MIAMI VICE ’85 First Look Reveals Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler as Filming Begins on the Reboot
Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler are bringing Miami Vice back to the big screen, and we’ve got our first look at the two stars in character as production gets underway on Miami Vice ’85.
Jordan takes on the role of Ricardo Tubbs, while Butler steps into the shoes of Sonny Crockett, the two undercover Miami detectives made famous by Philip Michael Thomas and Don Johnson in the original series.
The new film is being directed by Joseph Kosinski, who has already proven he knows how to deliver a great theatrical experience with Top Gun: Maverick and F1. Now he's taking audiences back to the 1980s for a fresh take on one of television's most iconic crime dramas.
The original Miami Vice ran from 1984 to 1989 and followed Crockett and Tubbs as they worked undercover in Miami, dealing with drug traffickers, organized crime, and the city's dangerous criminal underworld. The series became a cultural phenomenon, known just as much for its music, fashion, and visual style as its crime stories.
Kosinski's film will revisit that world rather than bring the characters into the present day. The reboot will explore "the glamour and corruption of mid-80's Miami" and is "inspired by the pilot episode and first season of the landmark television series that influenced culture and set the style of everything from fashion to filmmaking."
That sounds like a great direction for the movie, especially with Kosinski at the helm. His films have a strong visual identity, and the colorful, neon-soaked streets of 1980s Miami seem like a perfect playground for him.
Jordan and Butler also make for an interesting pairing as Crockett and Tubbs, and I'm curious to see how they play off each other. A big part of what made the original show work was the chemistry between Johnson and Thomas, so that's something this new version will need to get right.
The supporting cast is pretty impressive as well, featuring Alden Ehrenreich, Whitney Peak, Camila Morrone, Danny Ramirez, John Leguizamo, Andrew Schulz, Edi Gathegi, Walton Goggins, André Holland, and Michael Irby.
Dan Gilroy wrote the screenplay, based on characters created by Anthony Yerkovich for the original television series. Eric Warren Singer previously worked on an earlier draft.
The film comes during a busy stretch for both leads. Jordan, who won Best Actor for Sinners last year, will next star opposite Adria Arjona in The Thomas Crown Affair, which he also directed. Butler, meanwhile, has A24's Enemies coming up, in which he stars alongside Jeremy Allen White.
I'm excited to see what Kosinski does with Miami Vice, especially since the movie is embracing the original show's 1980s setting. With Jordan and Butler leading the cast, there's plenty of potential for a stylish, action-packed crime thriller that captures what made the series so cool in the first place.
Miami Vice ’85 is scheduled to hit theaters on May 19, 2028.
