Al Pacino said if there was going to be a prequel to the film Heat, he would like to see Timothée Chalamet play Vincent Hanna.
I don’t want to make this about me, but this film is in my sacred top 10 group of films. The characters, cinematography, even the painfully cheesy parts all make for an incredible film. Starring in the 1995 original, directed by veteran Michael Mann, was Al Pacino as detective Vincent Hanna and Robert De Niro, criminal Neil McCauley.
While the star quality of the two greats would’ve allured many to buy tickets, the duo didn’t simply rest on that. Their performance, notably the diner scene halfway through the film, has been studied by critics, cinephiles and aspiring actors alike.
This is where Timothée Chalamet comes into the picture. Speaking with De Niro for a panel discussion about Mann’s novelisation of Heat 2, Pacino was asked who he’d like to play the younger version of his character if a film was in the works. Pacino shouted, “Timothée Chalamet!” which made the audience erupt.
The book is set to be released on August 9th, 2022. Written by Michael Mann and co-written by Meg Gardiner, it’s billed as both a sequel and prequel to the events of Heat. This will answer and further explore the questions that we’ve been waiting for!
While nothing is promised, Pacino’s response and the audience’s clear interest is certainly a positive sign. While Chalamet is more than busy filming the Wonka film, set to be released on March 17th, 2023, and researching for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in a future biopic, we can only hope Pacino gets his wish.
In the meantime, we can await the release of the novel which will further explore a story that no one felt had truly ended. Hopefully, it can be put to film and finish the narrative and make the original even better.
