Michael Mann’s Heat 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the 1995 crime drama starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, and is finally gaining momentum.
Scott Stuber, an artist and producer from United, owned by Amazon MGM, is taking part in final negotiations to secure the rights to “Heat 2.” The project was founded at Warner Bros., but the studio lets filmmakers shop around the film after opposing the budget, according to the Hollywood Reporter, who broke news of potential sales. Amazon MGM is planning to release “Heat 2” in theaters.
There are no casting deals at this time, the studio confirmed. Although details of the plot for the sequel have not been revealed, Mann adopted the script for a 2022 novel of the same name, co-written with Meg Gardiner. Producers include Mann, Jerry Bruckheimer, UA Stuber and Nick Nesbitt. Eric Ross and Shane Salerno will serve as executive producers.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in December, the “Heat” follows an explosive showdown between detectives and career thieves at the Los Angeles Police Department. The film was at the box office, earning $187 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation) against a $60 million budget.
Mann, best known for his thrillers like “The Thief,” “Collect,” and “Insider,” has recently called “The Heat” “one of his best experiences as a director.”
“The motivation for ‘heat’ was a challenge, and the challenge was to tell a real story about people as complex as all of us,” Mann said at the Busan International Film Festival in September. Of the follow-up, he said, “I’m looking forward to filming in 2026. I’m doing everything, including budgeting, scheduling, casting process.”
