Michael Mann Plotting 'Heat' Prequel Novel

HeatFor many, Michael Mann‘s nearly three-hour crime epic "Heat" is his masterpiece, an untouchable achievement in his catalog of films. But it seems there’s more story to tell, as Mann is once again revisiting the world and its characters and spinning a new story, but one that won’t hit the big screen — at least, not just yet.

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Deadline reports that the director is launching Michael Mann Books, which, as the title suggests, will be a company dedicated to the printed word. And one of the first projects in the works is a prequel novel to "Heat," one that will focus on the early years of the characters in the film including Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), and Nate (Jon Voight), and presumably establish even more of their histories together.

There’s no word yet on who will exactly write the book, but the idea is that Michael Mann Books will have a crew of scribes on hand who will both tackle novels and develop concepts for movies and television. So yes, a prequel film or TV series to "Heat" is certainly a possibility.

Thoughts? Do you need the backstory to "Heat" or is the movie enough? Let us know below.