Michael Mann’s iconic crime film Heat will soon be getting a sequel, and he’s already in the early stages of the casting process. Adam Driver is in talks to play young Neil McCauley in Heat 2, taking over from Robert De Niro.
Michael Mann has been discussing a potential Heat sequel for years, but this project finally started taking shape when he decided to publish a sequel novel. The book became a New York Times bestseller after hitting the shelves last summer, and Mann revealed he’s working on its cinematic version.
Deadline reports that Warner Bros is in negotiations to develop Heat 2 for the big screen. Mann previously told Empire that he’s not planning to recast the original actors Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Val Kilmer because characters have to be six years younger than they were in the original film – but he already has other stars in consideration for these roles.
Adam Driver is circling the role of young Neil McCauley, played by De Niro in the original film. He’s fresh off filming Ferrari by Mann’s side, taking on the role of Italian driver and entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari. The Oscar-nominated actor is also attached to Francis Ford Coppola’s star-studded sci-fi epic Megalopolis, which wrapped production last month.
