Heat 2 has found its Al Pacino and its Robert De Niro — and neither is Leonardo DiCaprio

After years of speculation and endless fan casting, Heat 2 is finally getting serious — we now know who's inheriting some of the most iconic roles from Michael Mann's 1995 classic. If you've been following every morsel of news since the 2022 novel dropped, you'll want the cast and production details, not more vague promises. Here they are.

Big Names, Big Shoots

So, we've got Leonardo DiCaprio, Stephen Graham, Christian Bale, and Adam Driver all signed up for this monster of a sequel. That's not exactly a gang of unknowns. Filming kicks off in November and it's not a quick job either — they're on set for what sounds like several months, meaning cinemas probably get it in late 2027 or early 2028 if everything runs on time (which, honestly, never happens anyway, but there you go).

Filming for Heat 2 starts in November 2026 and is set to continue for months, lining up a late 2027 or early 2028 release.

If you forgot your Heat lore, Mann's story moves in two directions — not only picking up after the events of the original but packing in major flashbacks that go deep into the past of its main players. The confusion about who’s playing whom is understandable, but Stephen Graham himself popped up on UK radio to set the record straight.

Read more: Josh Brolin says Sicario 3 is happening — his co-star from both films has not even had a call

Who Plays Who?

Here's what Graham had to say on the Heart Breakfast show about how everyone fits in:

Graham explained: 'So, in the sequel, if you remember the film, the last one that survived was Val Kilmer. Leonardo DiCaprio is playing [the] Val Kilmer [character] and Christian Bale is playing the Al Pacino character.'

Graham will step in as Neil McCauley — the role that once belonged to Robert De Niro — but only in the earlier timeline. He gets to walk in De Niro’s very large shoes, which is a slightly terrifying prospect for anyone. At least he's got the legend’s blessing if needed, and he’s being honest about the nerves and excitement, saying it all feels 'mental'. Adam Driver is also in, but his character hasn’t been shouted from the rooftops yet.

What Else Do We Know?

• The new supporting cast includes Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Jason Clarke, and Odessa Young.
• The core Heat 2 actors are heading to LA for five weeks of prep training before cameras roll — which might mean some proper heist skills incoming, or maybe just a heap of gun handling.
• Michael Mann himself was pretty blunt about the scale of this thing back in 2022: it’s not a 'modest movie' and it isn’t pitching to be a miniseries. He's making one huge film, straight up.
• As a reminder, Mann’s last outing, Ferrari (2023), starred Driver and pulled in a solid 73% critics and audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes. So he’s not exactly out of puff.

The takeaway — expect something big, intense, and, if we're lucky, just as obsessive as the original.

Read more: Stephen Graham starts filming Heat 2 this week — and is the first to confirm Adam Driver is in it