Miami Vice '85 Has Already Triggered My Fandom in Good and Bad Ways

Photos and videos from the set of the upcoming Miami Vice film '85 suggest Michael B. Jordan and John Leguizamo are filming scenes that closely mirror the original TV series pilot. Jordan plays New York City police detective Ricardo Tubbs, while Leguizamo is set to portray Esteban Calderone, the antagonist from the pilot and a later episode of the 1984-89 series.

Tubbs and Butler, who will play Crockett, are currently working on the earliest sequences that introduced their characters in the 1984-89 pilot. The movie appears to be extremely faithful to the series, with Jordan replicating Thomas' actions and facial expressions from the opening chase sequence. The only change is that Jordan's Tubbs has a beard, which wasn't present in the original character until later seasons.

As a fan of the show, the creator of this account is thrilled to see a new Miami Vice movie set in the 1980s and committed to portraying the subject matter seriously. However, recreating the series pilot beat-for-beat could potentially be frustrating for fans who know the plot. The creator had initially criticized the dark color palette of the first look images but had to revise their opinion when set photos revealed Butler dressed exactly like Don Johnson's Sonny Crockett.

The creator hopes that Miami Vice '85 will capture the spirit of the show while telling a fresh story, similar to Michael Mann's 2006 film that riffed on an episode from the series' first season but offered a different experience overall. Miami Vice '85 is currently filming in New York, with production moving to Miami, Florida after hurricane season concludes. The film is set to premiere in theaters on May 19, 2028.