No Al Pacino copy: Christian Bale wants Heat 2 to stand on its own

Christian Bale isn’t chasing an impression of Al Pacino as he steps into Vincent Hanna in Heat 2—and he’s already deep in the homework. Speaking with AP Entertainment, Bale said he’s been studying Pacino’s performance but won’t mimic it beat for beat.

“He’s absolutely brilliant in what he did and I’m watching it obsessively, of course, but I’ve got to figure out a way to do it to make it my own thing,”

The Oscar winner added that he plans to honor what Pacino created without copying the cadence or the fireworks that made Hanna a ’90s crime- movie icon.

“I’ve got to make it my own, with all due respect,”

Pacino’s take on the hard-charging LAPD lieutenant helped cement Heat as a modern classic in 1995. Bale will tackle the same character in Michael Mann’s follow-up, which continues the world of cops and thieves the filmmaker built nearly three decades ago.

Who’s reportedly onboard

While the film is still keeping a lid on many details, several big names have been linked to the project. According to reports, the cast expected to join Bale includes:

• Leonardo DiCaprio — Chris Shiherlis
• Stephen Graham — Neil McCauley
• Adam Driver — Otis Wardell
• Odessa Young — Charlene Shiherlis
• Jason Clarke — role TBA

In the 1995 film, those roles were played by Val Kilmer ( Chris), Robert De Niro (McCauley) and Ashley Judd (Charlene), with Pacino as Hanna.

Plot specifics and a release date for Heat 2 haven’t been announced yet.