Spike Lee has made a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa classic High And Low, with Denzel Washington on board. Trailer here.
Denzel Washington is once again working with famed filmmaker Spike Lee and the duo are set to release their fifth film together in August of this year.
Highest 2 Lowest is set to be a remake of an Akira Kurosawa movie, High And Low. Apple Studios and A24 have joined forces to back the project with A24 putting the film out for theatrical release. Following that, High And Low will appear on Apple’s streaming platform.
Here’s the synopsis for the 1963 film: ‘a shoe executive is in the middle of a complex corporate takeover when his plans are derailed by the accidental kidnapping and ransom of his chauffeur’s son, instead of his own son.’
Spike Lee’s version will transplant the action into the sometimes murky world of music labels, with Washington playing a mogul whose fame and wealth presumably makes him a target for blackmail.
Lee and Washington have made four films together previously, including Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X and He Got Game. Their last collaboration was 2006’s Inside Man.
Highest 2 Lowest marks Lee’s first feature since 2020’s stylish ensemble flick, Da 5 Bloods. That was a movie for Netflix, meaning we haven’t seen a Spike Lee film in cinemas for over half a decade now, the last one being 2018’s excellent BlacKkKlansman.
The trailer itself spoils nothing but does features a monologue from Washington himself which already seems destined to become a classic. It also sees Lee shooting his beloved New York with an eye and an energy that few others possess. We’re very excited for this film’s arrival in August, but until then you can check out the teaser below.
