Edi Gathegi has joined Universal Pictures’ Miami Vice ’85, taking on a key role in the new big-screen version of the landmark 1980s television series.
Gathegi will play a small-time criminal whose ambitions outstrip his circumstances, leaving him in over his head, according to sources. The part follows his turn as the cool-headed, dryly funny superhero Mr. Terrific in last year’s Superman.
The actor joins a high-profile ensemble led by Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler. Jordan will portray undercover Miami police officer Ricardo Tubbs, while Butler will play his partner, James Crockett.
Alden Ehrenreich, Whitney Peak, Camila Morrone, Danny Ramirez, John Leguizamo and Andrew Schulz are also part of the cast.
A New Spin on the ’80s Series
Joseph Kosinski, whose directing credits include Top Gun: Maverick and F1, is directing Miami Vice ’85. The project is expected to explore both the glamour and corruption of Miami during the middle of the 1980s, drawing inspiration from the pilot episode of the original show.
The Anthony Yerkovich-created television series starred Don Johnson as Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Tubbs. The characters were undercover Miami police officers whose image became closely associated with fast boats and pastel suits.
With Jordan and Butler stepping into the central roles, the feature will offer a new take on the pair of detectives while returning to the period setting that defined the television property.
Miami Vice ’85 is being made for Imax. Universal Pictures has scheduled the movie for release on May 19, 2028.
Dylan Clark will produce through Dylan Clark Productions, whose credits include The Batman. Kosinski is also producing the film.
Gathegi’s Expanding Screen Work
Gathegi’s casting comes after his appearance as Mr. Terrific, the long-running DC Comics character, in James Gunn’s Superman. His restrained, droll performance drew praise from fans and critics.
He is also set to reprise Mr. Terrific in next year’s sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
Gathegi’s previous feature work includes the Netflix Western The Harder They Fall, in which he appeared opposite Idris Elba, Regina King and Delroy Lindo. His film credits also include X-Men: First Class and several of the Twilight movies.
On television, he is a series regular on Apple TV’s For All Mankind. He is represented by IAG and Yorn Levine.
What Happens Next?
Miami Vice ’85 is eyeing a November start for production, with filming planned in New York and Miami. The movie will then head toward its confirmed May 19, 2028, theatrical release through Universal Pictures.