Michael Mann announced the release date for the Heat prequel/sequel book. Written and directed by Mann, the Los Angeles-set crime epic was released in 1995 and starred an ensemble cast led by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro with Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, and Val Kilmer in supporting roles. The film has only grown in popularity since its initial release and is now regarded as one of the best crime thrillers in history. Its influence can be seen both in and outside the genre, most prominently in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight.Heat follows a veteran LAPD detective Vincent Hanna (Pacino) tasked with tracking down career thief Neil McCauley (De Niro) and his heist crew which includes his right-hand man Chris (Kilmer), Michael (Sizemore), and Trejo (Danny Trejo). The film focuses on a game of cat-and-mouse between its two leads while also exploring various facets of their personal lives. For instance, Hanna struggles to connect with his mentally unstable stepdaughter Lauren (Natalie Portman), while McCauley begins a romantic relationship with graphic design artist Eady (Amy Brenneman).Now, the anticipated Heat novel has finally gotten a publication date, as revealed in a video posted to Twitter by Michael Mann. The video acts as a trailer for the upcoming book officially titled Heat 2, showing aerial shots of LA at night accompanied by Moby’s song, "God Moving Over the Face of the Water," which famously scores the final scene of the film. The book is available to order now and will be released on August 9, 2022. Watch the trailer below:[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/MichaelMann/status/1483848098698858498[/EMBED_TWITTER]Click Here to Watch the Video on TwitterIt was already known that the Heat novel would act as both a prequel and sequel to the events of the 1995 film and follow Pacino, Kilmer, and DeNiro's characters, the last of which was killed by Hanna during the film's final shootout on the tarmac. As revealed by the trailer, it's now clear that Heat 2 will be set during two specific periods before and after the film: 1989 and 2002. The book is written both by Mann himself and Edgar Award-winning novelist Meg Gardiner.Though fans of the classic crime thriller would likely prefer to see this follow-up play out on the big screen, they will have to settle for a novel for now. A film adaptation was floated as a possibility when Mann's Heat novel was first announced in 2016 and if there is still enough interest, one could seemingly be greenlit. However, for those eager to dive back into the rich tapestry of the 1995 film, the Heat novel is a tantalizing prospect on its own.Source: Michael Mann