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Michael Mann is still working on the script for ‘Heat 2’.The 81-year-old director helmed the original 1995 crime/drama, and has now revealed he is currently in the process of writing the screenplay for the sequel and is hoping the project will move forward at Warner Bros. “as soon as possible”.In an interview with Collider, Mann said: “Nothing’s definitely going because the sky may fall. But ‘Heat 2’ is at Warner Bros. I'm writing the screenplay for them, and hopefully, we will go forward as soon as possible.”‘The Insider’ filmmaker added he had recently driven around the streets of Los Angeles early in the morning to find inspiration for the sequel.He said: “I’m finishing the screenplay, and at 2:30 this morning, it woke me up in the middle of the night. “So, I'm in the middle of writing the screenplay, and I wound up driving through LA at 3 a.

Michael Mann's Heat remains one of the seminal films of the 1990s, and the director took an interesting direction for the sequel, Heat 2. Rather than making it a feature film, Mann published the story as a novel with co-author Meg Gardiner in August 2022. With the publication of Heat 2 came inevitable conversations about whether it would eventually be made into a movie. While promoting his latest film, Ferrari, in 2023, the director teased that he plans to adapt his story into a full-blown movie.

Besides some brief conversations about casting and structure, there have been no significant updates on the long-awaited sequel to Heat. However, in an interview with Collider's Steve Weintraub, Mann finally gave fans a promising update. In his conversation with Weuntraub, Mann divulged his screenwriting process, specifically about how Heat 2 has him burning the midnight oil:

"I’m finishing the screenplay, and at 2:30 this morning,...

In the early 2000s, director Michael Mann was coming off four hugely ambitious films — “The Last of the Mohicans,” “Heat,” “The Insider,” and “Ali” — and thinking about what to do next. He spent over a year working with John Logan on a Howard Hughes script that Martin Scorsese would ultimately direct as “The Aviator,” but its similarities to “Ali” made him wary of embarking on another epic.

“It was an internal conflict,” Mann said on IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast. “In Ali’s case, it was about Ali determining his identity. ‘Who shall I be? Who shall I represent to the world?’ The quest he’s on is very similar to the Howard Hughes story.”

Luckily, another script came Mann’s way that was not only different from “Ali” but also from anything he’d done before. Stuart Beattie’s “Collateral” had the kind of intense conflict, rich characters, and...

Mann's fascination with ex-convicts stems from meticulous character research and a desire to show their origins and motivations. The Chicago riots and studying under Kubrick shaped Mann into a filmmaker unafraid to explore rebellion and maintain artistic integrity. Mann's groundbreaking film The Jericho Mile delves into the personal codes of ethics and politics behind bars, setting the stage for his future work.

Director Michael Mann has always had a fascination with movie characters who have done hard time in prison. A meticulous researcher famous for developing extensive backstories for his characters, Mann has long approached filmmaking like an anthropologist hellbent on showing the origin of his character's motivations. In his many crime thrillers, the main roles are often those of hardened ex-convicts, many of whom live by a rigid doctrine. Some of the actors Mann has cast in his films have even been incarcerated themselves, including two alums from his most-lauded crime film,...

Clockwise from top right: Robert De Niro in Heat, Colin Farrell in Miami Vice, Chris Hemsworth in Blackhat, James Caan in Thief, Tom Cruise in Collateral, Will Smith in Ali.Screenshot: YouTube

There have been several reasons for cinephiles to rejoice in 2023, but few are more exciting than the return of Michael Mann.

Arthur Schmidt, the two-time Academy Award-winning film editor died on Saturday, Aug. 5 at the age of 86.

Per The Wrap, Schmidt's death was confirmed by his brother, Ron. With a career spanning four decades, Schmidt played a key role in shaping some of the most iconic films of the late 20th century. His collaborations with filmmaker Robert Zemeckis include the Back to the Future trilogy, Contact, and Cast Away. He won Oscars for his editing work in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Forrest Gump, which also won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Schmidt followed in the path of his father, Arthur P. Schmidt, a renowned film editor with credits in classics like Ace in the Hole, Sabrina, Some Like It Hot, and Sunset Boulevard.

Schmidt's entrance into the film industry came after the death of his father in 1965. Starting as an apprentice and assistant editor,...

Arthur Schmidt, 2-time Academy Award-winning editor and longtime collaborator of Robert Zemeckis, died this past Saturday at the age of 86, his brother Ron announced.

Schmidt’s four-decade career includes some of the biggest films of the late 20th Century, including Zemeckis’ “Back to the Future” trilogy, “Contact” and “Cast Away.” He also received his two Oscars for “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” and “Forrest Gump,” the latter of which won Best Picture.

Born in Los Angeles, Schmidt’s career followed in the footsteps of his father, Arthur P. Schmidt, who also had a decorated editing career with films like “Ace in the Hole,” “Sabrina,” “Some Like It Hot,” and Billy Wilder’s legendary noir “Sunset Boulevard.”

The younger Schmidt’s career didn’t start until after his father’s death in 1965, working as an apprentice and assistant editor throughout the 1970s including on films like “Jaws 2.” His big breakthrough came...

Arthur Schmidt, the two-time Oscar-winning film editor who collaborated with director Robert Zemeckis on 10 films, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump and the Back to the Future trilogy, has died. He was 86.

Schmidt died Saturday of an unknown cause at his home in Santa Barbara, his brother Ron Schmidt told The Hollywood Reporter.

The second-generation film editor also cut three Mike Nichols features — The Fortune (1975), The Birdcage (1996) and Primary Colors (1998) — and two helmed by Michael Apted — Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), for which he received his first Oscar nom, and Firstborn (1984).

His résumé over four decades included work on Marathon Man (1976), Jaws 2 (1978), Ruthless People (1986), Beaches (1988), The Rocketeer (1991), The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Congo (1995), and he was brought in for three months to help tidy up the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 2003.

Schmidt received his Academy Awards in 1989 for Who Framed Roger Rabbit and in 1995 for Forrest Gump,...

Recently I was speaking to a friend, who's a few years younger than me, about our favorite movies. And to my dismay, it transpired that he'd never heard of "Heat." Not just hadn't seen it, but never heard of it. And honestly, I felt like I had to sit him down and have a little Al Pacino and Robert De Niro-style heart-to-heart after he dropped that bombshell.

Unfortunately, this was one of those moments when I realized that I am, in fact, incredibly old and that 1995 actually wasn't just a few years ago. To be specific, it was almost 30 years ago — more than enough time for the film to be obscured beneath several layers of cinematic sediment.

This is why it's so great to see Michael Mann's excellent crime epic (though the director doesn't consider it a crime movie) in the Netflix top 10 these days. It seems "Heat...

As far as official cinema debuts go, few come to mind that have had as strong a lasting legacy as Michael Mann's Thief. In fact, since the release of that essential crime thriller, many have linked Mann's understanding of the criminal character to many of the famed writer/director's other films such as Heat, Collateral, and Miami Vice. Yet, Michael Mann's deep understanding of these types of stories and the characters within didn't start with Thief. In fact, Thief itself was heavily influenced by the ABC TV movie that Mann wrote and directed right before working on Thief called The Jericho Mile. The film would win multiple primetime Emmys and give Mann a unique knowledge base to carry into the creation of his theatrical debut.

The publication of Heat 2 this week marks writer-director Michael Mann’s debut as a novelist, expands the mythology of perhaps his most beloved film, and becomes the first major release of the publishing imprint he set at William Morrow six years ago.

From the TV series Miami Vice and Crime Story to his feature debut Thief, to the Tom Cruise-Jamie Foxx thriller Collateral and the 1995 Al Pacino-Robert De Niro drama classic Heat, Mann’s crime procedurals are informed by an intimate knowledge of cops and robbers that breathes life and multi-dimensional characters with empathy to go with the violence in lawbreaking.

That is the same thing that Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo did with The Godfather films, David Chase for his The Sopranos series, and Martin Scorsese for Goodfellas and Casino, the other crime high-water marks of the last half century. What is interesting here is the difference in...

Roger E. Mosley, best known for his role as the helicopter pilot Theodore “T.C.” Calvin in the CBS television series “Magnum P.I.,” died early Sunday morning. He was 83 years old. No further details about Mosley’s death are available at this time.

Mosley’s daughter confirmed the news of his death through a tribute post on her Facebook.

“Roger E. Mosley, my father, your friend, your ‘coach Mosley’ your ‘Tc’ from Magnum P.I., passed away at 1:17am,” she wrote. “He was surrounded by family as he transcended peacefully. We could never mourn such an amazing man. He would hate any crying done in his name. It is time to celebrate the legacy he left for us all. I love you daddy. You loved me too. My heart is heavy but I am strong. I will care for mommy, your love of almost 60 years. You raised me well and she is in good hands.

Roger E. Mosley, best known for playing helicopter pilot Theodore “T.C.” Calvin on the CBS crime drama Magnum, P.I., died early Sunday morning. He was 83.

His daughter, Ch-a Mosley, confirmed the news via Facebook writing: “He was surrounded by family as he transcended peacefully. We could never mourn such an amazing man. He would Hate any crying done in his name. It is time to celebrate the legacy he left for us all. I love you daddy. You loved me too. My heart is heavy but I am strong. I will care for mommy, your love of almost 60 years.

Exclusive: Heat director Michael Mann is getting closer to the start line on his passion project Ferrari thanks to some strong new cast and a big domestic deal with STX. We can reveal that Oscar nominee Adam Driver, Oscar winner Penélope Cruz and Emmy nominee Shailene Woodley are newly aboard for the big-budget biopic of racing mogul Enzo Ferrari. Star Wars and House Of Gucci actor Driver is replacing Hugh Jackman in the title role while Parallel Mothers star Cruz will play Enzo’s wife Laura. Big Little Lies star Woodley will play mistress Lina Lardi. Four-time Oscar nominee Mann is gearing up for a May start in Italy. STX is handling International rights and has now picked up domestic in a big deal with Mann. As we revealed in previous reporting on the project, Amazon is aboard in a handful of international markets. STX International will look to close...

Last year, Darren Criss became the second youngest Emmy winner in the Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actor category when the then-31-year-old took home the award for “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.” But he may get knocked back to third youngest this year. “When They See Us” star Jharrel Jerome is 21 and would be the first twentysomething to win that category.

First awarded in 1955, Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actor, which has underdone various name changes over the years, has long favored middle-aged men and seasoned thespians. Anthony Murphy holds the record as the category’s youngest winner, just 17 when he prevailed for “Tom Brown’s Schooldays” in 1973, which was also his first and only acting role. Actors in their 20s have completely struck out here and only 12 men in their 30s have won.

Three of those thirtysomething champs triumphed in the last five years: Criss,...

Darren Criss (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) and Jesse Plemons (“USS Callister: Black Mirror”) could break the curve in the big way at the Emmys. Both are nominated for Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actor and if either wins, he’d be the second youngest champ in the category.

At 31 and 30, respectively, Criss and Plemons are competing in a category that has long favored middle-aged and older stars. The category’s youngest winner is Anthony Murphy, who was 17 when he prevailed for “Tom Brown’s Schooldays” in 1973, which was also his first and only acting role. That record looks to stand for a long time, considering that no one in their 20s has ever won.

See 2018 Emmy nominations complete list: All the nominees for the 70th Emmy Awards

Eleven people have won in their 30s, including last year’s champ Riz Ahmed (“The Night Of”), who was...

Darren Criss barely looks like he’s aged a day since “Glee,” but the “Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” star is 31 years old — definitely not old, but not a whippersnapper either. But if he takes home the Emmy for Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actor, he’d be the second youngest to prevail in the category.

Criss wouldn’t come close to dethroning the youngest winner, Anthony Murphy, who was 17 when he won for “Tom Brown’s Schooldays” in 1973. It was Murphy’s first and only acting role; he’s now a painter. No one has won the category in their 20s. Eleven people have won in their 30s, including reigning champ Riz Ahmed (“The Night Of”), who was 34. Criss would bump down Peter Strauss (“The Jericho Mile”) and Powers Boothe (“Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones”), who were both 32 when they won in 1979 and 1980, respectively.

See Watch out,...

Michael Mann began his career as a visual storyteller on television. He wrote episodes of Starsky and Hutch, directed the made for TV film The Jericho Mile, and served as executive producer on the groundbreaking and stylish hit Miami Vice. Since the 1980s, Mann has established himself as a highly-influential player in the cinematic canon with artful and tragedy-laden crime films such as Thief, Manhunter, and Heat. His films often include the interweaving and clashing of ideologies between two opposing, yet strikingly similar, characters, the presentation of architecture and cityscapes (typically Los Angeles) that personify the setting as both looming over, and removed from, the action, and devastating violence.

In BFI’s most recent Sight & Sound poll, Mann compiled a list of his 10 favorite films which includes a variety of American classics, game-changing silent masterpieces from the 1920s, and a surprising pair of films from 2009. The broken humanity at the...

Last night at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music, as part of their “Heat & Vice: The Films of Michael Mann” retrospective, the legendary filmmaker himself graced the stage for an engaging one-hour-plus talk. The conversation spanned his entire career tracking the very early days (TV movie “The Jericho Mile”), his debut feature (“Thief”), his crime classics ("Manhunter," “Heat,” “Miami Vice”) and his latest film, the cyber hacker movie “Blackhat,” which he recently recut for the retrospective (read our review here). Read More: Retrospective: The Films Of Michael Mann Fiercely intelligent and an autodidact known for his near-mythic levels of research when immersing himself in a project — he’s only made eleven features in thirty-four years and abandoned several projects despite years of investigation — Mann’s films often center on the codes of men and their professions, usually revolving around crime. These men often live what Mann constantly refers to as an “authentic.

Michael Mann sure has a knack for digital cinematography, dark cityscapes, slow motion pans and leaps, and even sunglasses. Across the filmmaker’s 13 films, he’s had some serious highs and some serious lows. But this latest video tribute is in love with all of them. Alexandre Gasulla takes us through The Jericho Mile to his latest Blackhat in this 10 minute video essay, and it’s a reminder of how sharp an eye Mann has to how badass some of his characters can look under Mann’s direction.

Watch the video above, and check out one of Gasulla’s other tributes to David Fincher.

The post Votd: Watch a tribute to the films of Michael Mann appeared first on Sound On Sight.

By Lee Pfeiffer

Criterion has released a dual format Blu-ray/DVD edition of director Michael Mann's 1981 crime thriller Thief starring James Caan. It's a highly impressive film on many levels, especially when one considers this was Mann's big screen feature debut. He had previously directed the acclaimed 1979 TV movie The Jericho Mile, which was set in Folsom Prison. Mann was inspired by his interaction with the world of convicts and wrote the screenplay for Thief, which is credited as being based on author Frank Hohimer's novel The Home Invaders, but he maintains virtually none of the source material ended up on screen. The story centers on Frank (James Caan), a bitter man with a troubled past. As a child he was raised in state-run homes before being sent to jail for a petty crime. Inside prison, he committed violent acts in order to defend himself but this only resulted in lengthier jail terms.

From the opening moments of “Thief”—which features a clockwork heist sequence that would make “Rififi” director Jules Dassin stand up and applaud—it’s clear you’re in the hands of a master storyteller. With some documentary work and TV movie “The Jericho Mile” already under his belt, for his debut feature film, Michael Mann’s command of atmosphere and character arrives fully formed, with “Thief” staking a high bar that the filmmaker would leap from in his films for years to come. Last month, fans and newcomers alike got a chance to revisit Mann’s 1981 movie with The Criterion Collection’s release of “Thief.” Arriving both on DVD and Blu-ray, the film now boasts a brand new digital transfer that allows the neon signs of late night Chicago to pop against the velvet shimmer of the rain soaked streets. And after using the new release as a pleasant...

Ed Lauter, the popular character actor who specialized in playing tough guys, has died at age 74. Lauter was one of those familiar faces who was recognized by audiences even though many viewers did not know his name. For movie buffs, however, Lauter was well known and highly respected. He had dabbled with being a standup comic in the 1960s before  trying his hand at acting. Lauter quickly gained a reputation as a reliable character actor and he became in-demand during the 1970s. Among his most memorable roles were a ruthless prison guard in director Robert Aldrich's 1974 hit The Longest Yard and as Ann-Margret's ill-fated husband in Richard Attenborough's 1978 thriller Magic. Other prominent roles included Hitchcock's final film Family Plot, The Magnificent Seven Ride!, Breakheart Pass, French Connection II, Hickey& Boggs, Death Wish 3 and, most recently Trouble With the Curve and the 2011 Best Picture Oscar winner The Artist.

Thief

Directed by Michael Mann

Written by Michael Mann

1981, USA

1981 saw the release of Michael Mann’s feature directorial debut Thief. James Caan plays Frank, a professional safecracker whose plan to settle down spirals out-of-control when he becomes indebted to an underworld criminal organization. Thief is a gritty modern film noir that bubbles with Mann’s stylish, atmospheric direction. For a first feature Thief is simply put, a masterpiece. Through Mann’s unique and effective story-telling approach, and Caan’s world-class performance, Thief ranks along side the very best caper flicks.

Frank’s mentor Okla (Willie Nelson) is sitting behind bars desperately trying to get out and Frank’s latest job goes bust when his business partner decides to walk off the ledge of a sky rise. Frank has also spent quite a bit of time in jail but with a new relationship blooming with waitress Jessie (Tuesday Weld) he’s looking to settle down.

From Marathon Man to Forrest Gump, we complete a circuit of the best running-themed films. What's your favourite? Let us know below

Since the moment Eadweard Muybridge captured a man sprinting in 1887 runners have worn a path across the cinematic landscape. Whether on the pristine oval of an Olympic running track, a dusty patch in a prison rec yard or the damp tarmac of a rural country road, film has documented the sweat and solitude of running in all its pain and glory.

Here are 10 of the best.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

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Opening with the sound of Tom Courtenay's feet thudding against a bleak rural lane, Tony Richardson and Alan Sillitoe's 1962 British New Wave classic is one of the most poetic running films in cinematic history. As Colin Smith, a petty delinquent, Courtenay gives a...

Today, we're featuring Peter Strauss in 1981. Notably, he plays Abel Roznovski in Kane and Abel, the TV miniseries from Jeffrey Archer's book of the same title. He won an Emmy Award for his role on the 1979 made-for-television movie The Jericho Mile, and he starred in a television remake of the classic 1946 film Angel on My Shoulder in 1980. His other noted television miniseries credits include starring roles in Rich Man, Poor Man, its sequel Rich Man, Poor Man Book II, and Masada. Strauss plays Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. in the 1977 TV movie Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy.

Like the double-wide premiere for HBO's Boardwalk Empire, the pilot for the network's new horse-racing series Luck—first broadcast December 11th, and then re-run this past Sunday—represents a meeting of two distinctive authorial voices. In the case of the Boardwalk Empire pilot—a high-water mark of style and efficiency that the frequently-frustrating series has never managed to live up to, aside from a couple of episodes neatly directed by Carpenterite horror specialist Brad Anderson—it was episode director / series executive producer Martin Scorsese and episode writer / series creator Terrence Winter; in the case of Luck, it's episode director / series executive producer Michael Mann and episode writer / series creator David Milch.

The interplay of low-lifes and big spenders in Luck's pilot is distinctly Milch's. It's clear from the episode's structure alone—a lot of jargony horse-racing intrigue spinning around a story about four track regulars who finally win it...

The films of Michael Mann

Photo: Universal Pictures Ranking the Films of Michael Mann In advance of this Wednesday's release of Public Enemies I thought it was only fitting to take a look back at the films from director Michael Mann and see how they would sort themselves out in a quick ranking session and what a wild last few days it has been. On Thursday, last week, I saw Public Enemies, later that night I watched Manhunter, the next day I watched Thief and The Last of the Mohicans -- then the weekend arrived. In a matter of 48 hours I watched Heat, The Insider, Ali, Miami Vice and Collateral all in an attempt to make sure my mind was completely refreshed and ready to sort things out. You will notice I am only ranking nine films since I have never seen The Keep (1983) and it wasn't available through Netflix...