Miamis So Nice Vice Visited Twice

By Suzy Valentine
The return of the "Miami Vice" crew last month to film for four more weeks should boost the movie’s impact here to $40 million or more.

In late June, an insider on the set forecast a $25 million to $30 million lift to Miami-Dade’s economy, conservative figures for a 13- to 14-week shoot. Then filmmakers returned to shoot segments they’d planned to film in the Caribbean. They completed them last week.

"Clearly, the numbers will inflate," said Jeff Peel, director of the Miami-Dade Mayor’s Office of Film and Television. "The three or four extra weeks made the crew’s presence longer than anticipated and will add to the bottom line. Initial estimates were quite conservative, so the proceeds for the county could go up fairly substantially."

"The number supplied on the permit was just an estimate," said Graham Winick, film and print coordinator for the City of Miami Beach Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment. "I’d expect it to be much larger. We have asked the filmmakers to review the figures by the end of the year."

Proceeds should reach $40 million – more than "Bad Boys II," which brought $35 million to the county two years ago.

Though "Miami Vice" is set to go to general release next summer, no one would be surprised if the crew returns.

"They wrapped last week," said Robert Parente, director of the City of Miami Office of Film, Arts and Entertainment. "The crew said there had been a problem in the Dominican Republic that members wouldn’t disclose, and they knew that they could come back and get the job done here.

"I heard the movie is to be released in July. It is tipped to be the summer blockbuster, but I’ll only be 100% sure that the crew isn’t coming back when I’m sitting in the theater watching the movie with my popcorn."