Michael Mann planning Heat prequel novel, film version probably won't star De Niro and Pacino

The book will comprise the two central characters' formative years

A respected writer and director in the world of film, Michael Mann is turning his attention to novels, revisiting the world of one of his most acclaimed films in the process.

Having made a deal to launch a new series of books, Deadline reports that the filmmaker will look to his own filmography for inspiration and has named a Heat prequel as his highest priority.

The planned novel will comprise the formative years of homicide detective Vincent Hanna and professional criminal Neil McCauley, memorably played by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the 1996 crime thriller.

Once written, these works are set to receive a film and television reworking, at once marking out the younger versions of the Heat characters as extremely sought after roles for any young actor.

While working on his book off-shoot, Mann will continue to work on his untitled Enzo Ferrari biopic which was set to star Christian Bale before the actor dropped out after balking at the weight gain required for the role.

Mann's last film was the cyber-thriller Blackhat starring Chris Hemsworth. Considering the quality of his previous work - including adaptations Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans and Collateral - it seems it's an exciting time ahead for Mann fans.