Christian Bale to Star Opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Heat 2

Academy Award winner Christian Bale has entered negotiations to star in Heat 2, the long-in-development sequel to Michael Mann‘s 1995 crime drama movie. Should Bale’s deal push through, this would mark his latest collaboration with Mann after previously working together in the 2009 film Public Enemies.

According to Deadline, Bale is up for a major role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. The latter will reportedly play the role of Chris Shiherlis, a character formerly played by Val Kilmer in the original movie. Before Bale, previous casting reports suggested that Adam Driver, Austin Butler, and Bradley Cooper were in talks for the sequel.

What do we know about Heat 2?

Heat 2 has been in development since 2023, with Warner Bros. as its original distributor and financer. However, after failing to agree on the project’s budget, Warner Bros. ultimately decided to exit the movie. Last month, Amazon MGM Studios’s United Artists division officially picked up the project and agreed with Mann’s conditions. The film is produced by Mann, Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber, and Nick Nesbitt, with Shane Salerno and Eric Roth serving as executive producers. Production is expected to begin in 2026.

Described as both a prequel and a sequel, Heat 2 is a globe-trotting novel that features stories in three timelines: 1988, 1995–1996, and 2000. The 1988 story follows the origins of Neil McCauley, Chris Shiherlis, and Vincent Hanna. Meanwhile, the 1995-1996 timeline picks up in the aftermath of Heat, with Vincent hunting Chris in Los Angeles. As for the 2000 timeline, it features Vincent investigating a murderer from his past while Chris runs security for an international crime family. Vincent and Chris will eventually cross paths again in Los Angeles, setting the stage for one last showdown.

Heat starred Al Pacino, Robert Pacino, Val Kilmer, Natalie Portman, Diane Venora, Tom Sizemore, Hank Azaria, Ashley Judd, Danny Trejo, and more. The 1995 film was Pacino and De Niro’s first-ever on-screen appearance together after they both starred in Francis Ford Coppola’s acclaimed sequel, The Godfather: Part II, in 1974.

(Source: Deadline)

Source: Comingsoon.net