‘It’s the second hardest thing I’ve ever done’: Michael B. Jordan to star and direct new ‘Thomas Crown Affair’

Michael B. Jordan leads on-screen and behind the scenes of the new “The Thomas Crown Affair,” a cultural reimagination of a 1968 thriller.

For his first appearance since winning an Oscar for his role in “Sinners,” Michael B. Jordan attended CinemaCon to tease the next project on his roster. During the conference, Amazon MGM premiered a first look at its latest adaptation of “The Thomas Crown Affair,” a thriller first released in 1968, and again in 1999. Now, in the film set to release in March 2027, Jordan will be leading on camera and behind the scenes as director.

“I’ve been daydreaming of making this movie for years,” Jordan told attendees, per Hollywood Reporter. “I saw the ’99 Thomas Crown Affair when I was around 9 years old. It was a guy that was smart, sophisticated, and always three steps ahead.”

“After ‘Creed,’ MGM asked what I wanted to do next. I said, ‘Thomas Crown Affair. I need that,’” he told Variety in November. “It was just enough time and a gap between generations that I felt like it was almost an original story without its IP, but it’s not James Bond with crazy expectations, where no matter what I do, people are going to criticize it.”

Jordan was reportedly in London for a year filming the project, which he describes as “the second hardest thing” he’s ever done outside of “Sinners.” 

“Directing, producing, writing, acting. It was a lot,” he added. 

In addition to Jordan’s leadership, Grammy-award-winning artist Jon Batiste will be composing the film’s score. To share the news, Batiste began the CinemaCon screening with a live piano performance of “The Windmills of Your Mind,” the Academy Award-winning song featured in the score of the 1968 film. 

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This film marks Jordan’s second time in the director’s chair. In 2023, he made his directorial debut with “Creed III,” which he also starred in. Though details about the storyline of Jordan’s “Thomas Crown Affair” remain unknown, the actor and director have a history of working on reimaginings of classic projects, as seen in the “Creed” franchise, a spin-off/continuation of the “Rocky” films. And just as he did in the boxing franchise, Jordan says he brought his own flair to “The Thomas Crown Affair.”

“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 previously shared. “Ours is more personal. The stakes are higher. Still got the fashion, romance.”

To help bring the sartorial vision to life, Jordan tapped award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter, whom he worked with on “Sinners” and “Black Panther,” and describes as “queen.” In addition to Carter, Jordan’s “Thomas Crown Affair” features fellow Black Panther star Danai Gurira. 

“We’ve got an incredible cast — Adria [Arjona], Kenneth [Branagh], Pilou [Asbæk], Danai [Gurira],” he shared. 

And for Jordan, those details were particularly important when building out the story. 

“[Thomas Crown] didn’t just steal, he was making a statement,” he explained. “I knew I wanted to bring that all together — the style, the sophistication, the rebellion —  but also give him a real mission. So I needed somebody who could keep him on his toes. An actress who can portray strength and vulnerability. She understands his game but falls in love with him.”

Jordan’s “The Thomas Crown Affair” is slated to premiere on March 5, 2027.