Adam Driver has confirmed he will play Otis Wardell, the main antagonist in Michael Mann’s Heat 2. Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show while promoting Paper Tiger, Driver said he expects filming to begin in early 2027.
The film reunites Driver and Mann after Ferrari. Driver said the two plan to spend time in Los Angeles as part of his preparation for the role. He also described the script as leaner and more tightly paced than the book it adapts.
Heat 2 is based on the 2022 novel Mann co-wrote with Meg Gardiner. It works as both a prequel and a sequel to Mann’s 1995 crime film Heat, following events on either side of the original story. Wardell is a key figure in the novel and a new character for audiences who know the first film.
Watch Adam Driver discuss his Heat 2 role: