André Holland has joined the ensemble cast of Universal’s Miami Vice ’85, led by Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler. His character has not been disclosed. The film also stars Whitney Peak, Camila Morrone, John Leguizamo, Danny Ramirez, Alden Ehrenreich, Andrew Schulz, Walton Goggins, and Edi Gathegi.
Written by Dan Gilroy and directed by Joseph Kosinski, Miami Vice ’85 draws inspiration from the original 1984-90 NBC series, specifically its pilot episode “Brother’s Keeper,” which aired September 16, 1984. Written by series creator Anthony Yerkovich, that two-hour premiere introduced Vice cop Sonny Crockett and New York detective Ricardo Tubbs, who are thrown together by circumstance despite an initial lack of chemistry. The episode reveals that Tubbs came to Miami chasing a personal vendetta against drug lord Calderone, whose cartel killed his brother, and traces how the two detectives ultimately decide to partner up despite their rocky start. The episode is also remembered for a driving sequence featuring Crockett’s black Ferrari Daytona Spyder set to a well-known Phil Collins track.
In this new version, Jordan plays Tubbs and Butler plays Crockett, the roles originated by Philip Michael Thomas and Don Johnson. Goggins and Leguizamo have both been announced as playing villains in the film, though it’s unclear whether either role connects directly to Calderone or to a new antagonist created for this version. Leguizamo previously played Calderone’s son Orlando twice during the original series’ run, but it hasn’t been confirmed whether he’s reprising that role here. Gathegi is set to play a small-time crook with big ambitions who finds himself in over his head, while character details for Holland, Schulz, Peak, Morrone, Ramirez, and Ehrenreich remain under wraps.
Holland’s casting continues a run of steady, high-profile work across film and television. He recently wrapped Amazon’s upcoming series Delphi, led The Actor from director Duke Johnson, and produced and starred in Love, Brooklyn under his own Harper Road Films banner alongside producer Steven Soderbergh. He also starred opposite Andra Day in Hulu’s Exhibiting Forgiveness, and remains best known for his role in Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning Moonlight alongside Mahershala Ali.
Miami Vice ’85 is produced by Dylan Clark and Kosinski, based on characters created by Yerkovich, who executive produced the original series with Michael Mann. The film will be shot for IMAX, with production beginning this year ahead of a May 19, 2028 release.
With a cast this stacked and several character roles still unannounced, the bigger question is how Kosinski and Gilroy plan to balance an ensemble this large while still giving the Crockett and Tubbs dynamic, the heart of the original series, room to breathe.