Watch out, Crockett and Tubbs! THR reports that John Leguizamo (The Odyssey) has joined the cast of Joseph Kosinski’s Miami Vice ’85, and it seems he’ll be playing the main villain.
In the original series, Leguizamo played Orlando Calderone, the son of kingpin Esteban Calderone. Orlando seeks revenge for the death of his father, who was killed by Crockett in Season 1. The tragedy deepens when Orlando’s sister Angelina – Tubbs’ lover – sacrifices her life by detonating a booby-trapped car to save Tubbs from a hit. Tubbs eventually corners Orlando in Season 3’s ‘The Afternoon Plane,’ and kills him in a Season 3 showdown.
If Leguizamo is returning to the franchise, playing Esteban, the father of his original character, would bring his history with the show full circle.
Miami Vice ’85
The big-screen adaptation of the classic 1980s TV series is set to star Austin Butler (Caught Stealing) and Michael B. Jordan (The Thomas Crown Affair) as James “Sonny” Crockett and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs.
In addition to Leguizamo, other additions to the cast include Alden Ehrenreich (Weapons), Whitney Peak (Gossip Girl), Camila Morrone (The Night Manager), and Danny Ramirez (Captain America: Brave New World).
Production is expected to kick off in November, with Kosinski planning to shoot the film with IMAX cameras in New York and Miami. The project has been scripted by Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler). Plot details are being kept under wraps, but it’s said that the movie “will explore the glamour and corruption of mid-80’s Miami, inspired by the pilot episode and first season of the NBC television series that influenced culture and set the style of everything from fashion to filmmaking.“
Miami Vice ’85 is set to be released on May 19, 2028.
John Leguizamo Is One Busy Dude
The actor has some high-profile projects on his slate. After appearing as Eumaeus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Leguizamo is also starring alongside Scarlett Johansson in Mike Flanagan’s The Exorcist: Martyrs. Plot details are still being kept under wraps, but the film is rumoured to revolve around a cop who takes down a notorious satanic serial killer, only to be drawn into a new series of murders while her 12-year-old son is targeted by a terrifying demonic force. That film is set to be released on March 12, 2027.
Leguizamo also joined the cast of the new movie from filmmaking duo the Daniels, which is currently in production.
The Original TV Series
Miami Vice aired for five seasons on NBC from 1984 to 1989, totalling 111 episodes. It starred Don Johnson as Sonny Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, alongside Edward James Olmos as Lieutenant Castillo. The show followed undercover vice detectives in Miami as they investigated drug trafficking, organized crime, and other criminal activity during the height of the 1980s drug trade.
It was a major hit, with the show having a more cinematic feel than audiences were used to on television. Toss in the hottest pop music and fantastic ’80s fashion, and it’s easy to see why Miami Vice has become such an iconic series.
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