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The Big Picture
- Spike Lee wraps filming on his latest movie a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic
High and Low. - This will be the fifth collaboration between Lee and lead star Denzel Washington.
- Lee expressed gratitude to the cast, which includes Washington, Jeffery Wright, and Ice Spice.
Spike Lee is finishing up work on his latest joint. The acclaimed director has confirmed that filming has wrapped on High and Low, his upcoming A24 and Apple Original Films’ remake of the classic 1963 Akira Kurosawa film of the same name. The police procedural film will star Denzel Washington, marking the fifth collaboration between the director and the Academy Award-winning actor, a fact Lee mentioned in his wrap announcement.
The news of filming completion came via Lee’s Instagram account, where he shared a photo of himself alongside the cast and crew. “This Past Friday We Officially Wrapped DA New Spike Joint Starring My Brother Mr. DENZEL WASHINGTON,” Lee captioned the post. “Dis Iz Our 5th Joint Together.” Lee also noted that the photo was of “our hardworking talented cast and crew. I thank you all. And dat’s da AKIRA KUROSAWA truth, ruth.” Details on High and Low remain slim. However, the original film starred Toshirō Mifune as an executive at a shoe company working on a large merger. But his business plans must get brushed aside when his chauffeur’s son is accidentally kidnapped, and he must figure out a way to free the kidnapped child while also remaining in control at the shoe company.
In addition to Washington, the film will star Jeffrey Wright and rapper Ice Spice in undisclosed roles. Lee directed from a script he co-wrote with Alan Fox. The film was produced by Todd Black for Escape Artists and Jason Michael Berman for Mandalay Pictures. Lee executive produced for his 40 Acres And A Mule Filmworks alongside Peter Guber of Mandalay and Juniper Production’s Matthew Lindner, Chris Brigham, and Katia Washington. A24 is reportedly planning to release the film theatrically before it streams on Apple TV+ at a later date.
Washington and Lee Are Frequent Collaborators
Lee’s Instagram post also noted the longstanding relationship he has with Washington and the four prior films they have made together. This includes 1990’s Mo’ Better Blues, 1992’s Malcolm X, 1998’s He Got Game, and 2006’s Inside Man. The most notable of these for Washington was likely Malcolm X, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama. It is one of 10 Oscar nominations the lauded actor has earned, winning two.
Lee will be the director who finally cracked the code on a Hollywood High and Low remake, after directors such as Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols, and Steven Spielberg all try unsuccesfully to reboot the film. It will be Lee’s first project since 2020’s Da 5 Bloods, and comes six years after his highly acclaimed film, 2018’s BlacKkKlansman, garnered six Oscar nominations, including Lee for Best Director.
No release date for High and Low has been announced. Stay tuned to Collider for more information. Lee’s Instagram post can be seen below:
