Ferrari director-producer Michael Mann has confirmed that Heat 2 is set to be his next movie. The Academy Award-nominated filmmaker shared the news during Deadline’s Contenders London event over the weekend.
When asked whether he plans to make the follow-up to his acclaimed 1995 crime drama, Heat, next, Mann said: “Yes. Meg Gardiner and myself wrote the novel Heat 2, which came out right when we were shooting Ferrari. It did very well. I plan to shoot that next.”
The Golden Globe-nominated writer-helmer confirmed the news after he revealed earlier this year that he was in talks to reunite with fellow Golden Globe-nominee Adam Driver for the sequel. The discussion began before the start of the SAG-AFTRA actor’s strike in mid-July.
The Academy Award-nominated actor was in talks with Mann to play the young Neil McCauley in Heat 2. Driver can next be seen as Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the titular car manufacturer Ferrari, in the upcoming Ferrari.
The character of McCauley was famously played by Robert De Niro in Heat. He was a career criminal who met a grisly end at the conclusion of the original drama.
When asked whether he may reunite with Driver on the Heat series’ next installment, Mann said: “Perhaps. We don’t talk about that yet. Let me put it this way: Adam and I got along like a house on fire [on Ferrari]. We have the same work ethic – which is pretty intense. We like each other, and we had a great time working together artistically.”
Warner Bros. is also in discussions to reunite with Mann on the upcoming screen adaptation of Heat 2. The company previously collaborated with the Emmy Award-winning filmmaker by distributing the original feature.
Heat 2 serves as both a prequel and a sequel to the first movie. The story follows McCauley, Chris Shiherlis (originally played by Val Kilmer) and Vincent Hanna (originally played by Al Pacino) in the years leading up to the L.A.-set crime saga, as well as what happens to the surviving characters in the years after.
The plot begins in Chicago in 1988 when McCauley, Shiherlis and their high-line crew take scores on the West Coast, the U.S.-Mexico border and in the Midwestern city. At the same time, Hanna is becoming a rising star in the Chicago Police Department as he chases an ultraviolent gang of home invaders.
Heat 2 was published in August of last year. Upon its release, the 500-page novel became a No. 1 New York Times bestseller. The novel also received a positive critical reception.
The original film received critical acclaim, and was a box office success, upon its release. It has since become a revered crime classic with a global following.
Ferrari will be Mann’s next film to be released. Neon is set to distribute the sports thriller in the U.S. on Christmas Day. The release comes after the feature had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in August.
A passion project two decades in the making, Ferrari also stars with Penelope Cruz and Shailene Woodley. The drama chronicles Enzo Ferrari’s obsession to win the Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy, and his complicated home life between two women.