As Heat 2 continues to come together, Michael Mann shares how Starsky and Hutch are connected to the sequel

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Two years ago, filmmaker Michael Mann visited the world of his 1995 film Heat through the novel Heat 2a simultaneous prequel and sequel, which he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner. However, even before the book’s publication, Mann expressed interest in adapting it into a film, and in April 2023 it was officially confirmed that a Heat 2 film adaptation was underway. Although there is not much specific we know about Heat 2 currently Mann recently gave an update on the project and shared how the action TV show Starsky & Hutch is associated with it.

While attending a 25th anniversary screening of his film The insiderexplained Mann Collider‘s Steve Weintraub that he is close to finishing Heat 2 script. At the time the conversation took place, the writer/director had woken up in the middle of the night thinking about the script. He ended up driving through Los Angeles at 3:00 in the morning and arrived at Canter’s Delicatessen, the popular restaurant he has previously sat in while writing other of his projects, including episodes of Starsky & Hutch. In Mann’s words:

Then I sat in a stall and wrote there until about 9:00 this morning to try and finish act four. It was ironic because it’s the same booth I sat in when I wrote the first few episodes of Starsky & Hutch back in the 1970s. Then The Jericho Mile and probably some early drafts of Heat. I had a favorite waitress named Jeannie who put two sons through a medical waitress there and play poker in Gardena. (Laughs) So sometimes you drive through the streets of LA at night and a coyote runs across it.

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Michael Mann wrote four episodes of Starsky & Hutch between 1975 and 1977, just a few years before he made the aforementioned TV movie Jericho Mile and then began delivering feature films as Thief and Manhunter. So it’s interesting not only to hear how far back Mann’s history with this restaurant goes, but that he ended up sitting in the same booth to put the finishing touches on Heat 2‘s fourth act, which he created and wrote these episodes for the TV show starring David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser. It’s funny how life works sometimes.

When Heat 2 was confirmed to be in development, it was reported that Adam Driver was being eyed to play Neil McCauley, who was played by Robert De Niro in Heat. Since then, the only other casting option that has surfaced is Austin Butler, who is rumored to succeed Val Kilmer in playing Chris Shiherlis. Since Michael Mann is finishing Heat 2 script, hopefully that means shooting could start in 2025. From there, it’s easy to imagine the film being released in theaters sometime in 2026.

While we await more updates on how Heat 2 is coming, feel free to use your Paramount+ subscription to stream its predecessor. Michael Mann’s latest film, Ferrarican be accessed with a Hulu subscription.