Welcome to B.H.โs Screen Time, where every week, weโll give you the cliff notes on whatโs happening in the entertainment industry. From various stages of development chatter and our take on the newest releases, to a fun throwback worth revisiting, think of it as an insiderโs digest meets movie club.
Coming Soon
The Heat sequel is [snickers] heating up. At least according to director Michael Mann.
โWeโre in the middle of doing all the things โ budgeting, scheduling, casting process,โ the legendary auteur revealed during a masterclass on Heat at the Busan International Film Festival.
Later, when the event moderator characterised the original 1995 masterpiece as an โAl Pacino film,โ Mann was quick to clarify: โI donโt think itโs Al Pacinoโs film. That filmโs De Niroโs film, Val Kilmerโs film, Jon Voightโs film, and Mykelti Williamson. It was an ensemble of brilliant actors and one of the best experiences ever as a director.โ
Back in August, Puckโs Matthew Belloni indicated that Warner Bros had balked at Mannโs initial US$200 million budget estimate, causing the latter to lower it to US$170 million. Despite this, the studio was still looking for a more reasonable figure and has opted to explore partnering with the likes of Apple to co-finance.
Which is precisely why the ongoing rumours surrounding Leonardo DiCaprio being cast as a young Neil McCauley (and, in effect, a young Robert De Niro) seem that much more credible. Along with the recent snapshots of the veteran leading man looking rather De Niro-y (see: below).
Given his obvious star power and existing relationship with Apple, Heat 2 being greenlit could potentially hinge upon the Killers of the Flower Moon leading manโs participation. Thereโs also a major incentive in it for DiCaprio: collaborating with another legendary filmmaker before he retires.
โI just let them know Iโm ready and Iโm game if they areโฆ Thatโs what Iโve been doing; thatโs how I met Marty [Scorsese] when I was young, I just let him know that if heโs ready, Iโm ready,โ he stated recently (via The Hollywood Reporter).
In the event this were to actually eventuate, the One Battle After Another star would replace Michael Mannโs Ferrari muse, Adam Driver, and quite possibly join Austin Butler (who is believed to be taking on a younger version of the late Val Kilmerโs Chris Shiherlis).
As for the story, hereโs a synopsis for the best-selling Godfather II-esque novel Michael Mann penned in collaboration with Meg Gardiner:
One day after the end of Heat, Chris Shiherlis is holed up in Koreatown, wounded, half delirious, and desperately trying to escape LA. Hunting him is LAPD detective Vincent Hanna.
Hours earlier, Hanna killed Shiherlisโ brother-in-arms, Neil McCauley, in a gunfight under the strobe lights at the foot of an LAX runway. Now, Hannaโs determined to capture or kill Shiherlis, the last survivor of McCauleyโs crew, before he ghosts out of the city.
In 1988, seven years earlier, McCauley, Shiherlis, and their highline crew are taking scores on the West Coast, the US-Mexican border, and now in Chicago. Driven, daring, theyโre pulling in money and living vivid lives.
And Chicago homicide detective Vincent Hanna โ a man unreconciled with his history โ is following his calling, the pursuit of armed and dangerous men into the dark and wild places, hunting an ultraviolent gang of home invaders.
Meanwhile, the fallout from McCauleyโs scores and Hannaโs pursuit causes unexpected repercussions in a parallel narrative, driving through the years following Heat.
Heat 2 release date: TBA.
RELATED: If You Only See One Movie In Theatres This Year, Make It โOne Battle After Anotherโ
If thereโs one thing we lap up here at B.H., itโs a globetrotting British drama like Skyโs The Iris Affair with Niamh Algar and Tom Hollander.
Described as โan unnerving game of hide and seek,โ โunapologetically exciting,โ and โa sun-drenched thriller,โ this Italian-set series is kicked into motion when enigmatic genius Iris Nixon (Algar) cracks a string of complex online puzzles, leading her to a piazza in Florence where she meets charismatic entrepreneur Cameron Beck (Hollander).
Beck is naturally impressed by her mind and recruits the title character to unlock a โpowerful and top-secret piece of technology.โ
As per the official synopsis: โBut when Iris discovers its dangerous potential, she steals the journal containing the deviceโs activation sequence and vanishes. As the series unfolds, she finds herself in a relentless pursuit, from a remote cabin in Sardinia through the bustling streets of Rome, as Cameron races to find Iris in a high-stakes game where trust is dangerous and failure could be catastrophic.โ
And just in case you still werenโt quite sold, this comes from Neil Cross, the celebrated writer and creator behind Luther.
The Iris Affair release date (international): October 16th, 2025, via Sky (keep an eye out on Apple TV, Binge/HBO, and Britbox here in Australia).
While the lionโs share of Frankenstein-related attention has obviously been claimed by Guillermo del Toroโs forthcoming adaptation for Netflix with career pretty boy Jacob Elordi, weโre intrigued by Maggie Gyllenhaalโs The Bride starring Jessie Buckley and the chameleonic Christian Bale.
Yes, Baleโs latest prosthetic-heavy transformation might not be as drastic as some of his past turns, but based on the footage previewed, it promises to be compelling all the same.
Inspired by both Mary Shelleyโs 1818 original novel and James Whaleโs Bride of Frankenstein, the story follows a lonely Frankenstein (Bale), who travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the aid of Dr Euphronius (Bening) in creating a companion for himself.
As per the official synopsis: โThe two reinvigorate a murdered young woman, and the Bride (Buckley) is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement.โ
Weโre getting a Bonnie and Clyde vibe from this gritty number. Aside from Penelope Cruz, Annette Bening, Julianne Hough, Peter Sarsgaard, as well as Maggieโs little-known brother, Jake Gyllenhaal, The Bride has also been brought to life by Joker cinematographer Lawrence Sher, Cinderella costume designer Sandy Powell, plus Elvis production designer Karen Murphy.
This represents Ms Gyllenhaalโs sophomore directorial effort after The Lost Daughter, which also counted the involvement of Jessie Buckley and Peter Sarsgaard, and earned three Academy Award nominations.
The Bride release date (international): March 6th, 2026.
They Donโt Make โEm Like They Used Toโฆ
In memory of the late great Robert Redford, weโre prescribing a thrilling triple-header of Sydney Pollackโs Three Days of the Condor, All the Presidentโs Men, as well as his passing-of-the-torch moment to Brad Pitt with Tony Scottโs Spy Game.
If youโve still got an appetite for a bit of Vitamin Redford โ and a bitta mystery โ after that, be sure to check out his wildly underrated directorial effort in Quiz Show featuring a stacked cast of John Turturro, Rob Morrow, Ralph Fiennes, Hank Azaria, Christopher McDonald, and Martin Scorsese himself.
Plot outlines for all four below:
- Three Days of the Condor (1975)
โA bookish CIA researcher is shocked to see that all of his co-workers are suddenly murdered. With an assassin tailing him at every turn, he must now figure out who wants him dead.โ - All the Presidentโs Men (1976)
โDuring the 1972 elections, two reportersโ investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Richard Nixon to resign from his post.โ Based on a true story. - Spy Game (2001)
โWhen a CIA operative learns that his friend is incarcerated in China, he takes it upon himself to free them from the Chinese enslavers.โ - Quiz Show (1994)
โLawyer Richard Goodwin (Rob Morrow) discovers that Twenty-One, a successful TV quiz show, is rigged and decides to expose the team behind the show.โ Based on a true story.
And while youโre here, read all about the legendary Hollywood antics of Robert Redford.
