Heat 2 is easily one of the most anticipated films since it was announced that the sequel to the 1995 classic was in the works. Recently, reports have suggested that Stephen Graham is being offered the role of younger Neil McCauley, portrayed by Robert DeNiro in the first film.
If things do materialise, Graham will join Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale, who are also speculated to join the film. DiCaprio is expected to play Chris Shiherlis, originally played by Val Kilmer, and Bale is in talks to play Vincent Hanna, portrayed by Al Pacino in the first film.
Known for films such as Gangs of New York, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and most recently Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, Stephen Graham's role as Eddie Miller in the hit Netflix series Adolescence was much talked about. He also has Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man in works.
Originally planned as a television pilot, Heat was based on real-life criminal Neil McCauley. The project, titled LA Takedown, did not take off but was aired as a television film. The script was then reworked into a film that became a successful and cult classic in the years that followed. The film, along with Pacino, DeNiro, and Kilmer, also starred Tom Sizemore and Jon Voight.
Michael Mann has penned the script for Heat 2, which is based on his 2022 eponymous novel of the same name, which he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner. He will return as the director to the second film, which he also produces along with Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber, and Nick Nesbitt.