Michael Mann’s team says Heat 2 will begin shooting January 19, 2027, according to a statement published November 13 by Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter. The less glamorous addition to the Heat universe is a federal lawsuit over the original screenplay. Source Source
New Regency sued Mann in California federal court on November 13, seeking a court order confirming that it retains rights to the screenplay for the 1995 film, The Hollywood Reporter reports. The company is challenging Mann’s efforts to reclaim those rights through copyright termination notices. Source
Mann’s spokesperson called the filing “unrelated to production of Heat 2” while announcing the January shooting date. Deadline also quotes New Regency’s complaint as saying that “certain provisions of the agreements that Mann and Regency each entered into with Amazon with respect to Heat 2 depend on the outcome of this litigation.” The cameras and the contracts are different questions. Source Source
What the screenplay fight is about
Copyright termination provisions can allow creators to reclaim rights to their work after a period of time, as The Hollywood Reporter explains. New Regency argues Mann can’t use that route because his screenplay writing was “work for hire,” Deadline reports. The company wants his three termination notices declared “defective and invalid.” Source Source
Mann’s team says the dispute concerns his original, personal writing on multiple screenplays during the 1980s that evolved into Heat. His spokesperson frames the effort as an author reclaiming his own creation and says, “We will vigorously defend this action.” Source Source
According to the complaint quoted by Deadline, Mann’s notices, if given effect, would strip New Regency of rights beginning in 2028 and jeopardize its ability to develop, finance and license works derived from the screenplay. Source
Deadline reports that Mann will direct Heat 2 from his own script, based on the 2022 novel he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner. Its reported cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale, Adam Driver, Stephen Graham and Jason Clarke. Source
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