Spike Lee and Denzel Washington return to the screen together for Highest 2 Lowest, a modern-day reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low. The film, set in New York City, will premiere out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival before its theatrical release by A24 on August 22 and subsequent Apple TV+ debut on September 5.
Washington plays a powerful music executive navigating a high-profile life when his son becomes entangled in a criminal extortion plot. The film takes its foundation from Kurosawa’s 1963 psychological thriller, which followed a businessman whose world is upended after his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake. In Lee’s version, the stakes are relocated to the music industry, where reputation, money, and power blend into an environment of influence and risk.
A$AP Rocky plays Yung Felon, a central figure in the story whose connection to Washington’s character intensifies the film’s emotional and dramatic tension. According to Lee, Rocky plays Washington’s on-screen son, a casting choice partially inspired by social media speculation linking their resemblance. “What’s funny is that I was looking at Instagram four or five years ago and people were saying that A$AP looked like he’s Denzel’s son,” Lee said. “I seen those memes and then in the film we used that.”
The teaser introduces Washington’s character with a pointed question: “Can you handle the success? Can you handle the love?” His monologue unfolds over images that suggest both opulence and unease. The world built around him appears glossy and elevated, but cracks begin to surface with the threat of violence, misplaced trust, and moral ambiguity.
This marks Lee’s fifth collaboration with Washington, following Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man. The two have worked together across decades, often with Washington playing figures pulled between personal codes and public expectation. In Highest 2 Lowest, that framework is revisited through a character positioned at the intersection of legacy, family, and vulnerability.
The cast also includes Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, and Ice Spice. Lee has praised Rocky’s performance in particular, calling the scenes between him and Washington some of the film’s most electric. “A$AP, man, he fire,” Lee said. “There’s some scenes where him and D [Washington] head to head – he ain’t backing up. Like, ‘I’m here too.’ So very, very happy with the way the film turned out.”
This is Rocky’s highest-profile dramatic role to date. He made his acting debut in Rick Famuyiwa’s Dope (2015) and is also featured in two A24 projects releasing this year: the Sundance-selected If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, and now Highest 2 Lowest. His involvement, along with the appearance of artists like Ice Spice, signals Lee’s continued engagement with music culture as both subject and setting.
The film’s screenplay was written by Alan Fox in collaboration with Lee, who also serves as executive producer through his 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks banner. Producer Todd Black, a frequent collaborator with Washington on projects including Fences and The Equalizer, also returns for this production.
Unlike Kurosawa’s original, which was tightly focused on corporate ethics and the price of honor, Highest 2 Lowest shifts the lens toward celebrity, influence, and the volatility of public life. The adaptation retains the ransom premise but repositions it against the backdrop of modern fame. The shift from industrial Japan to contemporary New York reshapes the emotional terrain, bringing in questions about access, surveillance, public image, and intergenerational expectation.
Lee’s visual approach, based on early footage, emphasizes energy and contrast. Studio boardrooms and private recording spaces clash with street-level imagery. Lighting and sound design are central to the aesthetic. In place of Kurosawa’s static framing, Lee’s version is in constant motion, echoing the rhythm of the industry it portrays. The soundtrack features contemporary hip-hop and R&B, further grounding the film in current cultural language.
A$AP Rocky’s casting reflects both the evolution of his public persona and Lee’s interest in placing unconventional performers in central roles. His portrayal of Yung Felon is not a novelty cameo but a dramatic turn designed to carry narrative weight. By pairing him with Washington, the film presents two faces of success—one established, the other emerging—with tension arising from their mutual dependence and misunderstanding.
The film’s debut at Cannes is expected to generate conversation beyond the screen. Washington is one of the most recognized actors working today, and Lee remains a prominent figure in international cinema. Their creative history carries weight, and each new project brings added scrutiny. Highest 2 Lowest enters this space with both expectations and curiosity attached.
The decision to release through A24 and Apple Original Films places the project in a unique position. A24 brings theatrical credibility and curated appeal, while Apple offers global distribution reach. The two companies have previously partnered on prestige titles, and this release continues that strategy, aligning awards-season potential with streaming accessibility.
Behind the camera, Lee’s production company continues to shape the project’s direction. 40 Acres and a Mule has been involved in both narrative features and documentaries that examine Black identity, historical legacy, and institutional pressure. That sensibility is embedded in Highest 2 Lowest, even as it branches into genre storytelling with thriller and noir influences.
Jeffrey Wright’s inclusion adds further depth to the ensemble. Known for layered performances in projects like Westworld, American Fiction, and Basquiat, Wright brings quiet control to stories driven by interpersonal conflict. Ilfenesh Hadera, with past credits including Billions and Godfather of Harlem, rounds out the cast with roles that often involve complex alliances and shifting loyalties.
Though plot details remain limited, Highest 2 Lowest appears to blend Lee’s signature thematic concerns with a modern narrative structure. Rather than a direct remake of High and Low, the film uses the source material as a springboard. The characters, setting, and stakes have been reimagined to fit a world where public persona, money, and surveillance shape private decisions.
With Highest 2 Lowest, Lee revisits a cinematic partnership that spans multiple decades while introducing new voices into his filmography. The casting of Rocky, combined with the presence of artists like Ice Spice, positions the film at the intersection of tradition and transition. The result is a portrait of modern power built from shifting alliances, generational friction, and the illusions of fame.
The Cannes screening will be the first public presentation of the film, which Lee reportedly screened privately for Martin Scorsese earlier this year. According to Lee, Scorsese praised Washington’s performance and offered strong support for the film’s direction. That endorsement adds further momentum ahead of the film’s August release in theaters.