Christian Bale is being eyed to star in Heat 2, director Michael Mann’s long-awaited sequel to the 1995 crime drama starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, according to sources familiar with the production.
Bale previously starred in Mann’s “Public Enemies,” and if a deal goes through, the Oscar winner could co-star with fellow star Leonardo DiCaprio in this reunion.
Amazon MGM Studios and United Artists plan to begin production on the film in 2026 (the project received a hefty $37.2 million tax credit from the California Film Commission for filming in the state). Plot details for Heat 2 have been kept under wraps, but director Mann adapted the screenplay from the 2022 New York Times bestselling novel he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner. Producers include Mann, Jerry Bruckheimer, and UA’s Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt. Eric Roth and Shane Salerno will serve as executive producers.
“Heat,” which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in December, depicts a fierce confrontation between a Los Angeles Police Department detective (Pacino) and a career thief (De Niro). The film was a box office hit, grossing $187 million worldwide (not adjusted for inflation) against a budget of $60 million.
Bale’s chameleonic filmography ranges from his mainstream breakout role in American Psycho and his dual roles as Bruce Wayne and Batman in the Dark Knight trilogy to roles such as Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice and race car driver Ken Miles in Ford v. Ferrari, which Mann also executive produced. Bale will next be seen playing Frankenstein’s monster opposite Jesse Buckley in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride. He will also play Raiders owner Al Davis in David O. Russell’s Madden. He is represented by WME.
Deadline first reported the news about Bale’s possible involvement. Amazon had no comment.
