob London will watch pretty much anything once. With a mind like a steel trap, he's an endless fount of movie and TV trivia, borne from a misspent youth of watching monster movies on TV, perusing the sun-faded goods at the local video rental shop, and staining his fingers with ink from the Video Movie Guide. Areas of interest include science fiction, film noir, horror flicks, '70s disaster pictures, Bond movies, '90s action, giant robots, dinosaurs, super heroes, and the exuberantly schlocky output of Cannon Films. He also enjoys both Star Trek and Star Wars when they're good, and maybe even more when they're bad. As a Canadian, he also has a vested interest in Canadian movies and TV shows, especially the cheesier ones dubbed "Canuxploitation."

An expert on Marvel Comics, he has also written for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and is a member of the Marvel Research Team. He can frequently be found pontificating on comic-book continuity or bemoaning the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Twitter account.

Fans of Michael Mann's cops-and-robbers crime epic Heat have been waiting over 30 years for a sequel, and now it looks like they might have to wait a little longer. While Heat 2 is finally in the works, it looks like its production has been delayed. That's according to star Stephen Graham, who will play Neil McCauley, the role originated by Robert De Niro, in the film.

Based on the 2022 novel by Mann and Meg Gardiner, Heat 2 serves as both a sequel and a prequel to Heat. Some sections of the novel take place before the events of the 1995 film, with safe cracker McCauley and his crew pulling off scores in Chicago, where their future nemesis, Detective Vincent Hanna, remains one step behind them. Chicago is also where they first meet the sociopathic criminal Otis Wardell, who will haunt all parties for years to come. Other sections of the novel take place after the film, where Wardell comes into the characters' lives once more.

While appearing on The Today Show to promote his new Apple TV series Nocturne, in which he plays an imprisoned serial killer, Adolescence star Graham also discussed his upcoming projects, including a sequel to the WWII naval thriller Greyhound and the much-anticipated Heat 2. Mann originally planned to shoot the film in August, which was then delayed to November. Now, it seems as if it will be even later: According to Graham, he's planning to begin the shoot in January. The movie has already had a troubled production history, as Warner Bros. balked at the proposed budget, allowing the project to be picked up by Amazon MGM Studios, instead.

Who Else Stars in 'Heat 2'?

Appropriately, Heat 2 is one of the hottest projects in Hollywood, attracting top-flight talent. Christian Bale will play Hanna, who was originally played by Al Pacino. Chris Shiherlis, McCauley's right-hand man and the only survivor of his crew, will be played by Leonardo DiCaprio, taking over from the late Val Kilmer. Technical expert Kelso, who was played by the late Tom Noonan, will be portrayed by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Chris' wife Charlene, who was played by Ashley Judd, will be portrayed by Odessa Young. New characters Otis Wardell and Gabriela will be played by Adam Driver and Maria Cid, respectively.