Adam Driver Confirms Heat 2 Role as Michael Mann Recovering from Accident

Adam Driver has confirmed his part in Heat 2 and also addressed director Michael Mann’s recent shooting mishap.

In a guest spot on The Rich Eisen Show, Driver told the host he will portray Otis Wardell in Mann’s upcoming continuation of the 1995 crime movie. Spanning several time periods, Heat 2 works as both a prequel and a sequel to the original, and Wardell stands as the story’s central villain. While revealing his casting, Driver joked, “I think I can say that, although I’ll know the answer very soon [if I can’t].”

Driver also spoke warmly about reuniting with Mann after their 2023 racing biopic Ferrari.

“Heat is a masterpiece,” Driver said. “I I love Michael; I really enjoyed collaborating with him on Ferrari, and as for this project, I’m thrilled. The cast is so awesome.”

He added that the filming schedule had shifted and that his work on the production would not begin until early December. When Eisen asked whether the delay came from Mann’s recent incident at a shooting range in Los Angeles, motorist said the setback had not meaningfully slowed the project.

“No, the delay had already been built into the plan,” Driver said. “[Mann] is good. I sent him a message, he replied right away, and he was at work the next day.”

Interest in Heat 2 has been building since February, when The Dark Knight star Christian Bale said he was preparing to film in Chicago. In July, Inception’s Leonardo DiCaprio joined the project, confirming he would play Chris Shiherlis, a role first portrayed by Val Kilmer, while Bale would take on Vincent Hanna, originally played by Al Pacino. The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach was also said to be nearing a role in September, though his casting has not yet been officially announced.

In the 2022 novel Heat 2, which the film adapts, Wardell is described as the psychopathic leader of a brutal gang of home invaders. The book moves non-linearly through 1988, the mid-1990s, and 2000, but Driver said the screenplay is tighter and more direct.

“As a script it’s even more trimmed down and made lean. Of course, a book needs plenty of descriptive detail, but in a film it’s more like a guided missile.”

While the first Heat was produced by Warner Bros., Heat 2 is now at Amazon MGM Studios.

• Driver has confirmed that he will portray Otis Wardell.
• He said the delay was planned before Mann’s accident.
• He praised the cast and expressed excitement about working with Mann again.
• Heat 2 continues to build a star-studded lineup.

Tristan Ogilvie is a senior video editor at IGN in Sydney, Australia. With 25 years in video game coverage, he previously worked as Deputy Editor for Official PlayStation 2 Magazine Australia and as editor of Official Xbox 360 Magazine Australia, before joining IGN in 2009. You can find him on Bluesky @tristanogilvie.bsky.social