Michael Mann wants to transform his Heat prequel novel into a film

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

One of the finest films of the 1990s, Micheal Mann's HEAT starred Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley, a seasoned thief, and Al Pacino as Lt. Vincent Hanna, an LAPD robbery-homicide detective tasked with tracking down Neil and his crew. There was much hype surrounding the film as it served to bring De Niro and Pacino together in the same scene for the first time, and the subsequent scene was well worth the wait.

Close to five years ago, Michael Mann announced that he would be penning a novel which would serve as a prequel to HEAT, exploring the early days of McCauley and Hanna. While speaking with Deadline, Mann revealed that not only is he still working on the prequel novel, but that he also wants to transform it into a feature-film as well.

It’s a stack about 10 inches high on my desk right now. We’re on it, and I’m putting time into that and a screenplay I can’t tell you about. But I absolutely want to make a movie of the Heat prequel.

While the Deadline article has since been edited, Mann's quote initially included mention of a HEAT sequel as well, which is also rather interesting. In terms of a prequel, it's been 25 years since the original film was released, meaning that other actors would have to step into the roles made famous by Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, unless they go the route of THE IRISHMAN and employ some digital de-aging. Would you be down for a prequel to HEAT?

Before COVID-19 forced production to shut down, Michael Mann had been directing the pilot of Tokyo Vice, a new TV series for HBO Max which stars Ansel Elgort (BABY DRIVER) as a Western journalist covering the crime beat in Tokyo who finds himself running afoul of a major crime boss.