Spike Lee reunites with Denzel Washington for the first time in nearly two decades with the teaser debut of “Highest 2 Lowest.”
Spike Lee has delivered a long-promised teaser Monday for Highest 2 Lowest, his upcoming crime thriller starring Denzel Washington and A$AP Rocky, marking the first time Lee and Washington have teamed up on a film since 2006’s Inside Man.
The trailer, posted to Lee’s Instagram on Monday morning (May 5), gave audiences their first glimpse at the film’s gritty tone and ensemble cast.
Lee captioned the post: “I Know U Have Been Waiting ‘HELLA LONG’ And Here Is DA TEASER TRAILER (Finally) For Da 5th Return Of D And LEE- HIGHEST 2 LOWEST. And Dat’s Da WASHINGTONS/LEES FAMILY TRUTH,RUTH. YA-DIG? SHO-NUFF. STRAIGHT UP.”
Highest 2 Lowest is a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low, itself based on Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom.
The updated version, directed by Lee and distributed by A24, is set to premiere out of competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival before heading to theaters and eventually Apple TV+.
The cast includes Washington, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice in her film debut, and A$AP Rocky, who plays a central role.
Spike Lee On Casting A$AP Rocky In “Highest 2 Lowest”
According to Lee, Rocky’s casting was inspired by a viral internet comparison.
“What’s funny is that I was looking at Instagram, four or five years ago, and people were saying that A$AP looked like he’s Denzel’s son,” Lee said during an appearance on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast. “I seen those memes, and then in the film we used that. A$AP, man, he fire.”
Lee first received the script by William Alan Fox before the pandemic and later reworked it after Washington signed on. The plot centers on a powerful music executive who becomes the target of a criminal scheme, according to IMDb.
This marks the fifth collaboration between Lee and Washington. Their creative pairing began with Mo’ Better Blues in 1990 and they last appeared on screen together nearly two decades ago.
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