Swifties should go and double the box office for this movie 😁

Leonardo DiCaprio Circling Chris Shiherlis Role in ‘Heat 2,’ Now Set at Amazon/MGM with $170M Budget

It’s official: Michael Mann’s long-gestating “Heat 2” is happening. According to THR, United Artists (the Amazon/MGM arm) has swooped in and picked up the project from Warner Bros., which walked away after months of failed negotiations over the budget.

No shock there — Mann reportedly wanted $230M at one point, eventually trimming it to $170M, while Warners refused to go higher than $150M, and even offered the possibility of a “Heat 3” if Mann agreed to keep costs down. He didn’t bite.

Now, with Amazon’s deep pockets and the producing power of Jerry Bruckheimer and Scott Stuber, “Heat 2” finally has a home. Leonardo DiCaprio is said to be circling a role, but no other rumored names — which include Austin Butler, Adam Driver, and Bradley Cooper — have received offers yet.

Sources tell Deadline that DiCaprio is in talks to star as Chris Shiherlis, originally played by Val Kilmer in the 1995 classic. This was a role that online fancasting had pegged for Austin Butler, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Kilmer.

For those unfamiliar, “Heat 2,” based on Mann’s own novel, operates as both a prequel and a sequel. It spans decades and continents — Chicago, L.A., Vegas, even the jungles of South America — following a young Neil McCauley and Chris Shiherlis while introducing a new villain described as more sadistic than anything in the first film.

The scale sounds massive — too massive, maybe — which explains why Warners walked away. Mann has never been shy about his budgets, and “Heat 2” sounds like a logistical nightmare: multiple timelines, sprawling locations, and a giant ensemble cast he’ll no doubt want stacked with A-list talent.

However, here’s the thing, Mann is 81 years old and still chasing perfection like it’s 1995. “Ferrari” proved he hasn’t lost his precision or his obsession with craftsmanship, though not everyone was on board with that one. If “Heat 2” really happens, it could be his final grand statement — the kind of uncompromising, large-scale filmmaking studios rarely allow anymore.

Then again, with a $170M budget and a notoriously exacting director at the helm — one known for consistently going over budget — it could just as easily become the most expensive passion project in recent years. Either way, it’s Michael Mann — and that means we’re watching.

Watched OBAA last night here some quick notes of mine 😀 @Lilja K @Matt!

Loved Leo, he was (first) sexy and then delightfully hilarious, I laughed tears whenever he was ducking, shooting, jumping, falling, speed driving full of bravery etc and I immediatly missed him when he wasn't on screen. Also loved him as a obviously not perfect but caring dad. Next oscar (nomination) is him certain I think.

Sean Penn - no words he made me laugh and gave me goosbumps of disgust at the same time. Unbelievable what a performance and what a miserable piece of little shit who thought he's THE man when he is the exact opposite LOL I wouldn't be mad if he wins his 3rd oscar.

Chase Infiniti - gorgeous beautiful performance loved her brave, independent character. Absolutely lovely chemistry with Leo.

Plus my god she's stunning.

Teyana Taylor - somehow she managed I still felt empathy with her character, great heartbreaking performance.

Benicio del Toro - haha loved him "oceanwaves Bob, oooooooceanwaves" and his chemistry with Leo 🙏🏼

also his little dance? already iconic!!!

Regina Hall - small but memorable role. and those nuns? I can't LMAO

also this "Christmas Adventurers Club" what a total bunch of fuckin nutheads WHAT THE HELL!!! lol

Haha overall what a great fun but also a movie I felt a mirror of what is happening right now in the world. Time flew by. Great dialogs and soundtrack!!!

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

51 minutes ago, Jade Bahr said:

Watched OBAA last night here some quick notes of mine 😀 @Lilja K @Matt!

Loved Leo, he was (first) sexy and then delightfully hilarious, I laughed tears whenever he was ducking, shooting, jumping, falling, speed driving full of bravery etc and I immediatly missed him when he wasn't on screen. Also loved him as a obviously not perfect but caring dad. Next oscar (nomination) is him certain I think.

Sean Penn - no words he made me laugh and gave me goosbumps of disgust at the same time. Unbelievable what a performance and what a miserable piece of little shit who thought he's THE man when he is the exact opposite LOL I wouldn't be mad if he wins his 3rd oscar.

Chase Infiniti - gorgeous beautiful performance loved her brave, independent character. Absolutely lovely chemistry with Leo.

Plus my god she's stunning.

Teyana Taylor - somehow she managed I still felt empathy with her character, great heartbreaking performance.

Benicio del Toro - haha loved him "oceanwaves Bob, oooooooceanwaves" and his chemistry with Leo 🙏🏼

also his little dance? already iconic!!!

Regina Hall - small but memorable role. and those nuns? I can't LMAO

also this "Christmas Adventurers Club" what a total bunch of fuckin nutheads WHAT THE HELL!!! lol

Haha overall what a great fun but also a movie I felt a mirror of what is happening right now in the world. Time flew by. Great dialogs and soundtrack!!!

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Totally agree with everything💯

1 hour ago, Lilja K said:

Totally agree with everything💯

Me too!

9 hours ago, Jade Bahr said:

Watched OBAA last night here some quick notes of mine 😀 @Lilja K @Matt!

Loved Leo, he was (first) sexy and then delightfully hilarious, I laughed tears whenever he was ducking, shooting, jumping, falling, speed driving full of bravery etc and I immediatly missed him when he wasn't on screen. Also loved him as a obviously not perfect but caring dad. Next oscar (nomination) is him certain I think.

Sean Penn - no words he made me laugh and gave me goosbumps of disgust at the same time. Unbelievable what a performance and what a miserable piece of little shit who thought he's THE man when he is the exact opposite LOL I wouldn't be mad if he wins his 3rd oscar.

Chase Infiniti - gorgeous beautiful performance loved her brave, independent character. Absolutely lovely chemistry with Leo.

Plus my god she's stunning.

Teyana Taylor - somehow she managed I still felt empathy with her character, great heartbreaking performance.

Benicio del Toro - haha loved him "oceanwaves Bob, oooooooceanwaves" and his chemistry with Leo 🙏🏼

also his little dance? already iconic!!!

Regina Hall - small but memorable role. and those nuns? I can't LMAO

also this "Christmas Adventurers Club" what a total bunch of fuckin nutheads WHAT THE HELL!!! lol

Haha overall what a great fun but also a movie I felt a mirror of what is happening right now in the world. Time flew by. Great dialogs and soundtrack!!!

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I agree with everything. I hope the OBAA crew will get one award after another🙂

It would be great if Leo and Benicio made another movie together. Loved their bromance 😄

Sad to hear that Diane Keaton died. I loved her relationship with Leo. Marvin’s Room is one of my favorites.

2 UHQs from NY Times shoot

https://ryanjamescaruthers.com/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DPyH6IQjG3Z/

Appian Way Developing Biopic Of Young Bela Lugosi For Universal; ‘Ed Wood’s Scott Alexander And Larry Karaszewski Scripting

https://deadline.com/2025/10/bela-lugosi-biopic-leonardo-dicaprio-in-works-universal-1236584697/

I bought OBAA shirts ...

One for my man (because he loves Benicio and a good beer 🤣)

... and one for me 🥰

Love them 🤩

2 hours ago, Jade Bahr said:

I bought OBAA shirts ...

One for my man (because he loves Benicio and a good beer 🤣)

... and one for me 🥰

Love them 🤩

Haha, super cool

The shirts are hilarious. Love them.😄

Bob speaking spanish

Suddenly this project feels a lot less appealing

Michael Mann Says ‘Heat 2’ Will Use AI and De-Aging Technology — Plans 2027 Release in 4000+ Screens

Hollywood is eating itself alive over AI, and Michael Mann has decided to jump straight into the fire.

Speaking during a masterclass at the Lumiere Film Festival (via Variety), Mann confirmed that AI and digital de-aging tools will play a key role in “Heat 2. If there’s a way for Mann to destroy any goodwill he had with the online mob then this will surely do it.

I don’t experiment with technology gratuitously. When I have a dramatic or aesthetic need for it, then I go deep into what I need […] aging and de-aging may be very important in the next film.

Is this a good idea? It’ll put Mann squarely in the center of one of Hollywood’s fiercest cultural wars. Add in de-aging technology, which divided audiences in “The Irishman” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” and you have a perfect storm of controversy

Mann went on to confirm that “Heat 2” would jump across timelines, exploring both before and after the events of the original film. “It picks up one day after the movie ends — only Val Kilmer’s alive, and he has to flee the United States,” Mann revealed.

Production-wise, Mann confirmed “Heat 2” made the jump from Warner Bros. to Amazon MGM’s United Artists, with producer Scott Stuber, which in his own words will ensure the “proper size and scale” for what he implies is a very costly movie.

Heat 2 is… an expensive movie to make, but I believe it should be made at the proper size and scale. It’s going to shoot in Chicago, Los Angeles, Paraguay, and possibly some parts in Singapore.

In case anybody’s worried about Amazon/MGM not giving “Heat 2” the proper release in theaters, Mann responded by saying it’ll be quite the opposite— expect a robust rollout in 2027:

We moved from Warner Brothers to Amazon and United Artists, but it will be absolutely released theatrically, in the United States, probably in about 4,000 cinemas and for at least 45 days.

Beyond “Heat 2,” Mann is also eyeing a Vietnam War project based on Mark Bowden’s Hue 1968, a multi-perspective epic he described as “like Rashomon.”

However, for now, all eyes are on “Heat 2.” If Mann wants backlash from an industry that’s already triggered by any mention of the technology, then he’ll experiment with AI, and aim to legitimize the technology as a new cinematic tool.