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Heat 2
AuthorMichael Mann
Meg Gardiner
Cover artistJacket design by Tony Mauro Logo design by Neville Brody
LanguageEnglish
Genrecrime fiction, thriller, mystery
PublisherHarperCollins
Publication date
August 9, 2022
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover & paperback)

ebook

Audiobook
Pages480 pp (first edition, hardcover)
ISBN978-0-062-65331-4 first edition, hardcover
Preceded byHeat (1995 film) 

Heat 2 is a 2022 American crime novel written by Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner. The novel is both a prequel and a sequel to Mann's 1995 crime film Heat. Heat 2 covers the formative years of homicide detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and criminals Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) and Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer). The prequel portions of Heat 2 take place in Chicago, Las Vegas and Mexicali during 1988, while the sequel portions are set in Los Angeles, Ciuaded del Este and Indonesia from 1995 through 2000.

Announced in 2016 as a prequel to his 1995 film, Mann's debut novel released in August 2022 to critical acclaim and landed on the New York Times bestseller list.[1] Mann, an English lit major, had long wanted to revisit the characters from the original film and found the format of a novel afforded him greater creative liberties and the ability to delve deeper into the backstories he had concocted for his actors.[2] Heat 2 marked a renewed era of productivity for Mann, debuting a few months after his pilot of Tokyo Vice and immediately before he began production on Ferrari, his first film in eight years.[3]

A feature film adaptation was formally announced in spring 2023,[4] with a possible follow up novel also in the works.[5]

Plot

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Logo of the original film

Note: The novel takes place non chronologically in 1988, 1995 and 1996-2000. The plot is summarized here in chronological order.

Al Pacino, who played Vincent Hanna in the 1995 film

In 1988 Chicago, Detective Vincent Hanna is pursuing a violent gang of home invaders, led by the vicious Otis Wardell. Hanna eventually finds the group through one of the members, Alex, who uses his role as a valet to make key copies for the break ins. Hanna and his team successfully set up an ambush at the next victim's home, eliminating all but Wardell, who manages to escape. Hanna also discovers that Alex had lied about having assaulted one of the victim's teenage daughters, and throws him off a roof. Hanna gets a lead on Wardell but arrives only to find Aaron, Alex's brother-in-law and the supplier to both Wardell and Neil, has been tortured to death. Disenfranchised with the case and the limits of the Chicago police, Hanna resigns.

While these events are occurring, Neil, Chris and the rest of their crew rob a security deposit in Chicago. Amongst the score are a set of floppy disks which reveal the routes of a cartel cash house in Mexicali. Neil's gang, which now includes his girlfriend Elisa, ambush the house successfully and escape in an ensuing firefight. Wardell, having tortured Neil's whereabouts from Aaron, kills Elisa's father and kidnaps Elisa while her young daughter Gabriela hides. Neil rushes to rescue Elisa and disables Wardell's vehicle. Wardell holds Elisa at gunpoint and Neil trades his car and share of the heist for Elisa's safety. Wardell mortally wounds Elisa and flees with Neil's car and money, and a despondent Neil vows to close his heart[6].

In 1995 LA, immediately after the events of the film, Hanna attempts to locate a wounded Chris before he flees. Nate, Neil's fixer, manages to successfully get Chris across the border to Mexico before Hanna arrives at his bar. Chris is flown to Ciudad de Este where he recuperates from his wounds and joins David Liu's crime family as a bodyguard under the auspices of their Brazilian security head Paolo. Over the next few years, he impresses the Lius with his tradecraft and instincts and begins rising in their ranks. He starts a relationship with David's capable daughter Ana, who is passed over for succession in favor of her unstable, party-going brother Felix. Chris successfully foils a plan from a rival Taiwanese family, led by Claudio Chen, to steal Liu software but Claudio eventually leads an attack that kills the David. Felix becomes the leader of the Liu family, which Ana outwardly accepts while planning on continuing to expand the Liu business. She and Chris continue begin working through the nascent dark web to transact crime globally. While the two of them are in LA for business, Chris finds that his wife Charlene, who he had promised to return to, has remarried and is raising their son with another man. Chris calls Charlene to wish her well and lets her go, but is adamant about continuing to pursue Hanna for having killed Neil.

Val Kilmer, who played Chris Shiherlis in the 1995 film

Wardell has moved to LA and used Neil's Mexicali heist money to establish a prostitution ring through a chain of motels. Hanna investigates a series of prostitute murders being committed by Wardell. Gabriela, now an adult waitress in LA, runs into Wardell and fearfully reports him to LAPD, with Hanna sparking to the old connection. Hanna pursues Wardell but the latter, who had belatedly recognized Gabriela in turn, kidnaps her. A violent freeway chase ensues in which Chris, having followed Hanna, successfully leads Gabriela to safety when Wardell crashes. Wardell wounds Hanna but the latter manages to get the upper hand and successfully kills Wardell. Hanna finds Elisa's necklace on Wardell's body, shocked to discover the relationship between Neil and Elisa. In reviewing security footage in the aftermath of the chase, Hanna realizes Chris was present and vows continued pursuit.

Reunited with Ana in Indonesia, Chris prepares for a meeting with Claudio in Batam. Claudio arrives with Felix, ostensibly to make a deal but with the true aim of eliminating Chris and absorbing the Liu assets. However, Paolo has tipped Chris off about this plan and they successfully ambush Claudio and his team. A wounded Felix pleads for his life, promising that Ana would have been safe. An unmoved Chris, knowing Felix cannot be trusted, executes him, which Paolo witnesses. Ana and Chris meet shortly after, and the latter lies about Felix's demise, knowing Ana would leave him if she knew the truth. As he embraces a grieving Ana, Chris muses on the possibilities of their future.

In the novel's final passage, Hanna arrives at Nate's bar and asks him "What are you not gonna tell me about Chris Shiherlis?"

Development

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Adam Driver, who is reportedly in talks to play a young Neil McCauley
Austin Butler has been widely rumored to play the protagonist Chris Shiherlis

It was announced in March 2016 that Mann was writing a prequel novel to the film Heat.[7] Mann was later joined by co-author Reed Farrel Coleman.[8] In August 2019, Mann clarified the novel would act as both a prequel and a sequel, and that he and Coleman were still at work on the novel for a 2020 release.[9]

The novel's title, synopsis and release date were revealed in January 2022[10] with Meg Gardiner listed as the co-author. Mann was a fan of Gardiner's novel UNSUB and literary agent Shane Salerno introduced the two of them to each other.[2] Gardiner, whose initial focus was on the prequel sections of the novel, remarked on Mann's quest for authenticity, who sought to make sure various specific character actions were true to life. Gardiner mentioned having trouble visualizing a scene of Chris climbing a ship in the straight of Mallarca and Mann responded by showing her a photograph of him actually doing it.[2][11]

Released in August, Heat 2 landed on the New York Times bestseller list the week of its release.[1] In an interview for the newly launched book, Mann stated his interest in expanding the "Heat universe" through additional books, including the next part of Chris Shiherlis' journey.[5][12]

Planned film adaptation

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Prior the novel's publication, Mann stated he intended on adapting Heat 2 into a film.[9][13]

In April 2023, the film Heat 2 was formally announced with Warner Bros developing, with Adam Driver reportedly playing the younger Neil McCauley. Several months later, Mann confirmed Heat 2 would be his next film and that he had spoken to Driver about the McCauley role.[14] Additional casting rumors included Al Pacino returning as the older Hanna, Austin Butler as Chris Shiherlis, and Ana de Armas as Elisa[4] with actors Jeremy Allen White and Channing Tatum actively pursuing roles.[15] Both Butler and Driver have been noncommittal as to their involvement.[16][17]

Due to the film featuring the same characters over a 12 year period, Mann said he would employ a combination of CG and makeup[18] but eschew de-aging techniques like those used in The Irishman.[19] At a screening of Heat, Mann revealed he was considering shooting Heat 2 on celluloid, which would mark his first shot-on-film project since Ali.[20] Mann also began the process of getting permission to film in Ciudad del Este, returning to one of the Miami Vice locales.[21]

In January 2024, Mann shared his goal of shooting Heat 2 for a 2025 release, which would mark the 30th anniversary of the first film.[22][23] As of July, Mann is continuing work on the screenplay and aiming to begin filming by the end of 2024 or beginning of 2025. When asked about the casting of Butler and Driver, Mann stated "I can't talk about that."[24]

Connections to other Mann works

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  • The Wardell Chicago subplot bears strong resemblance to the Miami Vice episode "The Home Invaders". Hanna's ambush of Wardell's gang was also based on a real case worked on by Chuck Adamson and Dennis Farina, both of whom worked with Mann across numerous projects including Thief and Crime Story[5]. Adamson's investigation of the real life Neil McCauley was also the primary inspiration of Heat.
  • A portion of Spoon Jackson's poem "Realness" appears in Ali.
  • Chris Shiherlis' alias Jeffrey Bergman is an amalgamation of the two protagonists from The Insider.
  • A character mentions John Dillinger, the protagonist of Public Enemies. Similarly, the theme of armed robberies being replaced by corporatized crime is one of the main subjects of both Public Enemies and Heat 2[25][2].
  • Miami Vice takes place in Ciudad del Este and has overlapping plot points around the early days of transnational organized crime.

References

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  1. ^ a b Jr, Mike Fleming (2022-08-18). "Michael Mann Revs 'Ferrari' As 'Heat 2' Tops Bestseller Lists". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  2. ^ a b c d Fear, David (2022-08-07). "'Heat 2': Why Michael Mann's Sequel to His Classic Crime-Movie Had to Be a Novel". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  3. ^ Mann's previous feature, Blackhat, was released in 2015.
  4. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (2023-04-04). "Michael Mann Eyeing 'Heat 2' As Next Film With Warner Bros In Negotiations With Director To Board Sequel; Adam Driver In Talks With Mann To Play Young Neil McCauley". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  5. ^ a b c Jr, Mike Fleming (2022-08-10). "As His First Novel 'Heat 2' Hits Shelves, Michael Mann Shares Great Crime Stories". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  6. ^ Neil's mantra in the 1995 film is "Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner."
  7. ^ Jr, Mike Fleming (2016-03-16). "Michael Mann Launches Book Imprint; 'Heat' Prequel Novel A Priority". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  8. ^ Jr, Mike Fleming (2017-04-27). "Michael Mann Sets Bestselling Author Reed Farrel Coleman To Co-Write 'Heat' Prequel Novel". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  9. ^ a b "Michael Mann eyes 'Heat 2' film as book nears completion". France 24. 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  10. ^ Jr, Mike Fleming (2022-01-19). "'Heat' Fans Rejoice: Michael Mann & Meg Gardiner Novel 'Heat 2' Has August 9 Pub Date And Will Detail Lives Of Characters Before & After 1995 Crime Classic". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  11. ^ Weiner, Jonah (2022-07-20). "Michael Mann's Damaged Men". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  12. ^ "'Heat'-ing up: Michael Mann writes sequel-prequel 'Heat 2'". AP News. 2022-07-22. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  13. ^ "Michael Mann Wants To Make Heat 2 As A Movie – Exclusive". Empire. 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  14. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (2023-10-09). "Michael Mann Confirms 'Heat 2' As Next Movie & Comments On Potential Reteam With Adam Driver". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  15. ^ Pearce, Leonard (2023-12-18). "Michael Mann Affirms Interest in Vietnam War Project and New Sci-Fi Feature". Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  16. ^ Amid 'Heat 2' casting rumors, Austin Butler shares what the original film means to him. Retrieved 2024-08-21 – via apnews.com.
  17. ^ "Michael Mann still has another gear. At 80, he's driving 'Ferrari'". AP News. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  18. ^ "'Heat 2': Michael Mann Says Casting Is Still Not Decided & He's Not Interested In Expanded It Into A Series". theplaylist.net. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  19. ^ "Don't Worry, Michael Mann Won't De-Age Your Heroes in 'Heat 2'". Esquire. 2022-08-09. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  20. ^ Hemphill, Jim (2024-01-09). "Michael Mann Considers a Return to Celluloid for 'Heat 2'". IndieWire. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  21. ^ "Spotify - FERRARI NICE with Michael Mann". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  22. ^ Davis, Clayton (2024-01-04). "Michael Mann on 'Ferrari,' Writing 'Heat 2' and Making the Original: 'I Could Not Figure Out How Val Kilmer Could Tolerate Being Val Kilmer'". Variety. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  23. ^ Jr, Mike Fleming (2024-01-24). "Michael Mann Sets Untitled Global Manhunt Crime Novel Follow-Up To 'Heat 2' Under His William Morrow Imprint Deal". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-08-21.
  24. ^ "Exclusive: Michael Mann unveils his in-depth, behind-the-scenes Archives project". Los Angeles Times. 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
  25. ^ Times, Los Angeles (2009-06-24). "Michael Mann teams up with Johnny Depp to take on John Dillinger". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
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