After months of industry whispers and wild fan speculation, Leonardo DiCaprio has finally confirmed that he’s starring in Michael Mann’s movie version of his book, Heat 2.
The news, dropped by DiCaprio himself in a recent press interview while promoting his awards-contending feature One Battle After Another, solidifies the sequel as one of the most highly anticipated movies worldwide. His attachment has given the project the weight it needed to follow up on the original 1995 masterpiece, which featured Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
While the Academy Award winner has confirmed his involvement in Heat 2, we still don’t know which character he will end up playing.
According to some reports, DiCaprio is in mid-discussion with Mann about which of the two central roles he will assume: Vincent Hanna (originally portrayed by Al Pacino) or Chris Shiherlis (the wounded, sole surviving member of the McCauley crew, originally played by Val Kilmer).
There are also rumours that Christian Bale is another big name who could join the sequel alongside DiCaprio. If this happens, it would indeed be another generational face-off reminiscent of the Pacino/De Niro dynamic.
Many believe that Leonardo will play Chris Shiherlis. The post-1995 portion of Heat 2 is essentially Shiherlis’s story. Wounded and on the run following the airport shootout, the plot tracks him across international lines, from Los Angeles to South America, as he attempts to evade Hanna and eventually returns to settle old scores. This is the meatiest, most physically and emotionally demanding role in the post-Heat timeline.
Whereas casting Bale as Hanna would be fitting, given that he played a similar role in Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, in which he was hell-bent on catching John Dillinger, played by Johnny Depp.
Hanna’s story in Heat 2 is divided into two parts. The first is a prequel chapter set in Chicago in 1988, where he is hunting a brutal home-invasion gang (led by Otis Wardell, who becomes the film’s new antagonist), and the sequel chapter, where he is consumed by the hunt for Shiherlis and the shadow of his encounter with Neil McCauley.
No matter which character he chooses, having Leonardo DiCaprio locked in for Heat 2 means this movie is going to be massive. Michael Mann isn’t messing around, he’s bringing in the biggest names to ensure this sequel is just as legendary as the original. Stay tuned for more updates.