Christian Bale Set To Lead All-Star Cast In Robert De Niro’s Cult Crime Thriller Sequel

• The legacy of Heat remains one of cinema’s most respected crime thrillers, and now, the sequel has been confirmed with Heat 2 in the works.
• Christian Bale has now confirmed that he’s set to start filming for the sequel in Chicago.
• The story is expected to expand the crime universe, based loosely on Michael Mann’s 2022 novel, Heat 2.

More than three decades have passed since Robert De Niro and Al Pacino’s cult classic crime thriller Heat first graced our screens.

Even after all this time, the film still feels untouchable. De Niro’s career thief and Al Pacino’s unrelenting detective; two masters of their craft, at the height of their powers, playing men on opposite sides of the law, with a complex storyline, driven by moral ambiguity, set against the blue-lit backdrop of 90s LA. They simply don’t make them like they used to.

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Of course, both had starring roles in (another) classic Godfather Part II, but Michael Mann’s 1995 release felt like the first time the two legends shared substantial screen time together, in a classic cat-and-mouse game that would later define the genre.

Heat was a resounding commercial success during its initial run at the box office, grossing more than $187 million USD (~AU$264 million) worldwide against a $60 million USD budget.

Over the years, the movie would only become more respected than when it was first released – as is usually the case with art that’s under-appreciated in its time – ageing like a vintage film that people kept rediscovering. For me, at least, it’s one of the best crime thrillers ever made.

So when the murmurs started about a potential sequel, it quickly had us on high alert. Would this be a remake, or another story entirely?

Well, with the first A-lister confirmed, we’re starting to get a better picture of where this intricate story may head next. And, whilst I may be rightly accused of hyperbole, we might be about to witness the greatest sequel of all time.

Based on Mann’s 2022 novel Heat 2, the next instalment will likely follow the events that happen after the original story. Of course, there’s been no official reports from Mann’s camp, but we can take a look at the source material for reference.

In the novel, Mann moves away from the rivalry between Robert De Niro and Al Pacino’s characters, instead expanding Heat’s wider crime universe, introducing new figures and larger network conflicts, whilst exploring the earlier lives and careers of characters connected to the world of the film.

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It’s now been confirmed that the story is set to continue on the big screen, with The Dark Knight star Christian Bale revealing that he’s set to start filming in Chicago later this year, adding serious star power to the project.

His exact role has not been revealed, which has only fuelled fan speculation. But seeing as he’s known for more transformative performances, Bale could portray anything from a criminal figure to a law-enforcement character, or something completely new within Mann’s crime world.

Bale is rumoured to be joining huge names such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Austin Butler, Adam Driver, and Ana de Armas, who have all been tipped for potential call-ups. If even half of this list materialises, we could be looking at another modern classic, with a stacked all-star cast to carry the next chapter of this revered title.