Michael Mann's Heat 2 moves from Warner Bros to United Artists; actor Leonardo Di Caprio in talks for lead role

Heat 2 was initially set up at Warner Bros., but after budget disagreements, the studio allowed Mann to take the project elsewhere.

The legendary crime drama Heat, directed by Michael Mann, is finally getting its long-awaited sequel.

According to Deadline, Amazon MGM Studios’ division United Artists is in talks to finance and distribute the film. The report also states that Leonardo DiCaprio is in early discussions to play the role of Chris Shiherlis, the character originally portrayed by Val Kilmer in the 1995 classic.

While DiCaprio’s casting isn’t finalized yet, no official offers have been made to other actors. Now that the project has a studio attached, casting is expected to move forward soon.

Heat 2 was initially set up at Warner Bros., but after budget disagreements, the studio allowed Mann to take the project elsewhere. After weeks of negotiations, Amazon reportedly agreed to Mann’s terms, and filming is expected to begin sometime next year.

The original Heat, released in 1995, starred Al Pacino as Detective Vincent Hanna, Robert De Niro as master thief Neil McCauley, and Val Kilmer as Chris Shiherlis.

Interest in a sequel reignited after Mann released his 2022 crime novel Heat 2, co-written with Meg Gardiner. The book became a No. 1 New York Times best-seller and serves as both a prequel and a sequel, exploring multiple timelines. One storyline follows a young McCauley and his crew pulling off daring heists, while another picks up after the events of the first film, tracing Shiherlis’s life after the climactic shootout and his search for his former love interest, played by Ashley Judd in the original.

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The novel also ventures into a violent South American drug zone and introduces a ruthless new antagonist named Otis Wardell — a killer more terrifying than anyone in the first movie.

Heat 2 will be produced by Michael Mann, Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber, and Nick Nesbit, marking the return of one of cinema’s most iconic crime sagas.