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The pastel suits and high-speed chases of Miami Vice are gearing up for another comeback, and two of Hollywood's brightest names may be taking the wheel.
Austin Butler is in early negotiations to headline Universal Pictures' upcoming reboot of Miami Vice under the direction of Top Gun: Maverick filmmaker Joseph Kosinski. If finalized, Butler will step into the role of James "Sonny" Crockett, partnering with Michael B. Jordan, who is reportedly closing a deal to play Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs. The pairing would revive the iconic detective duo originally portrayed by Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the hit 1980s television series — and later by Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in Michael Mann's 2006 film adaptation.
Kosinski's vision is said to revisit "the glamour and corruption of mid-'80s Miami," re-imagining the franchise with IMAX-scale visuals and a grittier emotional pulse. The project draws inspiration from the show's pilot and first season, which defined the look, sound, and swagger of a decade.
Butler's ascent has been meteoric since his Oscar-nominated turn as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, which earned him both Golden Globe and BAFTA honors. He has since proven range — from Tarantino's Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood to the villainous Feyd-Rautha in Dune: Part Two, and most recently, Darren Aronofsky's crime thriller Caught Stealing.
For Jordan, the role of Tubbs continues his streak of high-profile collaborations following Creed III and Amazon's Without Remorse. Insiders suggest the reboot could mirror the cool intensity and moral ambiguity that made the original series a cultural landmark.
Kosinski and Dylan Clark will produce, with a screenplay by Eric Warren Singer and Dan Gilroy — the latter fresh off his Emmy win for Andor. Universal Pictures has slated Miami Vice for an August 6, 2027 theatrical release.
Neither Universal nor the actors' representatives have commented publicly, but industry buzz hints the deal is close. Should it go through, Butler and Jordan could soon be revving Ferraris through neon-lit Miami — a stylish partnership poised to bring the vice back to life.
