(Image Source: Esquire, Flaunt)
As the highly anticipated action sequel "Heat 2" gears up for its November production start, another key cast member has been revealed. Deadline exclusively reported earlier today that Australian actress Odessa Young (pictured right, above) will join the film as the female lead, Charlene. The character is set to be the wife of Chris Shiherlis, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Charlene was originally portrayed by Ashley Judd in the first "Heat" film, with the late Val Kilmer playing Chris. While Judd and Kilmer had an age difference of only seven years, the casting of 28-year-old Young opposite 51-year-old DiCaprio marks a significant 23-year gap. However, the sequel's narrative is expected to span several years, and director Michael Mann previously indicated that CG de-aging technology would be utilized. This suggests that any apparent age disparity between the two actors could be mitigated through visual effects.
(Image Source: IMDb)
Additionally, Deadline noted that Mann is also eyeing María Cid (pictured above) for the new role of Gabriella, the daughter of Neil McCauley's girlfriend. Stephen Graham will take on the role of McCauley in the sequel, a character famously played by Robert De Niro in the original film.
Multiple outlets also clarified today that "Obsession" actress Inde Navarrette, who was previously in talks for "Heat 2," was never vying for the role of Charlene. Furthermore, reports suggesting she dropped out of "Heat 2" to join a new "X-Men" project were inaccurate. While Navarrette was indeed in discussions for the film, it was for the role of Gabriella, with Mann ultimately preferring Cid for the part .
Separately, World of Reel specifically reported that some "Heat 2" crew members were reportedly displeased with Navarrette's earlier public comments about meeting with Mann to discuss a collaboration . There was also dissatisfaction regarding the widespread misinformation surrounding Navarrette's involvement. World of Reel's sources even speculated that the erroneous reports might have been intentionally leaked to the media by Navarrette's management team.
via： Deadline World of Reel