Michael Mann's Heat (1995) remains one of the incontestable pinnacles of 20th-century action cinema. Last year, Heat 2 was released... in book format. The novel, co-written by Mann alongside author Meg Gardiner (Into the Black Nowhere), arrived in 2022, and soon rumors started swirling that Mann actually wanted to turn it into a movie in the near future. Well, now we've got an answer straight from the horse's mouth.

The exclusive comes from Deadline, who were able to confirm with the renowned filmmaker that Heat 2 is indeed his next movie. His words are strong and concise: "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."

Earlier this year, and before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, there was numerous chatter of Heat 2 happening with Warner Bros. set to back the project up. Moreover, Ferrari star Adam Driver was rumored to be circling the project, as the collaboration between him and Mann reportedly proved to be fruitful. When asked about potentially reteaming with Drive, the director kept the secret close to his chest: "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." We'd be surprised if this doesn't pan out, honestly.

Heat 2 acts as both a prequel and a sequel to the 1995 movie, and follows Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), and Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) in the years that lead up to the thrilling events of the movie. Furthermore, it also explores what happens to the surviving characters in the years after. Of course, the late 1980s portion of the movie would need younger actors (other than Driver) to play the key roles, so start working on your fancasts for one of the most exciting movies coming our way.