Spike Lee’s Remake of Kurosawa’s Work, ‘Highest 2 Lowest,’ Unveils Flawless Trailer

Spike Lee’s reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller, High to Low, generated excitement at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Now, as the film prepares to grace both theaters and streaming platforms, A24 and Apple have unveiled a beautifully crafted new trailer.

Co-written by Alan Fox and Lee, Highest 2 Lowest features Denzel Washington reuniting with the legendary director, portraying New York music mogul David King. (Kurosawa’s original film focused on Tokyo shoe company executive Kingo Gondo, played by Toshiro Mifune.) When a personal ransom scheme unexpectedly unfolds, the city’s iconic skyline and subways take on a darker hue as King navigates through the turmoil.

Jeffrey Wright portrays King’s devoted driver and closest confidante, Paul. A$AP Rocky steps into the role of Yung Felon, an aspiring rapper eager to make an impression on the music mogul, while Ilfenesh Hadera plays David’s supportive wife, Pam.

Lee’s team boasts an exceptional group of collaborators, including longtime editor Barry Alexander Brown, composer Howard Drossin, The Get Down editor Allyson C. Johnson, frequent Washington producer Todd Black, and the talented cinematographer Matthew Libatique, known for his work with Darren Aronofsky.

Highest 2 Lowest will be released in theaters on August 15, followed by its streaming debut on Apple TV+ on September 5.