Michael B. Jordan Shares Personal Insights on His New Take on Thomas Crown Affair

Michael B. Jordan in 2024.
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Need to Know

• Project Announcement: Michael B. Jordan is set to direct and star in his reimagining of The Thomas Crown Affair.
• Release Date: The film is scheduled for release in spring 2027.
• Personal Stakes: “This one’s a bit more personal and the stakes are a lot higher,” Jordan stated on the November 28 episode of Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast.

Michael B. Jordan has disclosed insights on his upcoming project during a recent podcast appearance. On November 28, the actor and director, aged 38, discussed his reinterpreted version of The Thomas Crown Affair on Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast. This heist film centers on a billionaire, Thomas Crown, who commits crimes for amusement, ultimately becoming entangled with an insurance investigator.

The original 1968 film featured Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway, while a 1999 adaptation starred Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. The latter version left a significant impression on Jordan. “The Brosnan version was the one I grew up watching, and I was like, ‘Oh man, this is great, I love this,’” he recalled. “I didn’t go to a lot of museums growing up… but when I watched that movie, I kind of saw a side of New York that I guess I didn’t see before.”

Michael B. Jordan in 2023.

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“My mom’s an artist, so I grew up around paints and canvases… So I had a love and appreciation of an artist’s journey before I even became an artist myself,” he added.

Jordan, who made his directorial debut in 2023 with Creed III, proposed his reimagined version of The Thomas Crown Affair to Amazon MGM Studios, filming in London. The film is set to debut on March 5, 2027.

“I didn’t want it to be a reboot or a remake," he explained. "I really want to reimagine it… what I liked about it was it didn’t have too much baggage. There was just enough time and gap between generations.”

The film will also feature Ruth Negga, Aubrey Plaza, Kenneth Branagh, and Lily Gladstone. Jordan expressed a desire to subvert audience expectations.

Michael B. Jordan in 2023.

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“The first two films were these two rich White dudes that were stealing because they were pretty much bored… this one’s a bit more personal and the stakes are a lot higher,” he noted.

Jordan further spoke about his collaboration with Ryan Coogler on the recent horror film Sinners. Despite having worked together on multiple projects like Creed and Black Panther, Sinners left a strong impression on him. “I felt like he wanted to do something for him fully, and I felt that passion, and it made me excited about it,” he reflected.

Jordan, who plays twin brothers in Sinners, described his reimagining of The Thomas Crown Affair as “the second hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life outside of this performance in Sinners,” emphasizing the commitment he has towards the project. “I want everybody that took the time away from their family to come down here to make a movie with us — I want them to get all the love and the respect and the props they deserve,” he added.