Michael Mann Drops Big Update on Heat 2 Release Date
At the Lumière Festival, Michael Mann teased fresh momentum on Heat 2, revealing negotiations for its release are underway and the long-awaited sequel is edging toward a firm date.
Michael Mann just gave the most hopeful update yet on Heat 2. It is not shooting tomorrow, but it finally sounds real: he wants cameras rolling in 2026. Translation: late 2027 at the absolute earliest, with 2028 feeling more likely if Mann takes his usual time in post. Which he will.
'Negotiations are ongoing' and Mann 'hopes to shoot in 2026.'
He said that during a masterclass at the Lumiere Festival in France, per Deadline. The timing lines up with how he works. His last movie, Ferrari, wrapped in October 2022, premiered at Venice in August 2023, and hit theaters that December. Mann moves like a craftsman, not a factory.
If you missed the setup: Heat 2 started life as a 2022 crime novel Mann co-wrote with Meg Gardiner. It is both a prequel and a sequel to the 1995 classic, and it sprawls across multiple years and continents. Here is how the book breaks down:
- 1988: Origins for Neil McCauley, Chris Shiherlis, and Vincent Hanna
- 1995–1996: The immediate aftermath of Heat, with Vincent hunting Chris in Los Angeles
- 2000: Vincent digs into a killer from his past while Chris runs security for an international crime family; their paths collide in LA for a final showdown
The movie side has been a journey. Mann first announced Heat 2 was in development in 2023 and even floated a 2025 release to line up with Heat's 30th anniversary. In March 2025, he turned in his first draft to Warner Bros. Then came the hiccup: reports of a budget clash with the studio, which slowed down casting. This month, the project shifted to United Artists, the Amazon MGM Studios division, which will now finance and distribute. That behind-the-scenes shuffle is the main reason the calendar slid.
The producing team is stacked: Mann is joined by Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber, and Nick Nesbit. Shane Salerno and Eric Roth are on as executive producers.
As for faces: Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to play Chris Shiherlis (yes, Val Kilmer's role). Adam Driver, Austin Butler, and Bradley Cooper have all sat down with Mann about the project, but no formal offers have gone out yet.
Bottom line: the movie is alive, the money and scheduling pieces are locking in, and Mann has a plan. If he shoots in 2026, late 2027 is the dream, but I would not bet against 2028. Worth the wait if he sticks the landing.