A juicy insider with access to the production claims that Christian Bale is being considered for a part in Michael Mann’s “Heat 2,” the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the director’s 1995 crime epic starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. If agreements are finalized, Bale—who previously starred in Mann’s “Public Enemies”—may reunite with Leonardo DiCaprio, who has also been considered for a major role.
Amazon MGM Studios, and United Artists will begin production on the sequel to Mann’s 1995 heist hit next year. Mann developed the script based on his New York Times bestseller, which he co-authored with Meg Gardiner.
Amazon has not responded. Mann, Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber, and Nick Nesbitt are producing the project, which has executive producers Shane Salerno and Eric Roth.
The book, released in 2022, alternates between two time periods. The first follows Shiherlis as he tries to elude the LAPD and Hanna after a botched bank robbery, and then goes on to a new area in the tri-border zone and Southeast Asia.
The second narrative transports readers back to Chicago in 1988, when McCauley, Shiherlis, and their high-line team are registering scores on the West Coast, the United States-Mexico border, and the Windy City. At the same time, Hanna is making his mark as a rising star in the Chicago Police Department, pursuing an ultraviolent gang of house intruders.
It is unclear which part Bale will portray, but the script has sparked tremendous interest from prominent performers. Bale and DiCaprio have both won Oscars, providing Mann the opportunity to achieve the high standard he set with the archetypal, which featured Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Val Kilmer leading the cast.
