'Heat 2' Gains Casting Clarity: Welcome to the Thunderdome, film fans!

Per a source reported by The Playlist, Michael Mann's highly anticipated sequel to the 1995 classic is fleshing out.

If there’s one director who takes home run swings each time, it’s Michael Mann. He’s a lot like his last film subject: Enzo Ferrari. The legendary Italian car wizard went no-holds-barred with his creations. Mann, a Chicago Native, eats a production like my grandma ate her supper at Uncle Bill’s in south county: Slowly, methodically but assured. He takes no half-measures/partial swings in his filmmaking.

Expect Heat 2 to be no different. A follow-up (and prequel) to the 1995 film that STILL stands as my #1 all time movie will take a big swing or two to complete in satisfying fashion. Taking place in three different decades separated by a half-dozen years before and after the original, this novel-turned-movie got a healthy budget from Amazon/MGM to complete hopefully by the end of this year and release the following Christmas. Heat was a December 15 release date.

This week brought some casting revelations.

Daniel Richtman, a longtime film scoop delivery system (his Patreon has 12,000+ subscribers), reported that the cast and certain involved actors have met. Leonardo DiCaprio will be playing Chris Shiherlis, the role occupied by the late Val Kilmer in the original. Christian Bale will pick up Al Pacino’s shoes, filling the big detective shoes of Vincent Hanna.

Stephen Graham, a highly talented British actor, will portray Neal McCauley, played by Robert De Niro in 1995. An unconventional choice simply for the fact that Graham is the least-known name in the announcements. However, this isn’t the first time he has played a role once played by De Niro. Graham’s finest hour still remains in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, where he was Al Capone. Bobby D played him in The Untouchables. That’s a cool translation that perhaps Mann recognized and connected for his next film.

In casting news that I predicted (and wanted) 2.5 years ago, Adam Driver will portray Otis, the “Waingro” of the sequel. In other words, the deadly home-invading mad man will be a catalyst for the multiple timelines in the upcoming film. Having read the novel that Mann co-wrote with Meg Gardiner, Otis casts a terrifying shadow in Heat 2. Expect some fireworks and lots of gunfire.

DiCaprio’s acting chops will be there, but he must bring the gun-handling mastery that Kilmer delivered in Heat. Marine recruits in San Diego showed footage of the late actor changing out magazines during the famous bank robbery scene located at the heart of the original. They essentially told young Marines that if you can’t master it like this actor did, forget your future as a protector of this country overseas or wherever the problem exists. Leo, eat that pasta and get ready to train like Keanu for this one.

Bale just wrapped a sports film with Nic Cage where he played Al Davis. The chameleon actor will pull Pacino off, rocking the hairdo and persona in a slightly younger package. Graham and De Niro will each be 52 years old when playing Neal, and Bale is 52 as well. Pacino was 54 when he made Heat. The ages aren’t too bad, and I am sure Graham can play six years younger quite fine.

Other rumored cast members such as Jason Clarke haven’t found a role revealed yet, but I would guess that he could fill a young Tom Sizemore’s shoes as Michael Cherito. Bradley Cooper, Channing Tatum, and Austin Butler were also circling the picture per rumors, but nothing has been confirmed officially except for DiCaprio and Bale. These reports are purely that at the end of today: Reports. Mann and the actors will have to confirm, and I don’t think the writer/director fires off social media snark like St. Louis’s own James Gunn. In other words, be patient.

However it lands, these are exciting cast updates. Credit the great Joe Hanrahan with alerting me to the news. Joe puts on a lot of local film productions around St. Louis, and is a cool fella to boot.

Let’s hope the future doesn’t somehow give the boot to Heat 2. This opus is doing its best to match the epic nature of the original, which once again is a pure masterpiece. If you don’t think so, take a lap!

Fun Fact About Heat: The “great ass” take was ad-libbed by Pacino, who received “Al takes” after Mann got what he needed. That’s why Hank Azaria is so shocked and slightly terrified in the scene.