30 years after ‘Heat’ electrified Los Angeles, director Michael Mann is returning to the city for ‘Heat 2,’ and he’s doing so with major financial backing from the state. The long-awaited sequel has received a hefty $37.2 million tax credit through California’s expanded film incentive program.

With the state’s annual film and TV tax credit pool now boosted to $750 million, Mann’s sequel, now housed at United Artists following years of development and a bestselling 2022 novel, was one of 52 projects awarded incentives on Tuesday. Altogether, those productions are expected to contribute an estimated $1.4 billion to California’s economy through production spending and wages, with a combined $342 million in tax credits granted.

Among the other major films to receive allocations are a new ‘Jumanji’ installment and the latest project from ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who previously secured about $20 million in credits. Additional recipients include a Blumhouse adaptation of the ‘Sunday’ novel, Netflix’s Eva Longoria-directed ‘The Fifth Wheel,’ a Bill Murray–Kristen Wiig feature, and ‘The Incredible Heist of Hallelujah Jones,’ produced by Taika Waititi and starring Janelle Monáe, among others.

The 52 productions — spanning both studio and independent films — are projected to employ roughly 8,900 cast and crew members and 46,400 background performers across 1,664 filming days throughout the state.

The incentive program, overseen by the California Film Commission, prioritizes job creation. Governor Gavin Newsom spearheaded this year’s funding increase to ensure California remains competitive in attracting high-profile projects. Since abandoning its lottery system and boosting the allocation to $300 million in 2014, the state’s tax credit program has become a key driver in keeping Hollywood productions at home.

The 30% credit granted to ‘Heat 2’ will enable a large portion of the film to shoot in Los Angeles — the same city where Mann’s 1995 crime masterpiece was set and filmed.

With an estimated $150 million budget, ‘Heat 2’ serves as both a prequel and sequel to the original. Reports suggest Leonardo DiCaprio is being eyed to play Chris Shiherlis, the role originally portrayed by the late Val Kilmer.

Previously developed at Warner Bros. and now under Amazon-owned United Artists, ‘Heat 2’ is written and directed by Mann, who co-authored the 2022 novel with Meg Gardiner. The film will continue the saga that first united Al Pacino’s LAPD detective Vincent Hanna and Robert De Niro’s master thief Neil McCauley in one of cinema’s most iconic crime dramas.

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