Miami is about to look a whole lot more dangerous. The pastel suits may not be back quite yet, as Universal unveils their first look at Miami Vice ’85, giving us a glimpse at Austin Butler as Sonny Crockett and Michael B. Jordan as Rico Tubbs in director Joseph Kosinski’s upcoming big-screen take on the classic crime series.
Production has officially begun, bringing the detectives back to the streets of Miami for a new adventure set in the middle of the 1980s, back when the original show first aired, giving us a true dose of nostalgia.
The first-look images, revealed on instagram by Universal and the official Miami Vice ’85 Instagram accounts, offer an early taste of the film’s period setting. If you’re going to bring Miami Vice back, you might as well go all in on the era that made it an icon.
This was a show that helped turn television crime drama into a fashion statement, with its pastel wardrobe and slick visual style becoming almost as famous as the cops wearing them. In our first little peak, it looks like the guys have ditched their flashy clothes for more muted colors that are more reminiscent of Michael Mann’s 2006 take. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since Crockett and Tubbs were last set loose.
Butler takes over the role of Crockett, originally played by Don Johnson, while Jordan steps into the shoes of Tubbs, the character Philip Michael Thomas made famous. The pair have some serious history to live up to, although the new movie isn’t simply trying to recreate the original series shot for shot. Kosinski is drawing inspiration from the show’s pilot and first season, revisiting the glamour and corruption of mid-’80s Miami.
That approach makes sense. The original Miami Vice premiered on NBC in 1984 and ran for five seasons, becoming one of the defining crime dramas of the decade. The series helped establish a distinctive visual language for television, mixing undercover police work with music and fashion while establishing a cinematic sense of atmosphere. The show wasn’t just a hit, the soundtrack stayed all over the charts for years.
The show was also adapted for the big screen in Michael Mann’s 2006 film starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. It wasn’t a huge hit two decades ago, but in the time since, it has been revisited as a masterclass in crime cinema. Don’t believe me, go to a hipster pizza party and just ask, “So, what do you think of Michael Mann’s Miami Vice.” And watch the smiles as your cinephile friend goes on for hours.
Kosinski has the kind of blockbuster background that could make this a particularly interesting revival. After directing Top Gun: Maverick, he is returning to another property with a strong visual identity, and this time he is shooting for IMAX. Dan Gilroy, the writer behind Nightcrawler, penned the screenplay, while Michael Mann, who executive-produced the original television series and directed the 2006 movie, is among the producers.
The cast extends well beyond the two leads. John Leguizamo, Alden Ehrenreich, Walton Goggins, André Holland, Andrew Schulz, Danny Ramirez, Whitney Peak, Camila Morrone and Edi Gathegi are also part of the ensemble. Leguizamo’s involvement is an especially fun connection to the original series: he appeared in multiple episodes during its original run, marking his acting debut, and now returns to the franchise in a new role.
There’s a lot riding on the look and feel of this movie. Nostalgia can get a project only so far, and Miami Vice is one of those titles where the atmosphere is inseparable from the identity. The cars, clothes, cast, neon-lit streets, crocodiles and soundtrack all helped define the original. Getting those details right while giving Crockett and Tubbs a story that works for a modern audience will be a big part of the challenge.
Universal currently has Miami Vice ’85 scheduled to hit theaters on May 19, 2028. That leaves plenty of time before we see the finished film, but these first images are a promising start for anyone curious to see what Kosinski, Butler and Jordan can do with one of television’s most recognizable crime duos.
