A moment so remarkable, that it got tied to an already powerful song and years later the same track is still used in TV ads, series, videogames, movies, sports events and so on, to the point it became a cultural standard; from the top of my head, I recall the series ‘Halo’ trailer with Collins’ creation. The images mentioned above go beyond the ‘MTV Cops’ as ‘Miami Vice’ was described but are more akin to the works of Italian maestro Michelangelo Antonioni (The Eclipse, 1962), in the way he shot landscapes and spatial relationships between characters, but aimed for America’s mainstream audiences.

The cinematography and sound were adjusted by the rise of the New Wave culture giving it a fresh vibe while the Art Deco revival made it easier to differentiate Miami from other cities. The premiere season had fifteen Emmy Awards nominations, turning the pastels clad Johnson and Thomas into global superstars.

As a neo-noir tale, it was influenced by the noir pictures from the past but also by European arthouse, westerns, samurai and blaxploitation films, the last exemplified by the recurring appearances of Pam Grier as Tubbs’ unfulfilled love interest, and to stay on the diversity department, it was ahead of the curve considering the racial and ethnic demographic of Miami.

Known faces showed up as an upcoming Bruce Willis in his first role or the already legendary Eartha Kitt, Bringing her credibility. The soundtrack features heavy hitters like Tina Turner and Depeche Mode, record companies and musicians wanted to have their work on the show, but the main name behind its sonorous success is Czech American musician Jan Hammer who achieved Billboard #1 with the synth-pop show’s theme. 80s South Florida was the place to be.

Not only did the show have numerous famous guest actors, but a budget of around US$ 1.3 million per episode, one of the most expensive of its era. This expense is reflected in the show’s soundtrack, wardrobe and production design costs. Miami Vice feels like the real start of colour TV with pioneering visual and sound narratives. 

Although having great popularity during its day and being a beloved document of 80’s society and culture, Miami Vice fell into obscurity being unfairly pigeonholed as the face of the decade’s excesses and shallowness.

A Cultural Event Influential To This Day

Nevertheless, in 2006, New York Times critic Alessandra Stanley pointed it out as “a revolutionary series” and its impact on cinematography and soundtrack usage can be felt in the modern era. The product is closer to artistry pictures than to its contemporary action-driven outings, its influence is not only on movies and TV but also on fashion, architecture, aesthetics, video gaming, and sports and can be felt in the city of Miami itself. 

Still, the show is way more layered than what critics labelled ‘style over substance,’ because as Stanley puts it: “Television has lost an 80’s attribute that Miami Vice epitomized: the ability to be serious and playful at the same time.” It touches on serious subjects such as LGBTQIA+ identity, racism and suicide without being lecturing or preachy as happens in our divisive times. 

One of the contributions of Miami Vice is showing that a cast composed of diverse talent can enhance the experience and it is a formula ahead of its time which is now part of the blockbusters that are aiming for global success.

Still, Miami Vice’s main contribution might be felt on cinema and prestige TV such as in scenes where the background is replaced by a soundtrack as in Mann’s pictures like ‘Heat,’ ‘The Last of the Mohicans’ and ‘Collateral’ and Mann is also known for showing how a stressful work-life can damage the psychological aspects of humans as in the series and in his picture ‘The Insider.’

In TV, one example of Vice’s grasp happens in ‘Euphoria’s (2019 – ) choice of tunes such as when it plays Depeche Mode’s ‘Never Let Me Down Again’ to portray the relationship between two young characters. Moments that can tell a powerful story by relying on cinematography, soundtrack and actors capable of acting with few words as Johnson and Thomas making those minutes more than just a video clip but a complete narration.

Michael Mann is one of the best auteurs from American cinema and the way he utilizes sound and cinematography which went on to influence other filmmakers shows how influential Miami Vice is and without it the landscape would sound and feel completely different.

Also Read: The Evolution of the Murder Mystery

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Recently a story of Bruce Willis selling his likeness to a deepfake company did the rounds. This has been reported as false, but the news was not far-fetched. With technology advancing, and even deceased actors being signed for new films, could this become a common thing? And if it could, does that mean it should?

“No one’s ever really gone” – Luke Skywalker

Darth Vader isn’t the only Star Wars character that could live on for as long as the franchise goes on. Several characters from the original trilogy have made appearances in projects made decades after but canonically set around the same time. Leia appeared de-aged in a cameo at the end of Rogue One, set moments before the opening of A New Hope.

Due to the (relative) poor box office of Solo, Lucasfilm moved away from films, instead focusing on series, such as The Mandalorian. They also decided they will no longer recast legacy characters, with Luke Skywalker being the most notable example. Luke has made celebrated appearances in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Using a combination of Mark Hamill’s performance and a younger body double to create a version of the character as he would appear in his 30s.

The technology has improved very quickly. In the year between Luke’s appearances, the character looks much better, even if not seamless. The voice is also synthesised via a program called Respeecher, the same program used to recreate Vader’s voice. Given the comments about not recasting legacy characters, it is likely that this approach will be used in the future, in theory meaning that Luke Skywalker could be appearing in Star Wars projects, long after Mark Hamill is retired or has passed. The reactions to the “casting” of James Dean were overwhelmingly negative. But given the attachment people have to the franchise and Luke Skywalker in particular, would this still be seen as a negative? Especially when, currently, Hamill is still involved in the portrayal and it has his blessing

Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should – Ian Malcolm

This does lead to a larger discussion of why? Of course, if the industry wasn’t so focused on Intellectual Property and nostalgia, we’d probably have a lot fewer prequels in the first place. But the question remains, why not just recast? Many successful franchises have recast, including Star Wars, with Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, recently recast one of its iconic roles – Captain Kirk. The challenge any actor faces with these roles is whether to imitate the original or offer their own interpretation. If an actor is just going to imitate the original, then a digital double makes some sense, it’s as close to the original as you can get. An exception to this rule is in voice acting, where actors taking on a role will often do an impression of the previous actor. Robin Williams famously went the extra mile to safeguard his likeness against being recreated after his death. This has resulted in his iconic Genie character always being played by an actor doing an impression of his performance.

So could this become the norm for actors in the future? Many actors avoided roles in the MCU because of lengthy contracts. Chris Evans almost turned down the role of Captain America because of the number of films he had to make, it’s hard to imagine including his likeness forever helping with that decision. Marvel also quickly clarified that Chadwick Boseman would not be recreated for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, following his death in 2020. So clearly some of the ethical decisions are considered with the technology. Ultimately, the final decision likely rests with the actors themselves, or their estate if they have passed. On one hand, it allows their iconic role to live on and ensure their legacy (as well as likely providing for their family after they’ve gone). On the other, it stops anyone else from putting their own spin on the role. Franchises like Doctor Who and the Bond films would probably not have had the longevity they enjoyed if the original lead was being recreated for every entry.

As technology will only improve, it is unlikely that this debate will go away. The decision will likely be up to individual actors, who will agree or disagree for a variety of personal reasons. Posthumous Stan Lee cameos might be a nice way for him to be remembered, but it’s hard to imagine Harrison Ford being pleased about new Indiana Jones entries with him as a younger man.

Also Read: A.I Generated Art & Movies: A Collision Course

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