Austin Butler may be stepping into pastel suits and fast cars.
According to Variety, the actor is in early talks to star as James “Sonny” Crockett in Joseph Kosinski’s Miami Vice reboot for Universal Pictures. Don Johnson first played the iconic role in the 1980s TV series, while Colin Farrell portrayed Crockett in Michael Mann’s 2006 film version.
Butler’s casting would mark another high-profile project in a run that has quickly made him one of Hollywood’s most in-demand leading men. He broke out with Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood before taking on Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. This performance earned him a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and an Oscar nomination.
Joining Butler in the reboot is Michael B. Jordan, who is in talks to play Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs. Philip Michael Thomas originated the role on television, and Jamie Foxx later played it in Mann’s 2006 adaptation.
Jordan has built a career balancing box-office hits and nuanced performances, with standout turns in Fruitvale Station, the Creed trilogy, and Marvel’s Black Panther. His most recent project, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, became the highest-grossing original horror film ever, pulling in $366 million worldwide.
Kosinski, who directed Top Gun: Maverick and the upcoming F1: The Movie, will helm the reboot, with Dylan Clark producing alongside him. The script comes from Eric Warren Singer and Dan Gilroy, based on characters created by Anthony Yerkovich.
Universal has set Miami Vice for an August 6, 2027, release, with production slated to begin next year. The movie will be filmed for IMAX, underscoring the studio’s plan to give the reboot a big-screen spectacle.
First airing in 1984, the original Miami Vice became a cultural landmark, blending music, fashion, and action in a way that redefined TV storytelling. From its neon-drenched visuals to its designer suits and iconic soundtrack, the series helped shape the style of an entire decade. The upcoming reboot looks to revisit that world of “glamour and corruption of mid-80s Miami,” once again pairing Crockett and Tubbs against the city’s criminal underworld.