Los Angeles, Nov 18 (NationPress) Hollywood luminary Christian Bale is eyeing a role in the much-anticipated continuation of the ‘Heat’ series. The 51-year-old star is being considered for a part in Michael Mann’s forthcoming sequel to his classic 1995 heist thriller, sharing the spotlight with fellow 51-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio.

It remains uncertain whether Bale or DiCaprio will take on leading roles in this cinematic venture. The script for ‘Heat 2’ has sparked significant interest among top-tier talent, as reported by Female First UK.

Production for ‘Heat 2’, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber, Nick Nesbitt, and Mann, is scheduled to kick off next year in Los Angeles.

According to Female First UK, ‘Heat 2’ will draw inspiration from Mann’s 2022 novel of the same name, co-written with Meg Gardiner. The narrative spans two timelines: one follows Chris Shiherlis (originally portrayed by Val Kilmer) as he evades the LAPD and Lt. Vincent Hanna (played by Al Pacino) following the botched bank heist from the 1995 film, leading the plot into uncharted territory in the tri-border area and Southeast Asia.

The second timeline returns to Chicago in 1988, where Neil McCauley (played by Robert De Niro), Shiherlis, and their elite crew are executing elaborate heists along the U.S.-Mexico border and in the city, while Hanna advances through the Chicago Police Department, targeting a ruthless gang of home invaders. Mann previously indicated his intention to utilize artificial intelligence for experimenting with “ageing and de-ageing” techniques in ‘Heat 2’.

At the Lumiere Film Festival in France, he stated, “I don’t experiment with technology gratuitously. When I have a dramatic need or aesthetic need for it, then I go deep into what I need.”

The director of Collateral, who was honored with the 2025 Lumiere Award at the festival, remarked, “Ageing and de-ageing may be very important in the next film.”

In August, the project faced cancellation by Warner Bros. due to budgetary issues, but Mann believes that moving to Amazon MGM Studios-owned United Artists will enable him to realize the film as he envisions it.

He elaborated, “‘Heat 2’ is an expensive movie to make, but I believe it should be made at the proper size and scale. It’s going to shoot in Chicago, Los Angeles, Paraguay, and possibly parts of Singapore. People make dramas at a certain budget level, not out of greed but due to costs. If it were cheaper, I could have made it anywhere. But it’s complex. I can’t delve into all the politics of it.”