‘Florida Man’ Fulfills His Destiny as a Netflix Crime Series

It’s official: The viral “Florida Man” meme has succeeded in inspiring a Netflix crime series. Netflix’s Florida Man is an upcoming limited series created by This Is Us producer Donald Todd, and the streaming platform has promised that this crime drama will dive way deeper into the Florida Man phenomena than the memes.

The Florida Man meme has been circulating the internet since the early 2000s, when internet users noticed an alleged uptick in the number of news headlines starting with “Florida Man” and detailing absolutely absurd and bizarre actions carried out by Florida men. To this day, the Florida Man memes have continued to circulate as internet users share and react to headlines or think up their own fictional versions.

Of course, we don’t actually need fictional Florida Man headlines when we have real ones like, “Florida man drives stolen truck to Space Force base to warn of battle between aliens, dragons,” and “Florida man wearing nothing but cowboy hat attacks woman with machete.” While every state probably fosters some weird headlines, the meme has inspired internet users to keep track of the Florida Man incidents. It has many people wondering what actually goes on in Florida.

Now, Netflix’s Florida Man will try to answer some of the questions the memes have left viewers asking by delving into one ex-cop’s wild adventure in the state.

Florida Man release date

The release date for Florida Man is just around the corner, as the limited series is set to premiere on April 13, 2023. Upon release, the series will be available to stream exclusively on Netflix.

Florida Man trailer

In addition to confirming the show’s release date, Netflix also dropped the first official teaser trailer for Florida Man on March 3.

The trailer offers a first look at Edgar Ramírez’s Mike Valentine, an ex-cop who lost his job over gambling and clearly dislikes Florida. Florida Man memes aren’t the only thing deterring him from the state where he grew up as he seems to have some bad memories associated with the place. Of course, given his aversion to Florida, that’s exactly where he ends up. Once there, he quickly gets sucked into a chaotic mess of eccentric figures, shady secrets, and bizarre crimes.

Florida Man cast

Ramírez stars in the lead role of Mike Valentine in Florida Man. Ramírez recently starred in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, The 335, and Jungle Cruise. He is also familiar with Netflix, having previously starred in the platform’s original film Yes Day with Jennifer Garner and Jenna Ortega. Meanwhile, Clementine star Otmara Marrero will appear as Valentine’s sister, Patsy, while Frasier‘s Anthony LaPaglia will star as their father, Sonny. Rounding out the Valentine family is Isabel Gameros as Tyler, Patsy’s 14-year-old daughter.

Abbey Lee, known for her roles in Mad Max: Fury Road and The Neon Demon, portrays Delly West, a mobster’s girlfriend who ran away to Florida. Brooklyn star Emory Cohen plays Moss Yankov, Valentine’s boss and the presumed partner of West, while Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart‘s Lex Scott Davis stars as Iris, a detective who also happens to be Valentine’s ex-wife. Leonard Earl Howze and Mark Jeffrey Miller will have recurring roles as Sonny’s associates, Ray-Ray and Buzz, respectively.

Marvel Cinematic Universe star Clark Gregg will have a recurring role in the show as Deputy Sheriff Ketcher, while Parks and Recreations star Paul Schneider portrays Officer Andy Boone. Isaiah Johnson and Sibongile Mlambo will also appear as married motel owners, Benny and Clara, respectively.

Florida Man plot

While it appears that Florida Man draws inspiration from the notorious memes, the series isn’t directly based on any one headline. Instead, it is a fictional narrative about Mike Valentine, an ex-cop who gets sent to Florida on a reluctant mission to retrieve Delly. He resolves to return to the sunshine state just so he can “leave Florida” behind once and for all. Of course, it won’t be that easy, as he seemingly gets sucked into a series of crimes and secrets from his past.

There are a whole lot of explosions, fistfights, guns, and even a lady using a flamethrower on a raccoon. Basically, Valentine gets mixed up in whatever the hell happens in Florida and will have a tough time making it out with Delly.

(featured image: Netflix)