'Highest 2 Lowest', the much-anticipated and critically acclaimed Apple Original thriller starring Denzel Washington, will have its digital premiere on September 5. The film, directed by Spike Lee, had its limited theatrical release on August 15. Prior to that, the film premiered out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19.
A contemporary reimagining of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa's 1963 classic 'High and Low' (itself an adaptation of American novelist Ed McBain's police thriller 'King's Ransom'), the film updates the setting to modern-day New York City.
Denzel Washington's co-stars include Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, and ASAP Rocky, among others, in significant roles.
While the original story and the Kurosawa film revolved around Kingo Gondo, a businessman and senior shoe company executive, played by Toshiro Mifune, the Spike Lee has Denzel playing David King, a music mogul who, like the original character, is caught in a dilemma when kidnappers erroneously take his driver's son, assuming he was King's, and demand a hefty ransom.
Produced by A24 and Apple, ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ is directed by Spike Lee from a screenplay by Alan Fox. It was shot by Matthew Libatique ("Requiem for a Dream", "Iron Man"), who previously worked with Lee in 'Inside Man', the heist thriller starring Denzel and Clive Owen.
Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have the distinction of being one of Hollywood's finest actor-director duos, akin to Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro. 'Highest 2 Lowest' marks their fifth collaboration. Previously, they have worked in 'Mo Better Blues', 'Malcolm X', 'He Got Game', and 'Inside Men'.
