Michael B. Jordan, fresh off an Academy Award win for Sinners, is back in the director’s chair. He made his debut, perhaps ironically, taking over for Creed III, the franchise kick-started by Sinners director Ryan Coogler. That is, so far, his only directorial credit, and he did a fantastic job. That is easily one of the best in the Rocky/Creed franchise.
That’s changing next year, though. In 2027, Jordan will be back in the role of director and star of The Thomas Crown Affair. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because it is. This will be the third reboot or remake of the movie. Why would Jordan choose to jump onto that sort of project?
Why is Michael B. Jordan Doing The Thomas Crown Affair?
There are two ways that rebooting or remaking a movie or franchise can go. The first is simply to bring it back to the forefront and make money. The recent remake of Road House comes to mind. The other option is changing things for a reason, giving a fresh perspective or reimagining of that movie.
That is where Michael B. Jordan’s The Thomas Crown Affair falls. “I didn’t want a reboot. I wanted a reimagination. The first two films were about rich white guys stealing for fun. That doesn’t land today,” Jordan said via Variety last year. “Ours is more personal. The stakes are higher. Still got the fashion, romance.”
The first trailer for Jordan’s second directorial effort has just dropped. It showcases a lot of what he was talking about. Kenneth Branagh is lurking in the shadows as an adversary to Jordan’s Crown, who is intent on stealing the artifacts to return them to their rightful owners.
In that way, this role and movie are very much a continuation of his role as Erik Killmonger in Black Panther, again from Ryan Coogler (don’t these two have such a wonderful partnership?). His debut scene as Killmonger was robbing a British museum to give the artifacts back to the colonized people they were stolen from.
This movie, however, appears to be taking a much slicker, stealthier approach. Killmonger achieved his goals through violence and chaos, while it appears that the billionaire Crown will be sneaking around committing heists. Adria Arjona is the FBI agent who is hunting him down, and the two begin to form a romantic relationship.
Drew Pearce has penned the script for third remake. He did so from a previous draft by Wes Tooke and Justin Britt-Gibson, which was based on the 1968 original. That one starred Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo were the stars in the 1999 remake, and now the roles are going to Jordan and Arjona.
Michael B. Jordan does not have a ton of upcoming commitments. He’s also going to star in the Miami Vice remake in 2028. Creed IV, I Am Legend 2, Rainbow Six, and a handful of other projects Jordan is attached to as an actor are all in pre-production. Jordan is also set to return as director for Creed IV.
In an era where stars stay ridiculously booked and busy (just look at the 2026 slate for Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, and Zendaya), Jordan has been fairly selective. Seven upcoming projects is far from a huge number, especially when most of them have barely gotten off the ground.
But directing a movie and starring in it is a tall task, and Michael B. Jordan’s had two of those come on the slate in the last couple of years. Regardless, as a newly minted Academy Award winner, Jordan will command the attention of movie-going audiences everywhere, and his first chance to do that will be with The Thomas Crown Affair in 2027.
