Stephen Graham has confirmed the roles he and co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale will play in the spin-off to the Hollywood blockbuster Heat.
The first film was released in 1995 and starred Al Pacino as detective Vincent Hanna, who attempts to apprehend career thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) as he prepares his final heist before retirement.
The crime film marked the first time Pacino and De Niro had starred together on the big screen.
It also featured the late Val Kilmer as Chris Shiherlis, a skilled bank robber who works closely with McCauley.
Heat inspired director and screenwriter Michael Mann to release his 2022 sequel and prequel novel Heat 2, which follows the three main characters in the years surrounding the events of the first film.
The big-screen adaptation has since been in development with an expected release date of 2027, and Graham has confirmed that filming on the Mann-directed crime thriller begins soon.
Appearing on the Heart Breakfast radio show in the UK, the actor, 53, explained the premise for Heat 2 and confirmed the lead roles.
Graham said: "It's a sequel, and then it flashes back to a prequel.
"So, in the sequel, if you remember the film, the last one that survived was Val Kilmer.
"Leonardo DiCaprio is playing Val Kilmer['s character] and Christian Bale is playing the Al Pacino character."
Graham confirmed he would be playing De Niro's character as the non-linear story unfolds, adding: "Yeah. It's mental!
"I'm really looking forward to it.
"Fear and excitement live in the same place. There is a little bit of fear, which is healthy."
Source: Press Association
