Last year, we got word that a sequel to Michael Mann's acclaimed crime thriller, Heat, starring acting legends Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, was officially moving forward after finding a new home at United Artists following Warner Bros. agreement to allow Mann to shop the project around.
Several major actors were said to be in the mix to play the movie's leads, and the trades recently reported that Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, American Hustle, Public Enemies) was set to reunite with Mann for the sequel.
Now, Bale has confirmed that he will star in the movie.
Leonardo DiCaprio, who has been attached to the film for some time, is still set to play one of the leads, and the likes of Austin Butler, Adam Driver and Bradley Cooper are also said to be circling roles, although "no offers have been made to that talent."
Chris Shiherlis - who was played by the late Val Kilmer in the original movie - was believed to be the character DiCaprio had been cast as, but we have heard that this was the role Bale was circling, which could indicate that the One Battle After Another star will actually play sadistic villain Otis Wardell.
If he signs on, Driver is expected to play the younger Neil McCauley (De Niro's character).
It seems nothing is going to be simple when it comes to casting news for Heat 2. Here is an excerpt from Sneider's latest newsletter.
"Today, as soon as Deadline’s story broke, one of my best sources told me that DiCaprio’s fellow 51-year-old, Bale, is actually going to be playing Older Chris, and I tweeted what that single source told me within five minutes of the news breaking. However, hours later, when I had a chance to ask a second source about this development, they said they’d heard that DiCaprio was still going to play Older Chris, and that Bale was going to play Otis Wardell, the psychotic rapist who plays a key role in the book.
I went back to my original source, and they said that when they first heard that Bale was being eyed to play Older Chris, it would’ve meant losing Adam Driver as master thief Neil McCauley, the role originated by Robert De Niro. The source then wagered it was possible that, in order to avoid losing Driver, Mann compromised by moving Bale to the Wardell role. However, as far as this source knew, Bale is being eyed for Older Chris, and DiCaprio is rumored to be considering the role of Vincent Hanna, the dogged detective played by the great Al Pacino."
There's a chance we may not find out which actor will play which character until the cast is finalized
Master criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is trying to control the rogue actions of one of his men, while also planning one last big heist before retiring. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Hanna (Al Pacino) attempts to track down McCauley as he deals with the chaos in his own life, including the infidelity of his wife (Diane Venora) and the mental health of his stepdaughter (Natalie Portman). McCauley and Hanna discover a mutual respect, even as they try to thwart each other's plans.