After Michael B. Jordan’s reported talks to step into the role of undercover detective Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs, Universal may have found his partner in crime. Deadline reports that Austin Butler is in early negotiations to play James “Sonny” Crockett — the character made iconic by Don Johnson in Michael Mann’s 1980s Miami Vice series.
If deals close, Jordan and Butler could become the next dynamic duo to embody the sleek, dangerous world of Miami Vice—where pastel suits, fast cars, and the blurred lines between good and bad made television history.
The new Miami Vice film comes from Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, with Eric Warren Singer and Dan Gilroy penning the script. The Universal feature is slated for an August 6, 2027 release and promises a return to the high-gloss, neon-soaked energy of mid-1980s Miami.
Inspired by the pilot and first season of the NBC series created by Anthony Yerkovich and executive produced by Michael Mann, the reboot will reportedly explore the glamour and corruption that defined the era, introducing a new generation to the stylized world that once shaped pop culture from fashion to filmmaking.
Should Jordan officially sign on, he would become the third actor to portray Tubbs—following Philip Michael Thomas in the original series and Jamie Foxx in Mann’s 2006 feature adaptation. Butler, meanwhile, would take on the mantle of Sonny Crockett, first portrayed by Don Johnson and last portrayed by Colin Farrell in the same 2006 film.
Their pairing could easily redefine cool for a new era, just as Johnson and Thomas did four decades ago.