For many, Michael Mann‘s nearly three-hour crime epic "Heat" is his masterpiece, an untouchable achievement in his catalog of films. But it seems there’s more story to tell, as Mann is once again revisiting the world and its characters and spinning a new story, but one that won’t hit the big screen — at least, not just yet.
READ MORE: Breaking Down Michael Mann’s Sharper Director’s Cut Of ‘Blackhat’
Deadline reports that the director is launching Michael Mann Books, which, as the title suggests, will be a company dedicated to the printed word. And one of the first projects in the works is a prequel novel to "Heat," one that will focus on the early years of the characters in the film including Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), and Nate (Jon Voight), and presumably establish even more of their histories together.
There’s no word yet on who will exactly write the book, but the idea is that Michael Mann Books will have a crew of scribes on hand who will both tackle novels and develop concepts for movies and television. So yes, a prequel film or TV series to "Heat" is certainly a possibility.
Thoughts? Do you need the backstory to "Heat" or is the movie enough? Let us know below.
Over the years, Mann has always said with not just Heat, but his other movies too, deep backstory and a whole interior life to all his characters – even Waingro and Donald Breedan (the Dennis Haysbert character). Even the chop shop snitch and his brother were based on real people (there was even a real Chris Shiherlis). Yeah, I think we do need this. If more "action" movies took this approach we`d have less of those wafer thin characters and skin deep plots. It`s one of many things which elevates Heat. This is the grandaddy of crime drama / action…and 20 years on nothing has remotely approached it.
I\’ve always imagined a prison movie before Heat with the main characters plotting and planning for there live like there\’s no tomorrow lifestyle after they get out
We absolutely need this. Hell yes.