Director Spike Lee has unveiled the first teaser for his upcoming film Highest 2 Lowest, marking his fifth collaboration with Oscar-winner Denzel Washington. The 51-second teaser, initially released ahead of schedule on Lee’s Instagram, offers a glimpse into a gripping modern-day crime thriller set in New York City.
Highest 2 Lowest is a contemporary reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low, itself based on Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom. In this adaptation, Washington portrays David King, a powerful music mogul confronted with a harrowing moral dilemma when faced with a ransom plot.
The film also stars A$AP Rocky as Yung Felony, with supporting roles by Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, and Ice Spice, who makes her feature film debut.
Trailer Highlights
Set to James Brown’s “The Payback,” the teaser features Washington delivering a poignant monologue:
“There’s more to life than just making money. It’s integrity. It’s what you stand for. It’s what you actually believe in.”
The visuals showcase intense scenes, including NYPD operations, ransom exchanges, and symbolic imagery like a negative photo of the Brooklyn Bridge.
This 5th collaboration between Lee and Washington looks to live up to the hype, and it’s scheduled to make it’s premiere at Cannes Film Festival May 19th, followed by a theatrical release on August 22nd, before heading to Apple TV+ September 5th.
Highest 2 Lowest is distributed by A24 and Apple Original Films.
