As Heat 2 Continues Coming Together, Michael Mann Shares How Starsky And Hutch Is Connected To The Sequel

As a gamer who has spent countless hours immersed in the digital world of crime dramas and action films, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia and anticipation upon learning about the upcoming film adaptation of Michael Mann‘s “Heat 2”. Having grown up on classics like “The Insider” and “Starsky & Hutch”, it’s fascinating to learn that this new project has roots that stretch back to those early days.


Two years ago, filmmaker Michael Mann delved back into the universe of his 1995 movie “Heat” through the novel “Heat 2,” a dual prequel and sequel co-written with Meg Gardiner. Even before the book’s publication, Mann had shown interest in transforming it into a film, and in April 2023, it was officially announced that a “Heat 2” movie adaptation was underway. As of now, details about “Heat 2” are scant, but recently Mann offered an update on the project and hinted at how the action TV show “Starsky & Hutch” ties into it.

During a recent 25th anniversary screening of his film “The Insider”, director Michael Mann shared with Steve Weintraub from Collider that he was nearly done with the script for “Heat 2”. Earlier, he had been awakened in the middle of the night, mulling over the script. Subsequently, at 3:00 AM, he drove through Los Angeles and stopped at Canter’s Delicatessen, a well-known eatery where Mann has previously worked on other projects, such as episodes for “Starsky & Hutch”. In his own words, Mann said:

This morning, I settled into a booth and worked on act four until approximately 9:00. It was somewhat amusing as this is the same booth where I penned the initial episodes of Starsky & Hutch during the 1970s, followed by The Jericho Mile and an early version of Heat. My favorite waitress, Jeannie, served there, using tips from waiting tables and poker games in Gardena to fund her sons’ medical school education. [Laughs] It’s not uncommon to see a coyote darting across the streets of Los Angeles at night.

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From 1975 to 1977, Michael Mann penned four episodes of Starsky & Hutch. This was a few years before he produced the TV movie Jericho Mile and began creating movies like Thief and Manhunter. It’s intriguing to learn that this restaurant has been linked to his past, and even more so, that Mann sat in one of its booths to finalize Heat 2’s fourth act – the very same booth where he had once written episodes featuring David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser on Starsky & Hutch. Life can sometimes have a peculiar sense of humor, isn’t it?

When it was announced that “Heat 2” was in production, news broke out about Adam Driver potentially portraying Neil McCauley, a character originally played by Robert De Niro in “Heat”. Apart from him, there have been whispers about Austin Butler taking over the role of Chris Shiherlis, which Val Kilmer previously played. As Michael Mann finishes the script for “Heat 2”, we can hope that filming will commence around 2025. Assuming all goes as planned, the movie could hit theaters in 2026.

In the meantime, before we get further news about the progress of “Heat 2”, take advantage of your Paramount+ membership to watch its prequel. The latest film by Michael Mann, “Ferrari”, is available for streaming on Hulu.

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2024-11-29 00:09