Heat remains one of the best movies of the 1990s, and for over 25 years, it existed as a standalone crime story. Then in 2022, writer and director Michael Mann co-authored the novel Heat 2 with Meg Gardiner, with this functioning as both a prequel and sequel to its predecessor. It was officially announced in spring 2023 that Mann would adapt Heat 2 into a feature film, and now that project has taken an especially big step forward. However, I can’t help but be concerned for a specific reason that Leonardo DiCaprio might play the lead role.
Heat 2 Has Shifted Studios
Let’s start with the latest Heat 2 update. According to THR, Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists Division is in talks to pick up the film adaptation from Warner Bros. Pictures. This move echoes when Amazon MGM acquired the Highlander reboot from Lionsgate back in May. The reason for the Heat 2 shift is reportedly because Warner Bros. and Michael Mann couldn’t agree on a budget, so the former let the latter shop the project around.
As a result of this changeover, Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt have joined Heat 2 as producers. Additionally, while there hasn’t been any official castings yet, Leonardo DiCaprio is said to be “circling” the lead role of Chris Shiherlis, whom the late Val Kilmer played in Heat. Austin Butler, Adam Driver and Bradley Cooper have also allegedly been in consideration for Heat 2, but it sounds like DiCaprio is a more likely prospect to come aboard, even if nothing’s set in stone yet.
Leonardo DiCaprio Possibly Taking Over Val Kilmer’s Role Is Unusual
As I mentioned earlier, Heat 2 is both a prequel and sequel. The pre-Heat story takes place in 1988, when Chris Shiherlis, Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) and Michael Cerrito (Tom Sizemore) were committing robberies in Chicago, while Detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) investigated a separate crime spree in the area. The novel also continues following along with Shiherlis and Hanna in the immediate aftermath of Heat from 1995 to 1996, and then in 2000.
Assuming Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Heat 2, I assume that he would only be playing Chris Shiherlis for its post-Heat story, and that a younger actor would inhabit the role for the pre-Heat events. Maybe I’m wrong, but frankly, I’m not excited about the prospect of DiCaprio playing the older Shiherlis either. Why? Well, because he’s actually too old for that role as well.
Val Kilmer was 35 when he filmed Heat, so let’s assume that Shiherlis is the same age. That means the oldest we’ll ever see him in Heat 2 is when he’s 40. Leonardo DiCaprio, on the other hand, turns 51 next month. That’s not to say he doesn’t look good for his age, but I think it’s a stretch to having him playing that young of a role and resemble a late ‘90s/early 2000s Kilmer. Someone like Austin Butler or Adam Driver would be a better fit, and they could potentially get away with playing that character in the late ‘80s too.
If the shift from Warner Bros. to United Artists accelerates Heat 2’s development, then maybe we could get some official casting news before the year is over, whether or not it involves Leonardo DiCaprio. For now, feel free to break out your Paramount+ subscription to stream Heat.