After 31 years, the quintessential Robert De Niro-starring crime thriller is back. When it comes to heist movies, Heat is widely considered to be one of the greats. The 1995 film stars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. With a sequel in the works, Christian Bale has confirmed he will be joining the cast for Heat 2.
The long-rumored cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Austin Butler, Bale, Adam Driver, Stephen Graham, Ana de Armas, and even a returning Al Pacino. Bale publicly confirmed his involvement for the first time in an interview with Fox reporter Jake Hamilton, who then shared the news on X. Reports of Bale starring in the Michael Mann-headed sequel began circulating back in November 2025. This is the first time the director and Oscar-winning actor will be working together again since the 2009 crime thriller Public Enemies.
Heat follows Neil McCauley (De Niro), a professional thief who’s aiming for one last great heist before he retires. With Lt. Vincent Hanna (Pacino) hot on his heels, an epic battle of wits and cat-and-mouse unfolds. Expanding the story, Heat 2 is based on Mann’s 2022 novel. The film acts as a prequel to the book and a sequel to the original movie. It will evidently explore Pacino’s Lt. Hanna in his early days as a detective. It also follows the two criminals of the original 1995 flick. Rumor has it DiCaprio will play the role of Chris Shiherlis, McCauley’s partner-in-crime, originally played by Val Kilmer. No confirmation on who Bale will play, though whispers suggest he could be a younger Hanna.
Filming for Heat 2 is expected to begin in Chicago soon. No release date yet, but the sequel will likely hit theaters sometime in 2027.
Grossing over $187 million worldwide on a $60 million budget, Heat became a highly influential film in the crime-thriller genre. Many even consider it to be one of the greatest American crime movies of all time. Now that the news of Christian Bale onboarding the project has come to light, other casting news should follow soon. Bale stars in The Bride! next, which hits theaters on March 6, 2026.