Whitney Peak has signed on as the female lead in Miami Vice ’85, Universal Pictures’ upcoming feature reboot of the classic 1980s crime drama. She joins an already stacked cast led by Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler, with Joseph Kosinski directing.
Whitney Peak will play the love interest of Detective Rico Tubbs, the undercover cop played by Jordan. According to reports, several actresses tested for the role, with final chemistry reads alongside Jordan taking place last month before Peak ultimately landed the part.
The role attracted significant industry attention, with the female lead in Miami Vice ’85 reportedly becoming one of the more sought-after parts for rising actresses this year, alongside the wave of casting activity surrounding Marvel’s X-Men projects. That level of competition underscores how high-profile the reboot has become even before cameras start rolling.
Michael B. Jordan stars as Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs, the role originated by Philip Michael Thomas in the original series, while Austin Butler plays James “Sonny” Crockett, previously portrayed by Don Johnson. Alden Ehrenreich, who joined the cast last week, rounds out the film’s principal cast, though his character has not yet been revealed.
Joseph Kosinski is directing from a screenplay by Dan Gilroy, based on an earlier draft by Eric Warren Singer and characters created by Anthony Yerkovich, who executive produced the original series alongside Michael Mann. The new film is described as exploring the glamour and corruption of mid-1980s Miami, drawing inspiration from the pilot episode of the original series while aiming to preserve the characters and aesthetic that made Miami Vice such a cultural touchstone.
The film is produced by Dylan Clark through Dylan Clark Productions, alongside Kosinski himself. EVP of Production Development Sara Scott and Creative Executive of Production Development Christina Hoffrogge are overseeing the project for Universal.
Miami Vice ’85 is being filmed for IMAX and is set for release on May 19, 2028. Production is expected to begin later this year, with filming set to take place in New York and Miami.
Whitney Peak, 23, is best known for her role in The CW’s Gossip Girl reboot, along with credits including Apple TV+’s Home Before Dark, Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Disney’s Hocus Pocus 2. She recently starred in Netflix’s survival thriller Thrash alongside Phoebe Dynevor and Djimon Hounsou, and will next appear as Lenore Dove Baird in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, premiering November 20, 2026.
Miami Vice originally aired on NBC from 1984 to 1989 across five seasons, starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two stylish undercover Miami police detectives known for their fast boats, pastel suits and moody, neon-lit visual style, which went on to influence fashion and filmmaking well beyond television.
With Michael B. Jordan, Austin Butler, Alden Ehrenreich and now Whitney Peak all in place, and Kosinski, fresh off directing Top Gun: Maverick and F1, at the helm, Miami Vice ’85 is shaping up to be one of Universal’s most anticipated big-swing releases as it heads toward production later this year.
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