John Leguizamo goes bad for Miami Vice ’85 — Joseph Kosinski’s big-screen take

If you thought Hollywood would eventually run out of ’80s property reboots, I’m afraid I’ve got bad news. Miami Vice is roaring back, this time as a proper IMAX-lensed feature called Miami Vice ’85, and the latest bit of casting is a genuinely interesting one: John Leguizamo has joined the mix as the villain. You read that right — Leguizamo is apparently your new Miami kingpin. And honestly, I’m a bit intrigued.

The New (Old) Miami

Let’s break down what’s happening. The project’s directed by Joseph Kosinski — you might know him from Top Gun: Maverick — and it’s got Austin Butler (recently seen in all sorts, including Caught Stealing) stepping into Sonny Crockett’s shoes. Alongside, you’ve got Michael B. Jordan (off The Thomas Crown Affair and much else) as Ricardo Tubbs. Together, that’s a fair bit of hair gel and perfectly tailored suits, and precisely the vibe you’d expect for this material.

Now, production’s set to start in November, mostly in New York and classic Miami itself. Kosinski apparently wants to put the IMAX cameras right in the thick of it, so expect wide shots of neon and palm trees like you’ve never seen before. The script’s from Dan Gilroy, who did Nightcrawler, so presumably the grimy side of Miami won’t be glossed over.

Miami Vice ’85 is scheduled for release on 19 May 2028.

Plot specifics are, predictably, under wraps. But the word is it’ll lean heavily on the look, the music, and the outright chaos of mid-’80s Miami, with more than a nod to the original pilot and the first series run. So, lots of pastel jackets, synths, and men staring very intently across smoky nightclubs. The rest of the cast now includes Alden Ehrenreich (Weapons), Whitney Peak (Gossip Girl), Camila Morrone (The Night Manager), and Danny Ramirez (Captain America: Brave New World). Barring some kind of disaster, this thing is going all-in on style and star power.

Leguizamo’s Workload

As for Leguizamo, the man seems allergic to sleep lately. He recently popped up as Eumaeus for Christopher Nolan’s epic The Odyssey adaptation, and his next headline gig is a major role in Mike Flanagan’s latest horror, The Exorcist: Martyrs. Word is he’ll be opposite Scarlett Johansson. That film — out in March 2027 — reportedly centres on a cop hunting a particularly nasty satanic serial killer, which, unsurprisingly, only leads to worse things for her family and her 12-year-old son. Plot details are mostly tucked away, but expect more demons and panic than sweet resolutions. Not enough? He’s also in whatever the Daniels are currently putting together (they of Everything Everywhere All at Once fame), and that one’s currently filming as well.

A Recap: The Original Miami Vice

For anyone under a certain age (or just with a memory like a sieve), the original Miami Vice ran five seasons from 1984–1989, clocking up 111 episodes. Don Johnson was Sonny Crockett, Philip Michael Thomas was Ricardo Tubbs, and Edward James Olmos delivered moody speeches as Lieutenant Castillo. The series was famous for actually bothering with things like visual style, original music, and properly wild ’80s looks, all in the service of chronicling vice cops dealing with drug-runners, mafia, and the odd alligator in the boot. Safe to say, it helped shape the era’s style both on-screen and off.