André Holland, the “Moonlight” and “The Knick” actor, has joined the cast of Universal’s “Miami Vice ’85,” adding another name to an ensemble that already runs deep. Holland’s character remains under wraps.
Joseph Kosinski directs the period crime film from a screenplay by Dan Gilroy, with Michael B. Jordan playing detective Ricardo Tubbs and Austin Butler as James “Sonny” Crockett. Eric Warren Singer wrote an earlier draft. The roles originated with Philip Michael Thomas and Don Johnson in the NBC series that ran from 1984 to 1989.
Holland joins John Leguizamo, Walton Goggins, Alden Ehrenreich, Edi Gathegi, Danny Ramirez, Whitney Peak, Camila Morrone and comedian Andrew Schulz. Leguizamo is set as the primary antagonist. Gathegi plays a small-time crook in over his head, while the studio has not detailed the other roles. Leguizamo has said his first real acting job was a guest spot as a drug lord’s son on the original series.
The film draws on the show’s pilot, “Brother’s Keeper,” which aired September 16, 1984, and examines the glamour and corruption of mid-1980s Miami. It is a departure from Michael Mann’s 2006 feature with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, which moved the story to the present day. That movie drew harsh reviews on release and has since won a following among critics and fans.
Cameras are scheduled to roll in November in New York and Miami. Kosinski, who directed “Top Gun: Maverick” and “F1,” is shooting for IMAX. Dylan Clark produces with the director. Universal has pushed the release from August 2027 to May 19, 2028.
The size of the cast raises a creative question. Several of the supporting parts remain unannounced, and observers note that the partnership between Crockett and Tubbs anchored the original series. Kosinski and Gilroy must give that pairing room to breathe while serving a crowd of newcomers. Universal has not commented on how the story will divide its attention.
The casting pace has been steady since Jordan and Butler signed on in the spring, with new additions arriving through the late summer and fall.
