Spike Lee is back with a bold new vision. Today, A24 and Apple released the gripping first trailer for Highest 2 Lowest, a crime thriller that reunites the legendary director with longtime collaborator Denzel Washington. The film is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, followed by a theatrical release on August 22 and a streaming debut on Apple TV+ beginning September 5.
Loosely inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low—itself an adaptation of Ed McBain’s The King’s Ransom—Highest 2 Lowest reimagines the moral dilemma at the center of the story through a modern lens. Washington stars as a revered New York City music executive with the “best ears in the business,” whose success is jeopardized when he’s caught in a high-stakes ransom plot that forces him to choose between ambition and humanity.
Written by William Alan Fox and shot by acclaimed cinematographer Matthew Libatique, the film marks Lee’s first feature since Da 5 Bloods and his fifth collaboration with Washington. The ensemble cast includes A$AP Rocky, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, and rap star Ice Spice in her acting debut.
Produced by A24, Escape Artists, Mandalay Pictures, and 40 Acres and a Mule, Highest 2 Lowest promises to be one of the year’s most talked-about releases.
Take a look at the trailer for Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest below.