Long considered one of the best crime films of the ’90s, Heat is finally getting a sequel — as a book.

Announced today by Michael Mann’s own Twitter account, the book is called Heat 2, and it goes on sale in August. Mann, who wrote and directed the original film, co-wrote the novel with author Meg Gardiner. Here’s the teaser for the book:

The book will be Mann’s first novel, and the first work from his own publishing imprint, Michael Mann Books, which is affiliated with HarperCollins. Per Deadline, here’s the premise of the book:

The novel Heat 2 starts one day after the events of the film, with a wounded Chris Shiherlis [played by Val Kilmer in Heat] desperate to escape LA. The story moves to both the six years preceding the heist and the years immediately following it, featuring new characters and new worlds of high-end professional crime, with highly cinematic action sequences. The venues range from the streets of L.A. to the inner sanctums of rival Taiwanese crime syndicates in a South American free trade zone, to a massive drug cartel money-laundering operation just over the border in Mexico, and eventually to Southeast Asia.

The original Heat was a critical and commercial hit, famous for bringing together two of the greatest actors of their generation, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, even though they only interacted in a small handful of scenes. De Niro played thief Neil McCauley while Pacino pursued him as Lt. Vincent Hanna. The 25-plus years since the movie came out would make a direct sequel like this impossible on the big screen without recasting all of the roles, so perhaps a novel is the next best thing.

Heat 2 goes on sale on August 9 wherever fine books about how cops and criminals are not so different are sold.

12 Actors Who Started As Extras In Movies And Television

These famous actors all began their on-screen careers with uncredited roles in movies and TV.
Get our free mobile app

More From WIBX 950