Rated 4.3 out of 5, it’s one of the best action movies of all time… and its director hasn’t ruled out using AI in preparation for the sequel.

Almost 30 years have passed since Heat, the Michael Mann classic starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, was released in French cinemas. There has been talk of a sequel for several years.

Due to his visit to the Lumer festival in Lyon this weekend, the director introduced the news of the project. as reported termWe now know that filming will take place in Chicago, Los Angeles, Paraguay, and possibly some parts of Singapore. “It is a complex projectMichael Mann emphasized before the meeting in Lyon. Dramas are usually made at a certain budget level… but Heat 2 will probably cost double that.”

and added: “If the budget was low, I could do it anywhere. But this is an ambitious project. I can’t go into more detail, but that’s how we went from Warner Bros. to Amazon and United Artists.”

The plot has not been revealed, but Michael Mann has indicated that he has not ruled out using special effects to rejuvenate his characters. “I don’t experiment with technology for no reason. If I have a dramatic or aesthetic use for it, then I dive into it. For example, aging and rejuvenation will be very important elements in Heat 2.”

Sequel… or prequel?

The plot of this new opus still remains a mystery. This new feature film may follow the story of the novel Heat 2, which Michael Mann published in August 2022.

The story in the book focuses on Neil McCall’s youth in prison and the childhood of his accomplice Chris Shiherlis. The work also explores the background of Vincent Hanna, the detective who follows them in Los Angeles, and his fate after the events narrated in the first film.

While promoting Ferrari, Michael Mann told Variety:It was always my intention to create stories around heat. There is a rich backstory surrounding the events of 1995 and a sense of what lies ahead for the characters. When I was writing the film, it was essential for me to create a full life for all the characters and know everything about them.”

Casting rumours

Casting rumors fueled talk of a Heat 2 project this summer. After the site Puck News who claimed that Leonardo DiCaprio’s name was being floated to join the cast of this sequel, The Hollywood Reporter It also indicates that the names of three other actors have been floated (but not confirmed): Austin Butler, Adam Driver and Bradley Cooper.

Michael Mann hopes to be able to shoot the film in 2026.

Michael Mann, awarded with a very prestigious French prize!

The American filmmaker, also the author of The Last of the Mohicans, Revelations and Collateral, received the Lumer Prize during the 2025 Lyon Festival, which took place from 11 to 19 October.

He joins Clint Eastwood, Milos Forman, Wong Kar-Wai, Jane Fonda, Ken Loach, Jane Campion, Catherine Deneuve, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino and 2024 winner Isabelle Huppert.