Adam Driver is seemingly set to step into Robert De Niro’s shoes for Michael Mann’s Heat 2, which is shooting in 2024.
Michael Mann is currently on a press tour for his latest movie, his long-cherished biopic of Enzo Ferrari. The film, cunningly called Ferrari, has Adam Driver in the title role, and Mann is giving a selection of interviews. In the midst of them, conversation has switched to what’s expected to be his next feature, Heat 2.
Mann has already written the story of Heat 2 in a novel he co-authored with Meg Gardner. Published in the summer of 2022, it was something that had been rumoured for years before it happened. And as soon as the book was out in the world, the questions began: would this subsequently become a movie?
The answer to that questions is: yes.
Mann is working on the screenplay to the new Heat film he’s confirmed as part and parcel of the Ferrari press tour. He’s also expected to direct. And a few months ago, rumours sprung up that Adam Driver was in line to take on the part of Neal McCauley, the role taken by Robert De Niro in the 1995 film.
Quizzed by Entertainment Weekly as to whether there was truth to the rumour, Mann said, “yeah, we’re in discussion”.
Not that he was giving up anything else. He added, “that’s all I can say about it”, and duly moved on.
Still, it solidifies an expected piece of casting for the film, which then throws the focus on who will take on the part of Vincent, portrayed by Al Pacino in the first movie. It’s a fair bet that Mann won’t be using The Irishman-style de-ageing technology, and casting is ongoing.
It’s already been revealed that the plan is to shoot Heat 2 in 2024 at some point. Given how fast Michael Mann turns out to be at post-production, there’s an outside chance we might see it by the end of next year. More likely, Heat 2 – seemingly with Adam Driver – is going to be released in 2025.
More as we hear it…
