Acclaimed film director Michael Mann has announced that he will be publishing a book sequel to his seminal 1995 crime thrillerHeat.The novel, titledHeat 2,will be written by Edgar award-winning author Meg Gardiner and will focus on an original story about the lives of the characters depicted inHeat, both before and after the events of the film.
Mann announced the news on his Twitter account with a short 1-minute trailer set to Moby’sGod Moving Over the Face of the Water,which is the song used at the end of the originalWarner Bros.film.Heat 2is the debut novel from Michael Mann Books, which has signed a multi-million dollar deal with HarperCollins imprint William Morrow.
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The original film starredacclaimed actors Al Pacinoand Robert De Niro as police lieutenant Vincent Hanna and master thief Neil McCauley, respectively, who are ensnared in a cat and mouse game in the criminal underworld of LA. The film marked the first time that Pacino and De Niro were featured together on screen. Both actors starred inThe Godfather Part II,but their characters' stories took place during different time periods, so they were never featured in any scenes together.Heatalso starred Val Kilmer, Ashley Judd, Diane Verona, and Jon Voight.
Speaking toDeadline,Mann said of the new novel, “It’s been my intention for a long time to do the further stories ofHeat.There was always a rich history or back-story about the events in these people’s lives before 1995 inHeatand projection of where their lives would take them after.” The novel reportedly begins with a wounded Chris Shiherlis (The character played by Kilmer inthe film) as heattempts to escape LA. From there the story moves between the six years preceding the film and the years immediately following it. WhileHeat 2will feature an eclectic cast of new characters, it will also delve deeper into the lives and backstories of the characters from the original film.
While Mann’s 1995 film didn’t receive many accolades at the time of its release,Heatis widely considered to be one of thebest and most influential crime thrillersin cinematic history. Inspired by real-life criminals and detectives, the film exemplifies many of Mann’s trademark qualities as a filmmaker, including the LA criminal setting and his use of intense action sequences. It features a now-famous shootout that to this day stands the test of time for its incredible direction and sound design.
While a sequel in the form of a novel may not be what fans of the film expected, it’s still exciting that the director will be able to revisit these classic characters.
Heat 2will be available on August 9th, 2022.
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