Austin Butler is poised to join Michael B. Jordan in the new Miami Vice movie.
Variety reports that Butler is in early talks to play Detective James “Sonny” Crockett opposite Jordan as Crockett’s partner Ricardo Tubbs.
Don Johnson originated the role in the classic 1984-89 TV series, while Colin Farrell played Crockett in the 2006 feature film adaptation directed by Michael Mann. (Fun fact: Both Austin Butler and Don Johnson portrayed Elvis Presley before they were cast as Sonny Crockett.)
Unlike Mann’s reboot, this Miami Vice movie will be a period piece that Universal Pictures says “explores the glamour and corruption of mid-80’s Miami,” the decade when the original NBC TV series aired. It will be particularly inspired by the series pilot and first season (1984-85).
In the NBC TV series pilot, New York City cop Ricardo Tubbs travels down to Miami in search of his brother’s killer and eventually teams up with local undercover detective James “Sonny” Crockett, who’s also after the same drug dealers since they killed his partner.
In the end, Tubbs transferred to Miami and became Crockett’s partner and best friend as they went on a litany of dangerous undercover missions.
F1 and Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski is directing Miami Vice, which begins shooting next year for an August 6, 2027 release date. The film will be shot in IMAX.
Miami Vice will be produced by Dylan Clark (The Batman) and Kosinski and written by Dan Gilroy and Eric Singer, based on characters created by Anthony Yerkovich from the series executive produced by Yerkovich and Michael Mann.
Austin Butler most recently starred in Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing. He won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and played the sinister Feyd-Rautha in Dune: Part Two.
