Three decades on, Heat is heading back to the big screen in a new form. Amazon MGM's United Artists took over Heat 2 in October 2025, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale confirmed to be involved and Michael Mann aiming for a 2027 release.
Before the sequel arrives, here is the story of the 1995 original, the film that finally put Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the same scene. Find tribute designs in our movies collection.
Heat Fact File
| Released | 15 December 1995 (US) |
|---|---|
| Written and directed by | Michael Mann |
| Producers | Michael Mann, Art Linson |
| Studio | Regency Enterprises, Forward Pass; distributed by Warner Bros. |
| Main cast | Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Ashley Judd, Natalie Portman |
| Runtime | 170 minutes |
| Budget | $60 million |
| Box office | $187.4 million worldwide |
| Setting | Los Angeles |
Key Films
| Year | Title | Michael Mann role |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Thief | Writer, director |
| 1986 | Manhunter | Writer, director |
| 1989 | L.A. Takedown (TV) | Writer, director |
| 1992 | The Last of the Mohicans | Co-writer, director |
| 1995 | Heat | Writer, director, producer |
| 1999 | The Insider | Co-writer, director |
| 2004 | Collateral | Director |
| 2023 | Ferrari | Director |
A selection of Michael Mann's key films. L.A. Takedown was his first version of the Heat story, made as a TV pilot for NBC.
A Story Years in the Making
Mann wrote the first script in 1979, inspired by Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson's pursuit of a real criminal named Neil McCauley. He first filmed the story as the 1989 TV pilot L.A. Takedown, which was never picked up as a series, before returning to make it on a grand scale in 1995.
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Hanna and McCauley
Al Pacino plays LAPD lieutenant Vincent Hanna, chasing Robert De Niro's meticulous professional thief Neil McCauley. The pair had both appeared in The Godfather Part II without sharing a scene, so their coffee shop meeting, shot at the Kate Mantilini restaurant, was the first time fans saw them face to face on screen.
Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Ashley Judd and a young Natalie Portman round out a superb ensemble.
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The Downtown Shootout
The film's famous bank robbery and street battle were shot in downtown Los Angeles, with the gunfight running along West 5th Street from the 444 Flower Building towards South Figueroa. The finale was shot on the runways at LAX, which Mann later called the hardest location of the shoot.
Heat took $187.4 million worldwide, and in 2017 Mann supervised a 4K remaster for the Director's Definitive Edition.
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Heat 2
In 2022 Mann and Meg Gardiner published the novel Heat 2, both a prequel and sequel to the film. After the film version moved from Warner Bros. to Amazon MGM in 2025, DiCaprio and Bale signed on, and producers include Mann and Jerry Bruckheimer. No release date has been set yet.
In April 2025 the original closed the TCM Classic Film Festival with a 30th anniversary screening.
Achievements
Box office
- $67.4 million in the US and $187.4 million worldwide
Legacy
- First on-screen scene shared by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro
- Closing Night film at the 2025 TCM Classic Film Festival for its 30th anniversary
- Inspired the bestselling 2022 novel Heat 2 and a sequel film in development
Behind the Scenes
Mann shot Heat almost entirely on real Los Angeles locations, from the Kate Mantilini restaurant, which closed in 2014, to Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. Author Edward Bunker, a former criminal himself, inspired Jon Voight's character Nate.
FAQs
When did Heat come out?
Heat was released in the US on 15 December 1995.
Where was Heat filmed?
Across Los Angeles, including downtown around West 5th Street for the shootout, the Kate Mantilini restaurant for the diner scene and the runways at LAX for the finale.
Is Heat based on a true story?
Partly. Neil McCauley was a real criminal pursued by Chicago detective Chuck Adamson, whose story inspired Mann.
Are Pacino and De Niro in a scene together in Heat?
Yes. Their coffee shop scene was the first time the two shared the screen.
Is there going to be a Heat 2 film?
Yes. Heat 2 is in development at Amazon MGM, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale involved and Michael Mann aiming for 2027.
How long is Heat?
The film runs for 170 minutes.
Shop the Heat Collection
Our Heat pieces are fan-made tribute designs, printed to order in the UK.
Heat Men's Hoodie
£39.99
See more classics in our movies collection. Want your own name on the back instead? Design a custom name hoodie.
Part of our Icon Profiles series. Read next: The Godfather: The Trilogy, the Cast and the Oscars and Goodfellas: Scorsese's Gangster Classic, Cast and Awards.
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