MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colin Farrell in Uruguay to film “Miami Vice”

The talented Irish star Colin Farrell is currently in Uruguay where a remake of the famous “Miami Vice” has began to be filmed.

Certain areas of Montevideo and the sea resorts of Atlantida and Colonia with art deco architecture have been chosen to re-edit scenes of Havana, Cuba, where some of the chapters of the television production supposedly take place.

The "Miami Vice" of the eighties not only helped put Florida and Miami in the map, --although not gloriously,-- but made Don Johnson an instant celebrity, the role now played by Colin Farrell next to Chinese born actress Gong Li.

Michael Mann who wrote the script and directs the filming said he chose Montevideo for "its architecture" and the fact that "it's a peaceful place to work".

Farrell plays Sonny Crocket a Miami detective who combats the drug business and has as a partner Fox, played by Ricardo Tubbs.

Director Mann said that chapters filmed in Uruguay are the last of the production, with the rest having been filmed in United States, Dominican Republic and Ciudad del Este in Paraguay.

"These chapters refer to Sonny Crockett and Isabella (Gong Li) when they travel to Cuba, and we're filming Havana in Montevideo and Atlantida. Actually in Atlantida we rebuilt Vedado which is a well known neighborhood of Havana", Mr. Mann told the Uruguayan press.

The new launching of "Miami Vice" has demanded a production investment of 180 million US dollars revealed Mr. Mann.

This is the first high profile American production to be filmed in Uruguay, although publicity spots and pieces for several years now have been regularly done in Montevideo.

"Good logistics, infrastructure, talent and low costs have helped develop the local industry", said Raoul Rosemberg head of Metropolis the company helping with the US production.