Overview
- Released on Dec. 15, 1995, Heat pairs Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as a driven LAPD lieutenant and a disciplined thief in a restrained, morally charged duel.
- The film’s famed diner exchange draws from Chicago detective Chuck Adamson’s real encounter with criminal Neil McCauley, with Mann staging it through quiet listening and micro‑reactions.
- Though it barely recouped its $60 million budget in the U.S. and fared better overseas, the nearly three‑hour procedural has since been widely reassessed as a modern American classic.
- Critics and fans cite its minute‑to‑minute construction, long runtime, and procedural detail for its rewatchability, as well as its influence on later crime films and a thriving fan community.
- Recent reporting notes movement toward a planned Heat 2 film—United Artists is said to have acquired rights at a major budget—and Leonardo DiCaprio has stated he intends to star.