Miami awaits ‘Vice’ revenue

“Miami Vice” brought millions of dollars into the city of Miami while it filmed there, but the movie’s true worth will likely emerge after audiences get to see it.

Jeff Peel, director of Miami-Dade County’s film office, said Michael Mann’s big-screen version of “Miami Vice” pumped about $27 million into the area in 2005 as crews filmed car chases and police shootouts with stars Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx.

But the film’s true economic impact may be just developing, with tourism as a possible future benefit, Peel said. The area’s film industry generated $168 million in 2005, Peel said.

“You’ve got the word ‘Miami’ in the title in one of the biggest feature films to be released this summer,” Peel said. “The advertising and promotional value of something like that is really incalculable. For all the tourists who come here this year because they happened to see ‘Miami Vice,’ we can add that to the total.”