Hollywood director Michael Mann has been treated in hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the leg at a gun range in Los Angeles.
The 83-year-old filmmaker, whose credits include the crime classics Heat and Collateral, sustained what his representatives described as a “superficial injury” during the incident on Saturday.
Mann was reportedly practising at The Range LA, a members-only indoor shooting facility in West Los Angeles, when his firearm was unintentionally discharged.
His representatives confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday, saying: “On Saturday, at a gun range, a weapon accidentally discharged while holstered, resulting in a superficial injury to film director Michael Mann. He was treated and is being released.”
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said officers were called to the location at approximately 4pm following reports of a shooting.
A department spokeswoman said: “Responding units’ investigation determined the shooting to be accidental. The subject was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.”
According to reports, Mann was taken to hospital by ambulance after the incident. Staff at the shooting range are also understood to have provided initial medical assistance.
The incident was first reported by TMZ, which said Mann had been handling the firearm during a target-practice session when it went off.
ABC News subsequently reported, citing “law enforcement sources”, that the weapon was a .45-calibre handgun and that the bullet struck Mann in his left thigh.
The LAPD confirmed that an investigation had found the shooting to be accidental. The department did not initially identify Mann publicly, and further details about the circumstances of the discharge have not been released.
Mann is understood to have been an experienced target shooter for several decades. His representative did not provide further information about the type of treatment he received.
The accident comes as the veteran director prepares to return to one of the projects most closely associated with his career.
Mann is developing Heat 2, a follow-up to his acclaimed 1995 crime thriller, which starred Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as a Los Angeles detective and a professional criminal locked in an increasingly dangerous pursuit.
The sequel is based on the 2022 novel of the same name, written by Mann alongside author Meg Gardiner. It is intended to explore events both before and after the original film.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale are among the leading names attached to the project, with Bale reportedly taking on the role of detective Vincent Hanna, Pacino’s character, and DiCaprio expected to portray Chris Shiherlis, who was originally played by Val Kilmer. British actor Stephen Graham has also joined the reported cast.
The film is expected to begin production in November, although Amazon MGM Studios has previously indicated that casting arrangements were not all finalised.
Born in Chicago in 1943, Mann has enjoyed a career spanning more than four decades, working across both television and cinema.
He first attracted widespread attention with The Jericho Mile, a 1979 television film which earned him an Emmy Award for writing. He subsequently helped develop the television crime drama Miami Vice, which became one of the defining programmes of the 1980s and influenced the visual style of television crime dramas for years afterwards.
His film directing credits include Thief, Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, which gave Mann his only Oscar win thus far in 1992, and 2009’s Public Enemies.
Mann has also received four Oscar nominations, including recognition for directing and producing The Insider, his 1999 drama starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe. He also received a Best Picture nomination for producing Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.
His most recent feature film was Ferrari, released in 2023, starring Adam Driver as Italian motor-racing entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari and Penélope Cruz as his wife, Laura. The film explored a pivotal period in Ferrari's personal life and the company's racing history.
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