# New Regency Sues Michael Mann to Retain Rights to ‘Heat’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/new-regency-sues-michael-mann-to-retain-rights-to-heat/
- Published: 2026-11-14T01:35:37+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T09:33:44+00:00
- Original publisher: The Hollywood Reporter
- Original article: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/new-regency-sues-michael-mann-retain-rights-heat-1236755347/
- Topics: Business, Companies

## Key points

- New Regency is asking a court to confirm it owns *Heat*’s screenplay rights.
- Mann says he is exercising authors’ right to reclaim their work.
- The dispute could affect rights connected to *Heat 2*.

## Summary

New Regency has sued Michael Mann in a California federal court, asking a judge to confirm that it owns the screenplay rights to *Heat*. The dispute matters because Mann is seeking to reclaim copyright under a law that can let authors take back rights after a set period, while the company says the screenplay was made for hire and is not eligible.

Mann sent New Regency three notices earlier this year seeking to terminate copyright grants covering the screenplay and related materials, including an alleged 1988 oral agreement. The case could affect New Regency’s ability to develop and license works based on *Heat*, as well as agreements with Amazon connected to *Heat 2*. Mann’s representative says he is exercising authors’ statutory rights; production of *Heat 2*, starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer, is due to begin on 19 January.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.