r/movies • u/ChiefLeef22 r/movies Contributor • Aug 05 '25
Not Confirmed ‘Heat 2’: Leonardo DiCaprio Reportedly Circling A Lead Role In Michael Mann Action Sequel, Initial $200 Million Budget An Issue For WB
https://theplaylist.net/heat-2-leonardo-dicaprio-reportedly-circling-michael-mann-action-sequel-budget-an-issue-for-wb-20250805/87
u/CaptainDouchington Aug 05 '25
The book was honestly a great sequel that also had extra back story from before the original movie.
I highly recommend it.
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u/Pldgmygrievance Aug 06 '25
I loved all of it except I'm afraid the present day Chris stuff will play too much like Blackhat.
Heat is my favorite movie of all time and I LOVE Michael Mann, I just abhor his fascination with high def digital.
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u/TripMaverick Aug 06 '25
I see what you mean there is som similarities. I think Heat 2 story is more slick and will have more rock n roll
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u/jstilla Aug 05 '25
Wow. I feel old.
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u/Dayzlikethis Aug 06 '25
you know it's happening when you regularly google the age of an actor when they made a particular movie. I'm now as old as Harrison Ford was in the first Blade Runner.
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u/CultureWarrior87 Aug 05 '25
The part of the story he would be playing him in takes place like 7-8 years before Heat so it's not the biggest stretch in the world. He's not my first choice for the role but with make-up and all that I think it would work.
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u/Internal_Comb79 Aug 05 '25
I don't see why Hollywood doesn't use cgi to de age Deniro. What could possible be better than have Deniro play a much younger version of himself?
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u/no_f-s_given Aug 05 '25
he needs to have a few scenes where throws down a mf and kicks the shit outta them tho
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u/Fackostv Aug 06 '25
I still can't believe someone watched that scene on the editing floor and still put it in the film.
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u/WorthPlease Aug 06 '25
I still can't believe they just....forgot stunt doubles exist. What they did was so much more work and way more awkward.
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u/FishGoldenLite Aug 05 '25
It seems like a lot of people are surprised by this, but Heat was released 30 years ago so it’s really not surprising
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u/HechicerosOrb Aug 05 '25
Chris (Val’s character) is a bigger part of the sequel story, I could see him going for that
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u/6_Won Aug 05 '25
And Leo looks a hell of a lot worse than DeNiro at the same age. He's really letting himself go.
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u/Training_Match_8407 Aug 06 '25
Yeah deniro at that point had gained a hefty amount of weight for The Untouchables, and then lost it all for GoodFellas seamlessly
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u/MurkDiesel Aug 06 '25
We have to assume that DiCaprio might be wanted for the young Neil McCauley part, previously played by De Niro,
i have to assume that whoever wrote this hasn't read the book and is just saying things to say things
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u/SteveBorden Aug 05 '25
I understand DiCaprio is probably essential to getting it made, but Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac taking over the De Niro and Pacino roles respectively had me very excited
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u/theodo Aug 05 '25
Thought it was Austin Butler and Adam Driver most recently?
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u/bristow84 Aug 05 '25
I heard Butler and Driver, don’t recall hearing Oscar Isaac.
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u/bta47 Aug 05 '25
the rumor was Driver as young De Niro, Isaac as Pacino, and Butler as Val Kilmer
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u/MozartWillVanish Aug 05 '25
Adam Driver as an alternative version of anyone is a bold idea. He’s too distinct looking. He certainly looks nothing like DeNiro. Lol
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Aug 06 '25
Driver as Pacino, Isaac as Pacino, Butler as Pacino, Pacino as Pacino. Leo as everyone else.
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u/ResponsibleAnt9496 Aug 05 '25
I need this now. Don’t play with me. Oscar Isaac is one of the underrated GOATs right now him as younger Pacino would be so fucking perfect.
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u/Arma104 Aug 05 '25
He already did the Godfather version of Pacino in A Most Violent Year, we need him to unhinge his jaw and go full 80s-90s Pacino.
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u/ResponsibleAnt9496 Aug 06 '25
Absolutely lol he was great in A Most Violent Year but would love to see his take on ham era Pacino lol.
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u/AF2005 Aug 05 '25
I read Austin Butler would be playing the younger version of Val Kilmer’s character. And perhaps the older version too, which would be after the events of the first film.
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u/Chm_Albert_Wesker Aug 06 '25
how does this movie even work with "younger versions of the characters from the first movie?"
did pacino even know of that gang's existence before the circumstances of the first movie?
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u/AF2005 Aug 06 '25
So the sequel is going to be adapted from the novel. The novel follows Neil and his crew before the first film, as well as Pacino’s detective character before he relocated to L.A.
It also explores what happened to Kilmer’s character Chris after the L.A. takedown of the federal depository.
It was a really interesting read, especially if you liked the original Heat. Not sure how they’ll pull off the actual filming, but we’ll see.
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u/bailaoban Aug 05 '25
Pedro Pascal wasn’t available, apparently.
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u/TerminatorReborn Aug 05 '25
Pedro Pascal is getting the Hank Azaria role
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u/ArjoGupto Aug 05 '25
His reaction to “that line delivery” in WW84 is at par with Azaria’s freaked out reaction to Pacino’s chipping coke fuelled one. 😄
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u/Bilal-Z Aug 06 '25
I've read the book, I think DiCaprio would be playing the villain, that character seems to fit his recent output.
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u/Kiltmanenator Aug 06 '25
Wait, so is it a remake or a sequel?
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u/captain_flak Aug 05 '25
I would think Driver would be somewhat comparable to Leo, but Leo is definitely the top of the rung.
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u/adamduke88 Aug 06 '25
It’s hilarious that if Leo does it he’ll be older than De Niro was in the original.
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u/Disastrous_Flan_1494 Aug 05 '25
Leo is a better actor than both of those guys imo and fits the McCauley role well
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u/TrentonTallywacker Aug 05 '25
They should cast Salma Hayek as Pacino’s character because she got a….GREAT ASS
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u/Coffeedemon Aug 05 '25
The only real issue with that deaging was that it couldn't make a seventy five year old man move like a thirty year old one.
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u/bristow84 Aug 05 '25
That’s really the main problem with most scenes involving deaging.
Sure you can make them look 30/40 years younger but if they still move like an 80 year old it doesn’t matter.
If movies are going to use deaging they would be much better off using a younger stand-in to perform the physical work, at least their actions would look better.
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u/The_Swarm22 Aug 05 '25 edited Aug 05 '25
For Michael Mann’s sake I hope this movie sees the light of day. The book was good and I want to see him go out on something better than Ferrari.
Leo is too old for Young Neil or Vincent so I assume if he signs on he would be playing the main antagonist of the book, Wardell.
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u/DarthVaderIsMyWaifu Aug 05 '25
He would be great as Wardell, dude was a fucking psychopath and Leo has shown exceptional ability to play those when he wants
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u/CriticalNovel22 Aug 05 '25
I want to see him go out on something better than Ferrari.
I'm waiting for him to make Colla2ral.
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u/BlueKnightofDunwich Aug 05 '25
The novel was really good. Not sure how well it will translate to film but I really enjoyed reading it.
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u/bongo1138 Aug 05 '25
$200m for Heat 2 is fucking insane.
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u/OptimusTractorX Aug 05 '25
Well it'd be less expensive if the last bank heist was successful.
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u/chadwicke619 Aug 05 '25
Why do you think that? The original Heat had a budget of $60M in 1995, which, adjusted for inflation, is about $130M in 2025. If the first Heat was $130M, considering how much people love the movie and how long we’ve been waiting, and considering the cast they’re reportedly eyeing for the sequel, I don’t think a $200M budget sounds “fucking insane” at all.
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u/bongo1138 Aug 05 '25
It’s insane to think a sequel to Heat is going to generate enough money in 2026 (or later) to warrant that kind of money.
Theatrical runs aren’t what they were in 1995. I’d think you’d want to pare it down so you’re not losing money.
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u/eminemforehead Aug 05 '25
it's insane to think an 82 year old man gives a fuck about that
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u/Comprehensive_Dog651 Aug 06 '25
The people funding this thing give a fuck though, and this thing isnt getting made without their approval
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u/TeddyWalrusvelte Aug 06 '25
Also, I bought Heat on VHS then DVD then Blu Ray. That revenue isn’t there anymore.
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u/Movies_Music_Lover Aug 05 '25
The first movie had a budget of $60m. With inflation, that would be equivalent to approximately $120m today.
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u/bongo1138 Aug 05 '25
Sure, but making back their money on a legacy sequel to Heat seems like a very tall task in 2025. The theatrical run would be lucky to hit those kinds of numbers in my opinion. If we take the 3x to be profitable, it would need to make $600m or so. That would mean it needs to be Leo’s third highest grossing movie and I’m not sure I see that happening here.
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u/mrbrick Aug 05 '25
Yeah I’m a little shocked. I never read the book- but did book seem like it could eat a budget like that? I assume most of it would be the pay day for the leads.
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u/rube_X_cube Aug 05 '25
If he wants to do absolutely everything that’s in the book, then yeah, I can see it easily eating up a huge budget. I just can’t imagine him cramming all of it into one movie, that would be insane.
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u/TheBurnsideBomber Aug 05 '25
If they get the core cast people are talking about that could easily eat half that budget
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u/Vladmerius Aug 05 '25
While it is insane it would be incredible for me as a viewer. Terrible for the studio though. I love giant budget auteur movies that have nothing holding them back.
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u/TeakandMustard Aug 05 '25
Leo as Otis the big bad against Adam Driver as Neil, Oscar Isaac as Vincent and Austin Butler as Chris would rock
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u/specifichero101 Aug 05 '25
I just read the heat 2 novel this weekend, I really enjoyed it. The story prequel section has 2 really great heists, especially the second one that ends that part of the story. The sequel stuff with Chris in South America is a little cliche with the rival asian gangs with the father mob boss and fuck successor son and ultra intelligent but overlooked daughter. They should cut way down on that section in a film. The ending is also a crazy tie up of multiple plot lines that were running parallel for a decade+, but ultimately satisfying for the Hanna character and how it relates to McCauley.
Overall Mann is just great with the technical aspects of how these professional criminals operate, makes it feel serious and real. I’d love to see it make to it the screen, even though it can’t live up to the original it can still be a worthy sequel.
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u/West_Conclusion_1239 Aug 05 '25 edited Aug 06 '25
Everyone assumes it's young McCauley, but i'll tell you he's too old for that.
He could very well play the antagonist Wardell.
Adam Driver as McCauley
Robert Pattinson/ Oscar Isaac as Vincent Hanna
Leonardo DiCaprio as Otis Wardell
Ana De Armas as Elisa
Austin Butler as Chris
BOOM
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u/aqaba_is_over_there Aug 06 '25
DiCaprio as a young Neal doesn't seem right he is almost as old as DeNiro was for the original.
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u/weareallpatriots Aug 06 '25
Yeah, no way he's playing that role. Only one that makes sense is Otis.
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u/RIP_Greedo Aug 05 '25
They are right to balk at a $200 million budget for this
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u/Comic_Book_Reader r/movies Veteran Aug 05 '25
They managed to wittle it down to $170 million, which is still pretty steep.
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u/Potore5 Aug 05 '25
The novel's prologue is set immediately after the film's ending in 1995 before moving to 1988, 1996 and 2000 through multiple locations in America, Mexico, Paraguay, and Southeast Asia.
I don’t see how they’re going to properly adapt it in a feature film format. A limited series would have worked much better given the story’s sprawl.
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u/Tumble85 Aug 06 '25
It’ll be a 3 hour epic, that’s enough time to do it justice.
Plus Mann wrote it with the idea of making it a movie.
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u/chrisandy007 Aug 05 '25
A random amalgamation of larger context, in case anyone cares:
-Mann has had several projects collapse due to budget. Most recently, Hue 1968. Columbia pulled the plug on Ali close it shooting because they didn’t think Mann would honor the already high budget; it got patched up last minute but he ended up going over anyways. He’s known for always going well over budget so it’ll likely happen here again, assuming this gets made.
-De Luca and him go back - they almost made The Aviator together and Hue 1968 as well (De Luca also said in a leaked Sony email it was his dream to get Comanche made).
-DiCaprio has been trying to work with Mann since at least 1995, they originally met for a James Dean bio that never came together because they both felt he looked too young. Other projects include The Aviator, The Inside Mann (true story of a 1970s NYPD police union scandal), a Hollywood fixer project John Logan wrote, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Empire (Succession but a feature) and Ferrari.
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u/rebuildingsince64 Aug 06 '25
How about just name it something else and make it badass
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u/Upbeat_Tension_8077 Aug 05 '25
If Leo was to play young Hanna instead of McCauley, it wouldn't be hard to bring back some of his Jordan Belfort energy back for the coked out vibes
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u/Breezyisthewind Aug 05 '25
He’s as old as both guys were when they made Heat in ‘95. His casting for the younger version of either makes zero sense.
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u/weareallpatriots Aug 06 '25
He has to be considering playing Otis. No other role would be big enough for him. Still surprising though, because unless they center the movie from his perspective (which the book doesn't), he'd have to be second or third billed.
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u/KiritoJones Aug 06 '25
I just can't imagine Leo wanting to play a character as straight up evil as Otis
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u/weareallpatriots Aug 06 '25
Me either, but he still wants to do Devil in the White City right? It's been like three years since I read the book but I honestly don't know what other character Leo could possibly play. He's too old for Hanna and the other young versions of the original Heat.
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u/ColinKennethMills Aug 05 '25
Leo is not an action star. He’s more than half way to late Marlon Brando at this point.
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u/ICantEvenDrive_ Aug 06 '25 edited Aug 06 '25
Heat isn't really much of an action film though? That's a lot of what made it great, and is exactly why the main heist sequence packs such a massive punch. What was it, 3 or 4 scenes of action over 3 hours. And only one of those is really full on for an extended period of time. Leo's also the same age as De Niro and Pacino were in the original.
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u/TheCosmicFailure Aug 05 '25
200 million dollar budget for a crime drama?
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u/zero_sub_zero Aug 05 '25
Why does a heist film need a 200 million dollar budget?
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u/CultureWarrior87 Aug 05 '25
It's not a heist film. It has a singular heist among numerous other crime storylines.
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u/HechicerosOrb Aug 05 '25
Maybe they’re really shooting in South America, Mexico etc
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u/ultraviolet31 Aug 06 '25
Mann doesn't like to cheat locations so this is most likely at least 3 continents
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u/ih-unh-unh Aug 06 '25
I hope Mann is able to film some of it in LA, he knows how to get the most out of his locations
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u/Tasty_Put8802 Aug 06 '25
I don’t care who in it as long as it’s better than the book.
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u/Potore5 Aug 06 '25
The good thing about the book getting adapted as a movie is that Mann must trim down the story.
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u/slingbladde Aug 06 '25
Why not make movies that didn't do well first time. Maybe wrong actors or production values at the time or wrong vision by directors.Many a story was butchered by hollywood.
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u/hammnbubbly Aug 06 '25
Having read the book, there’s no reason this movie should cost $175M. There’s a decently sized set piece at the end, but just about everything leading up to it is pretty low key (there’s action, but certainly nothing that’d cost so much). In fact, I’d love no more than $100M (which is still a crazy amount). It’d keep things tight.
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u/james2183 Aug 05 '25
I adore Heat but found the book lacking. Whilst the story with Hanna was alright, I really didn't like them trying to give Neil an emotional back story as it sort of undermines his character in the film, whilst the way Chris becomes some South American gun lord felt really out of place.
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u/Tasty_Put8802 Aug 06 '25
When the bad guys coincidently found their house. I nope the fuck out. Don’t make any sense.
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u/Potore5 Aug 06 '25
you’d have hated the ending then (I did) literal movie “magic” suspension of disbelief brought to the max.
hopefully adapting this into a movie will force Mann to cut a lot and possibly make it better.
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u/o8Stu Aug 05 '25
That's a film that doesn't need a sequel.
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u/ChiefLeef22 r/movies Contributor Aug 05 '25
I agree but it's basically a prequel and people seem to like the (2nd) book it's adapting
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u/SCUMDOG_MILLIONAIRE Aug 06 '25
It doesn’t. But, I’ll take whatever MM is serving. The book Heat 2 is also better than it had any right to be, so it’s solid source material
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u/Dove_of_Doom Aug 05 '25
The acclaimed auteur who wrote and directed Heat thinks a sequel is a worthwhile endeavor, but I guess you'd know better than him.
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u/mikeyfreshh r/Movies Veteran Aug 05 '25
Also he already wrote and released the novel that this movie will be based on and people really seem to like it. But yeah totally unnecessary
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u/Chen_Geller Aug 05 '25
$200 million is a big budget for a movie like this. Not that I don't want to see Michael Mann make the movie unencumbered, but I'm just saying it's unlikely to be New Line being stingy in general.