Heat 2: Adam Driver Weighs in on Reports of Reuniting With Michael Mann

Adam Driver recently collaborated with director Michael Mann on the biopic Ferrari, which has sparked speculation about Driver joining Mann’s planned Heat 2, and while Driver didn’t directly confirm there was a plan in place for such an opportunity, he revealed he would be open to joining Mann’s adaptation of something as dull as an encyclopedia. With Ferrari not yet having landed in theaters, Mann likely hasn’t gotten the chance to invest much into the development of a follow-up to the iconic movie, but Mann personally expressed his willingness to reunite with Driver, given the promising working relationship they established.

When asked by JoBlo about starring in the sequel, Driver teased, “Not sure. Not sure. Not sure about Heat 2. If Michael was doing a dramatic reading of an Encyclopedia, I’d be interested.”

Mann’s original movie is not only a staple of ’90s cinema, which starred Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Val Kilmer, but it serves as a seminal example of what can be accomplished within the genre of heist thrillers. This meant that when Mann confirmed he had written a sequel novel, it was met with much excitement, with that book’s release earning a positive reception from fans. 

The novel splits its events between two timelines, one taking place before the original movie and one taking place after. With De Niro’s Neil McCauley not surviving the events of Heat, the novel explores his earlier years as a criminal. Driver is rumored to be up for the role of the younger Neil.

While there’s no timeline for when Mann will move forward on Heat 2, he did confirm earlier this year that he aims to make it his next movie, while also commenting on Driver’s involvement.

When asked by Deadline if Heat 2 was his next priority, Mann confirmed, “Yes. Meg Gardiner and myself wrote the novel Heat 2, which came out right when we were shooting Ferrari. It did very well. I plan to shoot that next.”

On whether the sequel could enlist Driver, the filmmaker admitted, “Perhaps. We don’t talk about that yet. Let me put it this way: Adam and I got along like a house on fire [on Ferrari]. We have the same work ethic — which is pretty intense. We like each other, and we had a great time working together artistically.”

Stay tuned for updates on Heat 2.

Would you like to see Driver star in the sequel? Let us know in the comments!