After months of back and forth, it looks like Michael Mann has finally locked Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale as the stars of Heat 2. While both were widely expected to be involved, no one knew which roles they would play—until now. The Wrap reports that Leonardo DiCaprio will play Chris Shiherlis, the role originally played by Val Kilmer in Mann’s Heat. Christian Bale, meanwhile, will play none other than Vincent Hanna, the role made famous by Al Pacino.
The Wrap says that Amazon MGM is refusing to confirm the details, insisting that no deals are finalized, but the outlet cites reliable sources saying it’s essentially a done deal. Given The Wrap‘s track record, it’s hard to dismiss the report.
Many of you reading this may think this is old news, as DiCaprio and Bale have both been expected to star for a while now. However, the big question was always which role DiCaprio would take. Apparently, he was torn between playing Shiherlis and Hanna, both of which are more-or-less leading roles. Having read Mann’s novel (which he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner), I’d say Shiherlis is the better part.
The book takes place across three different eras, partly serving as a prequel set in 1988 that explores how Shiherlis and Neil McCauley (originally played by Robert De Niro) came to work together, while also functioning as a sequel. The other sections take place in the immediate aftermath of the original film, as Shiherlis flees to Indonesia in 1995, only to return years later to even the score with Hanna while seeking to avenge McCauley. Simultaneously, Hanna hunts a brutal home invader, murderer, and serial rapist named Wardell, who also violently crossed paths with Shiherlis and McCauley years earlier.
Update: The Wrap has also confirmed that Stephen Graham will be playing Neil McCaulay while Adam Driver is set to play Wardell. This is GREAT casting. While some may be surprised Driver isn’t playing McCaulay, he’s actually not a huge character in the book. He has a solid role but is only in one of the book’s three sections and Graham, who memorably co-starred with De Niro in The Irishman is good casting. Driver as Wardell is sensational. Wardell is sadistic, and it will be a big change of pace for the physically imposing Driver, with it potentially a classic bad guy part. Trust me – you’ve never seen Driver like this, with Wardell utterly without any redeeming features.
There are also four especially juicy female roles: an Asian actress could play Shiherlis’s love interest, Ana, while a Latina actress would play the love of McCauley’s life, Elisa. Someone also needs to take over for Ashley Judd as Chris’s estranged wife, Charlene. Finally, there’s a great role for a young actress in her early twenties, Gabriela, who—to me—would be an excellent fit for someone like Isabela Merced.
Heat 2 was originally set up at Warner Bros., who balked at the escalating price tag, leading Amazon MGM to take over, with none other than Jerry Bruckheimer producing. While he had no involvement with the original film, he and Mann go way back, with Bruckheimer having produced Thief all those years ago.
Are you excited for Heat 2? Let us know in the comments.