The new Miami Vice ’85 reboot just gave fans their first real glimpse of Crockett and Tubbs. On Monday, October 12, 2026, the film’s official Instagram account released the first photos of Austin Butler as James “Sonny” Crockett and Michael B. Jordan as Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs, confirming cameras are now rolling on one of the most anticipated movie reboots of the decade.
The reveal is the biggest milestone yet for the Universal project. It has been two decades since the last Miami Vice film hit theaters, and the stylish portraits show director Joseph Kosinski leaning hard into the franchise’s neon-and-leather aesthetic. A first poster dropped alongside the images, and fan reaction was instant.
What the Miami Vice ’85 first-look photos reveal
The portraits are character posters in the classic sense. Butler’s Crockett is caught mid-action, aiming a pistol in a gray jacket with a gold watch, while Jordan’s Tubbs looks cool and composed in a long black leather coat. Each image carries the character’s name in bold outlined lettering next to the film’s logo. Parade reported that the official posts also confirmed the movie is “now in production,” ending months of speculation. Shooting is underway in Miami and New Jersey — where a set in Wayne has been standing in for South Beach — and the film is being shot for IMAX.
Austin Butler plays Sonny Crockett in Miami Vice ’85. Photo: Toglenn, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
The stacked cast of Miami Vice ’85
Butler and Jordan headline a fast-growing ensemble: Alden Ehrenreich, Whitney Peak, Camila Morrone, Danny Ramirez, John Leguizamo, Andrew Schulz, Edi Gathegi, Walton Goggins, André Holland, and Michael Irby. Some casting carries special weight for longtime fans. Leguizamo, who plays the villain, made his television debut on the original series in 1986. Goggins reportedly joined the criminal side of the story in a role connected to Leguizamo’s cartel kingpin, while Irby is expected to play Lt. Lou Rodriguez of the Metro-Dade organized crime unit.
Behind the camera, the pedigree is just as strong. Kosinski, fresh off F1 and Top Gun: Maverick, directs from a screenplay by Dan Gilroy, building on an earlier draft by Eric Warren Singer. The story is based on the characters Anthony Yerkovich created for the 1984 pilot, and it reportedly draws inspiration from the pilot episode “Brother’s Keeper.” Kosinski has said he grew up watching the series in 1985 and considers it a defining part of his childhood.
Miami Vice reboot timeline: how we got here
The road to production has been long. Here is how the Miami Vice ’85 project developed:
- April 2025: Universal announces a new Miami Vice film with Joseph Kosinski directing and a script by Dan Gilroy and Eric Warren Singer.
- October 2025: Austin Butler and Michael B. Jordan are reported to be in early talks to play Crockett and Tubbs.
- April 2026: The casting is confirmed and the film gets its official title, Miami Vice ’85, signaling a return to the show’s 1980s roots.
- April 2026: Universal shifts the release date from August 6, 2027 to May 19, 2028, positioning it as a summer tentpole.
- August–October 2026: The ensemble fills out with Leguizamo, Goggins, Holland, Irby, Gathegi, and more.
- October 2026: Production begins; first-look photos and poster debut on October 12.
- May 19, 2028: The film is scheduled to open in theaters.
Why the period setting matters
Unlike Michael Mann’s 2006 movie, which updated Crockett and Tubbs to the present day, the new film stays in the 1980s. The script explores the glamour and corruption of mid-1980s Miami, following the two undercover detectives through the city’s criminal underworld. For fans of the original show, this is a big deal: it is essentially an origin story for the partnership that defined the series.
Joseph Kosinski directs Miami Vice ’85. Photo: Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
How this reboot differs from the 2006 movie
The 2006 Miami Vice, directed by Michael Mann and starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, took the opposite approach: it modernized the concept into a gritty digital-era crime thriller and earned $164.2 million at the box office despite divided reviews. It has since become a cult favorite, and a new 4K Director’s Final Cut even premiered at Beyond Fest earlier this month.
However, the 2006 version’s contemporary setting distanced it from what made the TV show iconic: pastel suits, neon skylines, sports cars, and pulsing synth soundtracks. Kosinski’s version goes back to the source with a period origin story for the Crockett–Tubbs partnership. For context, the original series ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984 to 1989, starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas, and reshaped 1980s pop culture — fashion, music videos, and television style itself. That legacy is exactly what the new film is banking on.
What’s next for Miami Vice ’85
With production underway and a May 2028 release date locked, the next milestones are predictable but exciting: set photos from the shoots, then a teaser trailer in late 2027. The film joins a packed slate of major 2028 releases, including the new Hunger Games installment and Godzilla Minus Zero. Universal clearly believes Crockett and Tubbs can compete. With an Oscar winner in Jordan, an Oscar nominee in Butler, and a director coming off back-to-back hits, the pieces are in place — and if the first-look photos are any indication, the style is already there.
