Whitney Peak Boards Universal's "Miami Vice '85" Opposite Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler
Whitney Peak is set to join Universal's Miami Vice '85, landing the female lead opposite Michael B. Jordan after taking final chemistry tests with him last month, according to Deadline. Joseph Kosinski will direct the film, which is headed for Imax screens and a release date of 19 May 2028.
The film reimagines the pilot episode of the 1980s television series Miami Vice, exploring the glamour and corruption of mid-'80s Miami. Dan Gilroy wrote the script, based on characters created by Anthony Yerkovich from the series he executive produced with Michael Mann. Eric Warren Singer wrote an earlier draft. Dylan Clark Productions and Kosinski produce; Universal's EVP Production Development Sara Scott and Creative Executive of Production Development Christina Hoffrogge oversee for the studio (Deadline).
Jordan plays Ricardo Tubbs and Austin Butler plays James Crockett — the two undercover-detective roles originated by Philip Michael Thomas and Don Johnson. Peak is said to be playing Tubbs' love interest, per The Hollywood Reporter. Alden Ehrenreich has also been added to the cast. Production is eyeing a November start this year, with shooting planned across New York and Miami (The Hollywood Reporter).
For Peak, a Ugandan-Canadian actor whose credits include Gossip Girl, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Home Before Dark, the role lands amid a packed stretch. She starred opposite Phoebe Dynevor in the Netflix shark thriller Thrash, which released worldwide in April and reached number one on the platform within 24 hours. She had a leading role in Disney+'s Hocus Pocus 2, which set the record for the biggest opening weekend for a made-for-streaming film on the service. She also appears in the Amazon/MGM film 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, directed by Frankie Shaw.
Next up for Peak is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, in which she plays Lenore Dove opposite Joseph Zada. Lionsgate releases the film on 20 November. She is represented by CAA, Play Management, Canopy Media Partners and Jackoway Austen Tyerman (Deadline).
For Universal, Miami Vice '85 adds another large-scale property to a slate built on franchise-scale theatrical releases — the kind of film designed for Imax and a summer corridor. A May 2028 slot gives Kosinski, whose Top Gun: Maverick demonstrated his command of large-format spectacle, a long runway. The question of how a 1980s television property translates to a 2028 Imax screen is one the box office will eventually answer. For now, the pieces are in place.
