The Miami Vice Reboot Already Has One Thing Going For It With Top Gun: Maverick’s Director, But Another Name Has Me Even More Excited
It has been more than 40 years since Miami Vice arrived on the scene and introduced audiences to Don Johnson’s James Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas’ Ricard Tubbs, two of the coolest characters in TV history. The series, which Michael Mann previously remade as a gritty and stripped-down 2006 movie, is about to get the big-screen treatment once again with Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski, and I’m stoked to say the least.
Though I can’t wait to see what Kosinski, who is also working on the soon-to-be-released F1 starring Brad Pitt, has in store for the property, I have to admit I’m even more excited about what the adaptation’s screenwriter is bringing to the table. Yeah, I’m talking about Dan Gilroy, who made his directorial debut with the incredible psychological thriller, Nightcrawler. Let me explain…
Joseph Kosinski’s Work On Top Gun: Maverick Felt Like A Throwback And Reinvention, And I Think He Can Do The Same Here
Though Top Gun: Maverick wasn’t Joseph Kosinski’s first rodeo, it felt like the director reached new heights when he teamed up with Tom Cruise and mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer for the long-awaited sequel back in 2022. The movie, which felt like both a continuation of the Top Gun franchise but also something new and fresh, showed that the Tron: Legacy and Oblivion filmmaker could honor the past while also looking forward for a major franchise, and I think he can do the same thing with Miami Vice.
You don’t want something too gritty, while at the same time you want to avoid overcorrecting from the dark tone of the 2006 Michael Mann movie, which is going to be no easy task for Kosinski, the rest of the creative team, and the actors who are eventually hired to play two of the most iconic TV detectives of all time.
Kosinski Has Also Shown He’s Great With Balancing Action And Character Development, Which Will Be Crucial Here
Throughout his career, Kosinski has shown that he can find the perfect balance between action and character development without sacrificing one for the other, and I think that’ll be crucial in something like Miami Vice. Outside of the original show’s flashy title sequence and all of those wild guest cameos, the series also had a lot of substance to it (especially in that legendary pilot). So, the perfect amount of focus on those various elements that made the drama so great in the first place will be key in the remake.
Not to keep going back to Maverick, but the movie commonly referred to as the blockbuster that saved Hollywood’s ass, best captures Kosinski’s ability to find that balance between action and character development. Whether it was Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Miles Teller’s Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, Glen Powell’s Jake “Hangman” Seresin, or smaller characters in the movie, I cared about them all, even when they weren’t pulling off dangerous maneuvers in intense dogfights. You can’t teach that!
But At The Same Time, I’m Even More Excited That Dan Gilroy Is Taking A Spin At The Miami Vice Script
Though I’m stoked to see what Kosinski has in store for this film, the news that got me even more excited was a Deadline report about Dan Gilroy working on the script. According to the report, Gilroy is retooling a first draft by Eric Warren Singer (The International, American Hustle, Top Gun: Maverick), so it’ll be interesting to see how the guy behind movies like Nightcrawler and Velvet Buzzsaw reworks the basic premise of the show-turned-movie.
I’m really eager to see how the combination of those two styles (even more so with Kosinski behind the camera) looks, as it could be perfect for something like this. I’m sure it’ll still have more grit than the iconic ‘80s series on which it’s based, but I don’t think it’ll lose any of that flash or excitement that made the show so much fun to watch. Nothing has been revealed about the Miami Vice plot at this point, but Gilroy’s track record has me incredibly optimistic for what’s to come from this upcoming project.
I Honestly Cannot Wait To See How Gilroy Tackles The Seedier Side Of Miami
Back in 2014, Gilroy gave us one of the best movies about Los Angeles with his intense and utterly terrifying Nightcrawler. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a freelance videographer who starts taking his job way too seriously with an ambitious yet sociopathic mindset, the movie delved into the darker side of the City of Angels and its local news industry. Unrelenting, fast-paced, and entertaining as all hell, this deeply unnerving crime thriller is in a league of its own.
I cannot wait to see how Gilroy’s Miami Vice script tackles the seedier side of South Florida, both in Miami proper and the surrounding areas. When the sun goes down and those neon lights come on, what does his version of Miami look like? What kind of nefarious characters hide in the shadows (and in plain view)? These are some of the questions I keep asking myself, and I can’t wait to see how Gilroy answers them.
I Feel Like We’re Getting The Best Of Both Worlds With This Pairing
Honestly, I feel like with Kosinski’s directorial style and Gilroy’s knack for storytelling and making unsavory characters into must-see attractions, we’re about to get the best of both worlds. I mentioned how balance is key multiple times throughout this piece, and that again applies here. These two can help balance one another’s distinct styles, creating a movie that both pays homage to the show while also trying something new in the process.
I don’t know when this movie is coming out, as THR has reported that Kosinski is working on a UFO movie for Apple after his F1 lands on the 2025 movie schedule, so we’ll have to wait and see. However, with these two major players behind the scenes, I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a major rollout with some big A-list talent playing Crockett and Tubbs.
