Highest 2 Lowest TRAILER: Denzel Washington Teams Up With Spike Lee for Remake of Akira Kurosawa's Classic Thriller

Spike Lee has returned to the director’s chair for his upcoming thriller, Highest 2 Lowest. The filmmaker has reunited with Denzel Washington for the fifth time for the movie based on Akira Kurosawa’s book about a businessman who decides how to use his wealth. A24 released the first trailer of the upcoming film, which is set to have a world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. 

Apart from the Gladiator II actor, the movie will also star A$AP Rocky, Dean Winters, Jeffery Wright, and Michael Potts, among others. Speaking highly of his film, Lee said at the Red Sea Film Festival, “One of the best things about film school is that you get introduced to world cinema, not just Hollywood.” 

He further said, “Seeing Kurosawa’s film ‘Rashomon’ and its structure inspired me to make ‘She’s Gotta Have It.’ In ‘Rashomon,’ you have three people who witness a rape, and each gives their own opinion of what happened. In ‘She’s Gotta Have It,’ Nola Darling has three boyfriends who each see her in a different way. From the very beginning of my career, I was influenced by Kurosawa.”

As for the trailer, the preview opens with a voiceover of Washington, who says, “There’s more to life than just making money. There’s integrity, and that’s what you stand for.” Further in the trailer, the scenes show the highs and lows of a businessman throughout his career. 

Meanwhile, speaking of his fifth-time collaboration with Spike Lee, the Equalizer alum shared, “I’m just glad we got five in.” The movie is produced by A24, Escape Artists, Mandalay Pictures, 40 Acres and a Mule, and Filmworks. 

Highest 2 Lowest will hit theaters on August 22, 2025.

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