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‘Miami Vice’ re-boot movie makes Kerry McCluggage proud
The buzz is already big for the new Miami Vice ‘85 movie now in production, the latest rendition of the groundbreaking and wildly popular TV show in the 1980’s.
Brother Kerry McCluggage (AU 1976), the entertainment executive who helped develop and sell the concept with a writer he recruited to Universal Television, Anthony Yerkovich, says he couldn’t be prouder of their previous effort. “I guess, as the saying goes: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” said Kerry.
The start of the original Miami Vice germinated this way. Kerry had recruited Yerkovich into an overall development deal based on his outstanding writing for Hill Street Blues. He describes the process of choosing writers to partner with as “a lot like being a baseball manager: you pick your players and do your best to help them on the field” and, in this case, Yerkovich, more than delivered.
McCluggage had already overseen the development of several successful TV series and, despite his young age, carried significant influence. But Miami Vice wasn’t exactly an easy sell: “Phillip Michael Thomas (Ricarco Tubbs) had never been a series lead and Don Johnson (Sonny Crockett) had several failed pilots on his resume” said Kerry. On September 16, 1984, NBC aired a two-hour pilot episode of Miami Vice and forever changed 80’s style and fashion, popularized the pastel landscape of South Beach and altered the path of television production forever – fusing cool clothes, cars, music and characters. As New York Magazine later wrote “contemporary TV was born.”
And now, 42 years after its debut, the concept is returning again, as Miami Vice ‘85 set for theatrical release in May 2028 starring Michael B. Jordan and Austin Butler.
In his long career, Kerry played key roles in developing Magnum P.I. (including hiring Brother Tom Selleck and insisting he be the star), Battlestar Galactica, Murder She Wrote, The Equalizer, Northern Exposure, Knight Rider, The A-Team, Law & Order and theatricals Out of Africa and The Breakfast Club. At Paramount, Kerry developed and sold Frasier, JAG, NCIS, Co-Founded UPN and now has his own production company Craftsman Films.
Trojan Sigs can be glad that these days Kerry is leading the effort for the Four Pillars Capital Campaign to build a sorely-needed new Sigma Chi chapter house at USC. To show your support, simply email ldulyea@outlook.com
A SIGMA CHI TRUE STORY
Still, the show took a somewhat circuitous path to the network schedule. McCluggage had secured a blind script commitment for Yerkovich to write a theatrical feature for Universal Pictures which he wanted to do before addressing the TV marketplace. But, Universal's Film Division had already committed to Scarface starring Al Pacino and they felt it unwise to make another Miami-set crime film. So, Kerry and Tony re-tooled the idea for a televison series. With the advent of new TV remotes that could flip through channels rapidly, “we were looking to develop a series that would immediately both look and sound different than anything on the air at the time” and Miami Vice really fit the bill.
Kerry McCluggage was "a lot like a baseball manager"