Thirty years after Michael Mann dropped Heat on us, the long-talked-about sequel finally looks like it’s moving — with a cast list so wild it sounds like someone’s fantasy draft. Here’s what’s real, what’s rumored, and why the project just switched studios after a budget tug-of-war.
So, where is Heat 2 right now?
Multiple trade reports have Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale circling major roles in Heat 2. Circling is the key word here — The Hollywood Reporter said no formal offers have gone out to any actors yet. Still, the level of chatter is not nothing.
The original Heat (1995) starred Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Val Kilmer. This time around, there’s talk that Pacino could return as Detective Vincent Hanna, and the rest of the potential lineup reads like a who’s-who of Oscar winners, box-office anchors, and current It-people.
The rumored ensemble (deep breath)
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Christian Bale
- Al Pacino
- Austin Butler
- Adam Driver
- Ana de Armas
- Jeremy Allen White
- Bradley Cooper
- Channing Tatum
If even half of that sticks, it’s a monster lineup — the kind that blends awards magnets (DiCaprio, Bale, Driver, Cooper) with stars riding huge momentum (Butler, White, de Armas, Tatum). For comparison, Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Odyssey also has a packed bench — Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson — but Heat 2’s rumor mill is swinging for the fences.
Again, keep expectations in check: impressive names are circling, but as of now, the claims are just that — claims. No deals in place.
What is Heat 2 actually about?
Mann and Meg Gardiner’s 2022 novel Heat 2 is the blueprint. It acts as both a prequel and a sequel to the film. The prologue picks up right after the shootout at the end of Heat, then the story jumps across multiple timelines to dig into formative years on both sides of the law.
Expect a younger Neil McCauley running high-stakes heists with his crew, and a new villain, Otis Wardell, who’s nastier than anything we saw in the original. Early development chatter described the movie as a global story about obsession, loss, and survival — think sprawling crime saga across continents rather than a contained rematch.
The studio switch and the budget standoff
Mann turned in his latest script draft to Warner Bros. back in March 2025. After that, things got sticky over money. According to multiple reports, the initial budget pitch landed around $230 million. Mann then trimmed it to about $170 million. Warner Bros., meanwhile, was reportedly only comfortable in the $135–140 million range.
There was a path where WB would bump to roughly $150 million — but with a catch: they wanted Mann to commit not just to Heat 2, but Heat 3 as well. Another source disputed some of these figures, but the broader takeaway is the same: the studio and the filmmaker couldn’t agree on size and scope after a lot of back-and-forth.
The result: Heat 2 left Warner Bros. and is now set up at Amazon MGM Studios, under its United Artists banner. Deadline reported that Amazon MGM and UA are aiming to start production next year.
"Heat 2 is 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."
— Michael Mann, October 2025
Who’s making it happen
Michael Mann is directing, with Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber, and Nick Nesbitt producing. That’s a lot of seasoned firepower behind a crime epic — and it signals this isn’t being treated like a modest nostalgia play.
Timeline check
Where things stand: script in, studio set (Amazon MGM/United Artists), production targeted for next year, and a starry roster circling but not locked. Translation: momentum is real, but the casting headlines you’re seeing are ahead of the paperwork.
Bottom line
Heat 2 has the bones of a true event movie — giant scope, globe-trotting settings, and a potential ensemble that would melt a red carpet. If the rumored cast firms up, it could be one of the decade’s great lineups. If it doesn’t, the material is still rich enough to deliver a serious crime opera.
If you want a refresher before all this heats up: the original Heat is streaming on Paramount+.