News Bites! A Stunt Driver, Gatto nero and Heat Too!
Michael Mann’s long-awaited follow-up to his 1995 crime masterpiece Heat is continuing to gather momentum, with some major Hollywood names reportedly locking in their roles. After the project moved from Warner Bros. to United Artists, Heat 2 has been steadily assembling an interesting cast. According to reports, Christian Bale has now closed his deal to play Vincent Hanna, the obsessive LAPD detective originally portrayed by Al Pacino, while Leonardo DiCaprio is set to take on the role of Chris Shiherlis, previously played by Val Kilmer. Adam Driver is reportedly being eyed for the role of villain Otis Wardell, while Stephen Graham is in talks to portray Neil McCauley, the legendary criminal brought to life by Robert De Niro in Mann’s original film.
Released in 1995, Heat remains one of the defining crime thrillers of its era, famous for its explosive action, complex characters, and the unforgettable face-to-face meeting between Pacino and De Niro. Mann has often reflected on the unique chemistry between the two actors, describing their contrasting styles as essential to creating the tension between Hanna and McCauley. Based on Mann’s own sequel novel, Heat 2 explores events both before and after the original film, expanding the world of professional criminals and the detectives who hunt them. With Bale, DiCaprio, and potentially Driver and Graham involved, Mann looks set to deliver one of the most anticipated crime films in years.
Strap in, because the wild story of Canadian daredevil Ken Carter is heading to the big screen with The Stunt Driver. The first teaser trailer has arrived for the new biographical comedy from director Michael Dowse (Fubar, Fubar: Balls to the Wall, What If), with Jay Baruchel taking on the role of Carter, the fearless stuntman who dreamed of achieving the impossible. The film follows Carter’s outrageous 1970s mission to launch a rocket-powered car across the St. Lawrence River from Canada into the United States, a stunt plagued by setbacks, chaos, and the kind of larger-than-life ambition that defined the golden age of daredevils.
Inspired by the 1981 documentary The Devil at Your Heels, The Stunt Driver features Ben Foster as legendary stunt performer Evel Knievel alongside Ed Helms, Laurence Leboeuf, Dan Bakkedahl, Joe Cobden, and Marc Beaupré. Adding extra authenticity, the production filmed at the actual St. Lawrence River location where Carter planned his infamous jump. The teaser embraces an old-school documentary style to introduce audiences to one of Canada’s most fascinating thrill-seekers, a man whose story is so colourful he is believed to have helped inspire Toy Story 4’s motorcycle daredevil Duke Caboom. This one looks ready to deliver big laughs and even bigger big crashes.
Lucio Fulci’s The Black Cat (1981) is getting the deluxe treatment from Severin Films, with the Italian horror favourite making its worldwide 4K UHD debut this June. Newly scanned and restored in 4K from the original camera negative, the three-disc collection includes one UHD disc and two Blu-rays, presenting Fulci’s Edgar Allan Poe-inspired nightmare in 2160p for the first time. Made between the director’s cult classics City of the Living Dead and The Beyond, the film stars Patrick Magee (A Clockwork Orange) as a disturbed professor whose obsession with the supernatural leads to his pet cat becoming an instrument of murderous revenge. The cast also includes Mimsy Farmer, Al Cliver, Dagmar Lassander and the mighty David Warbeck!.
The release arrives packed with more than three hours of special features, including new interviews with screenwriter Biagio Proietti, effects artist Paolo Ricci, camera operator Roberto Forges Davanzati, composer Pino Donaggio, and actress Dagmar Lassander, alongside contributions from Fulci expert Stephen Thrower and archival material featuring David Warbeck. Presented with English and Italian mono audio, subtitles, a theatrical trailer, and a slipcase featuring artwork by Elizabeth Yoo Art, The Black Cat 4K UHD looks set to be another essential release for fans of Fulci, Italian horror, and the golden age of giallo cinema. The region-free set goes on sale June 26, 2026 as part of the Severin Summer Sale.
