On its 30th anniversary this year, the film Heat presented its fans with perhaps the best gift they could’ve asked for: a proper update about its long-in-development sequel. Heat 2 is all set to commence production, with Leonardo DiCaprio practically confirming his involvement in a recent interview. The film will serve as both a sequel and a prequel to the original crime classic, which united two of this generation’s most admired male stars, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The two had previously worked together on the film The Godfather Part II, but hadn’t shared any scenes. They went on to star in the largely forgotten film Righteous Kill, and more recently, in Martin Scorsese’s gangster epic The Irishman. Heat was released in 1995, and has since established itself as something of a modern classic. It’s now heading to a new streamer just as the buzz around Heat 2 gains momentum. Starting January 1, the film will be made available on the Hulu streaming service domestically. Heat revolves around the cat-and-mouse chase between a career criminal, played by De Niro, and a detective, played by Pacino, with Jon Voight and the late Val Kilmer playing supporting roles. Produced on a reported budget of $60 million, Heat grossed nearly $190 million at the global box office, and has inspired several filmmakers over the years. Most prominently, Christopher Nolan used it as a blueprint for The Dark Knight. Heat now holds a “certified fresh” 84% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Though Al Pacino and Robert De Niro share but a handful of screen minutes together, Heat is an engrossing crime drama that draws compelling performances from its stars — and confirms Michael Mann’s mastery of the genre.” It’s one of the most beloved fan-favorites of the last three decades, currently ranking 103rd on IMDb’s list of the 250 best films of all time.
Michael Mann Reportedly Has a Star-Studded Cast for ‘Heat 2’

Mann’s last film was the sports drama Ferrari, a passion project that couldn’t theatrically recover its reported $90 million budget. His last major hit was 2009’s Public Enemies, a period gangster drama starring Johnny Depp. Heat 2 is eying a 2026 start-date, perhaps after DiCaprio concludes work on Scorsese’s next picture, also set to star Jennifer Lawrence. Alongside the One Battle After Another star, Heat 2 will reportedly feature Christian Bale, Austin Butler, Channing Tatum, Ana de Armas, and Pacino.

You can watch the original on Hulu starting January 1, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Release Date

December 15, 1995

Runtime

170 minutes

Director

Michael Mann

Writers

Michael Mann