Michael Mann’sHeatremains one of the seminal films of the 1990s, and the director took an interesting direction for the sequel,Heat 2. Rather than making it a feature film, Mann published the story as a novel with co-author Meg Gardiner in August 2022. With the publication ofHeat 2came inevitable conversations about whether it would eventually be made into a movie. While promoting his latest film,Ferrari, in 2023, the director teased that he plans to adapt his story into a full-blown movie.
Besides some briefconversations about castingand structure, there have been no significant updates on the long-awaited sequel toHeat. However, in aninterview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, Mann finally gave fans a promising update. In his conversation with Weuntraub, Mann divulged his screenwriting process, specifically about howHeat 2has him burning the midnight oil:
“I’m finishing the screenplay, and at 2:30 this morning, it woke me up in the middle of the night. So, I’m in the middle of writing the screenplay, and I wound up driving through LA at 3 a.m., which is fantastic; there are no cars, and ended up at Canter’s Delicatessen because that’s the only thing open 24 hours.”
‘Heat 2’ Has Michael Mann Deep in the Late-Night Creative Process
Michael Mann’s love for putting the nightlife of LA on the screen is clearly evocative of his creative process if these latest comments are anything to go by. FromThieftoHeattoCollateral, Mann has made the midnight backdrop a character in and of itself in his stories. The writer/director would go on to talk about his writing process and how far he got into the story ofHeat 2while also reminiscing on the previous works he completed in the same manner:
“Then I sat in a booth and wrote there until about 9:00 this morning, trying to finish act four. It was ironic because it’s the same booth I sat in when I wrote the first couple episodes ofStarsky & Hutchback in the 1970s. ThenThe Jericho Mileand probably some early drafts ofHeat.I had a favorite waitress named Jeannie who put two sons through medical school, waitressing there and playing poker in Gardena. [Laughs] So, sometimes you’re driving through the streets of LA at night, and a coyote runs across it.”
Michael Mann Teases the Epic Scale of Heat 2
Director Michael Mann also revealed when he hopes the Heat sequel will hit theaters.
Mann then made sure to emphasize that nothing is guaranteed other than he is working on the script and that the screenplay has already found a home at a studio:
“Nothing’s definitely going because the sky may fall. ‘ButHeat 2’is at Warner Bros. I’m writing the screenplay for them, and hopefully,we will go forward as soon as possible.”
While Mann is playing it safe and not promising anything, this is the biggest update the film has received thus far. If the director completes his script and the studio decides to proceed, fans can expectHeat 2to go into production at Warner Bros.Heat 2is a sprawling narrative that takes place before and after the first film’s events and would no doubt be an exciting entry intoMann’s filmography.
