'Heat 2' reportedly targets Odessa Young and newcomer María Cid

Odessa Young is in talks to play Charlene in Michael Mann’s highly anticipated 'Heat 2' crime thriller sequel

Odessa Young is reportedly in talks to play Charlene in Heat 2, Michael Mann’s highly anticipated sequel and prequel to his acclaimed 1995 crime thriller.

Sources say Young is Mann’s preferred choice for the role, originally played by Ashley Judd.

Negotiations for Young’s casting are still ongoing, and representatives for Amazon and the actor have declined to comment. Newcomer María Cid is also reportedly Mann’s top choice to play Gabi, another key character in the upcoming crime drama.

Young and Cid could join an impressive ensemble that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale, Adam Driver, Stephen Graham and Jason Clarke. The casting news follows reports that Obsession star Inde Navarrette had been selected for Charlene. However, sources close to the production say Navarrette auditioned for Gabi rather than securing the Charlene role.

Michael Mann is directing Heat 2 from his own screenplay, based on the bestselling 2022 novel he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner. The film is being produced by Mann, Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt, with Eric Roth and Shane Salerno serving as executive producers. Amazon MGM is set to distribute the movie theatrically.

The original Heat, starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, followed professional thief Neil McCauley and LAPD detective Vincent Hanna as their lives collided during a high-stakes pursuit. The 1995 film became an influential crime classic and grossed more than $187 million worldwide.

The Heat 2 novel expands the story in both directions, exploring Hanna’s early years, McCauley’s criminal past and Chris Shiherlis’ survival after the original film’s climactic robbery.

Young recently appeared in the Bruce Springsteen biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere and has completed work on Netflix’s crime series Rabbit, Rabbit.