Val Kilmer’s Best Movie Getting A Sequel?
Val Kilmer has been in some great films throughout his career, but his absolute best is finally getting a sequel, though there will be some huge changes.
Val Kilmer has been in plenty of blockbuster box office films in his prestigious career, but it has now been announced that one of his best films is finally getting a sequel. What film is that? None other than the 1990s smash hit, Heat. However, there is a catch to this announcement. Michael Mann has announced that Heat 2 is going to first come out as a novel, which will then be made into a film. That is an interesting route to take, but one that might work out doubly for the writer and director, Michael Mann. Should the novel become a New York Times Best Selling novel, it could then turn into another box office hit when it makes its way into theaters.
The sad thing about this announcement is that Heat 2 is likely to be recast with brand-new characters. Val Kilmer was meant to be a big part of the sequel, but he can no longer appear in films. His voice has been severely damaged from complications with throat cancer. So, now Mann will have to rewrite the story with that in mind. Sure, Kilmer’s character Chris Shiherlis can speak in the book and play a pivotal part, but what is going to happen when the movie is meant to be released? Mann had told Empire that he is going to be approaching Heat 2 like The Godfather 2, having both prequel and sequel elements within the story. The book was meant to focus on Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and Chris Shiherlis(Kilmer), but will now likely feature a brand-new heist crew and renegade cops.
Val Kilmer was fantastic in Heat, and maybe he can still be incorporated into the Heat 2 film in some small way. He was in Top Gun: Maverick as Ice Man, however, there was technology involved when it came to his character speaking a few small lines. That might not be possible in the sequel to an action film where he is one of the main characters. Though, Chris could go through something more traumatic and lose his voice, leaving him to run a new crew a bit more behind the scenes. These are just wild ideas that are likely not to happen, but one can dream.
Val Kilmer has had a rough go of things, which were all brought to the public’s attention in the fantastic documentary made about his life called, Val. The film had been released on Hulu and spoke about the troubles the actor has had since his bout with throat cancer. Based on the events of that documentary, we have likely seen the last of Kilmer appearing in films. Seeing him in Top Gun: Maverick was a special but likely isolated moment.
We would love to see Val Kilmer in Heat 2, but that is likely not going to happen. However, maybe there is a way that Michael Mann can still honor his character in some way that Kilmer also agrees to. There is some fantastic CGI technology out there that can still show a younger version of Kilmer’s character in the film. Either way, we are excited to see what this sequel has to offer.
