The 1995 crime film Heat starred Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and the late Val Kilmer
NEED TO KNOW
In 2022, Michael Mann published his book Heat 2, serving as a prequel and sequel
Heat 2 is being adapted for the screen, with production set to start in summer 2026
Heat 2is heating up!
The sequel to the 1995 crime classic,Heat, starringAl Pacino,Robert De Niroand the lateVal Kilmer, has long been in development.
For years, casting rumors have swirled about who would star in the film follow-up, and in February 2026,Christian Baleseemingly confirmed his involvement in the project.
The upcoming movie will be based on the 2022 novelHeat 2, which followed the characters before and after the events depicted in the 1995 movie.
"It's been my intention for a long time to do the further stories ofHeat," director Michael Mann toldDeadlinein January 2022. "There was always a rich history or back-story about the events in these people's lives before 1995 inHeatand projection of where their lives would take them after."
Here's what we know so far aboutHeat 2.
What isHeat 2about?
Heat 2is based on the 2022 novel of the same name by Mann and Meg Gardiner. The book takes place in different years, serving as both a prequel and a sequel to the 1995 action epic.
Heat 2picks up right after the movie, with Chris Shiherlis (Kilmer's character in the film) escaping Los Angeles and making his way to South America and Southeast Asia, where he becomes involved with the international drug cartel.
Another part of theHeat 2the novel is set in 1988 Chicago, and follows Vincent Hanna (Pacino's character), on the trail of a sadistic killer named Otis Wardell.
The section of the book also shows how Hanna and Neil McCauley (De Niro) almost met in the Windy City years before their face-to-face in the 1995 film.
Heat 2jumps to the year 2000, where the characters and plots from the different timelines intersect, leading to an intense showdown in L.A.
In an August 2022Rolling Stoneinterview, Mann described theHeat 2book as "a global version ofHeat."
Who is in theHeat 2cast?
The 1995Heatfeatured a star-studded cast, and the sequel is also shaping up to have A-listers on its roster.
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Some of the biggest names in Hollywood have been rumored to be joiningHeat 2, and in February 2026, one actor, Bale, seemingly confirmed his involvement in the project.
According to anXpost fromGood Day Chicago's Jake Hamilton, Bale told him, "I'll be back in Chicago soon forHeat 2!"
Other actors who have reportedly been linked toHeat 2includeLeonardo DiCaprio,Adam Driver,Austin ButlerandBradley Cooper, perThe Hollywood Reporterin October 2025.
With the plots spanning multiple decades, Mann said "aging and de-aging" technology "will be very important in the film," perThe Playlist.
Who is directingHeat 2?
Mann, who directed the 1995 film, is returning to helmHeat 2.
He also co-wrote the book the upcoming movie is based on, but he wasn't originally aiming for the novel to be adapted for the screen.
"It wasn't the intention, but you can't separate the two," Mann toldVulturein December 2023. "I don't know how to write novels. I do know how to write and imagine screenplays, and I wanted the novel to have a cinematic pace and a story-driven structure to it."
"What became exciting was to have them not be the people they are inHeat,but to put them through the experiences that turned them into the people that they are inHeat," he continued.
When willHeat 2start filming?
Heat 2is due to start filming in August 2026.
In a December 2025 interview withThe Guardian, Mann said, "Listen, no picture happens until it's happening, but right now we're looking to start Aug. 3."
According to The Playlist, at the 2025 Lumiere Film Festival, Mann shared thatHeat 2is "an expensive movie to make, but I believe it should be made at the proper size and scale. It's going to shoot in Chicago, Los Angeles, Paraguay and possibly some parts in Singapore."
Is there a release date forHeat 2?
As of February 2026,Heat 2does not have a confirmed release date.
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