News

Update: 2025/08/17 08:08 Est By Brennan Klein

Weapons Holds Strong With Solid Week 2 Drop

This article was originally written Saturday Am and has been updated Sunday Am with up-to-date box office projections (in bold), a full chart, and further analysis.

Weapons has taken No. 1 at the domestic box office for the second weekend in a row. The Zach Cregger horror movie debuted on August 8, taking No. 1 over fellow new release Freakier Friday with a 3-day haul of $43.5 million. By the end of its first full week in theaters, it had surpassed the $100 million milestone worldwide.

Weapons had a great deal of competition during its sophomore weekend with the arrival of four major new releases. These include the Bob Odenkirk action sequel Nobody 2, Spike Lee's Kurosawa remake Highest 2 Lowest (his first time working with longtime collaborator Denzel Washington since 2006's Inside Man), the horror remake Witchboard, and the Sydney Sweeney crime thriller Americana.

Denzel Washington and Spike Lee have been collaborating since 1990's Mo' Better Blues, and the two legends have been genuine staples within the industry. The movie followed Washington's Bleek Gilliam, a fictional musician struggling to find his way in life. It was their earliest effort together, and the two award-winning stars would go on to feature in many more collaborations.

The duo quickly elected to reunite in Malcolm X (1992), which was a critically renowned masterpiece that saw Washington playing historical activist Malcolm X and Lee as Shorty. Their next collaboration was He Got Game (1998), a sports drama that saw Lee in the driver's seat as the writer and director.

It would not be until Inside Man in 2006 that the pair would collaborate again, and the heist movie went on to thrill critics and earn an impressive box office. While they do not always work together, as they have created countless productions apart,...

Spike Lee, the iconic filmmaker behind Highest 2 Lowest and some of America’s most celebrated movies, including Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, and Inside Man. With a career spanning over 40 years, Lee has made a name for himself by telling stories that tackle race, society, and culture, with unflinching honesty

With a net worth estimated at $60 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), Lee is roughly three times wealthier than rapper Asap Rocky, who is estimated at around $20 million (via Cnw) and also stars in Highest 2 Lowest.

He started small with the low-budget indie She’s Gotta Have It in 1986, which cost $175,000 to make and earned over $7 million (via Forbes). Since then, he has directed more than 35 films through his production company, 40 Acres and a Mule, and has earned critical acclaim, multiple award nominations, and hits along the way.

Besides directing, Lee teaches at NYU’s Tisch School of the...

The dog days of summer have settled in at the box office, and this weekend’s returns are expected to reflect the seasonal slowdown. Warner Bros.’ horror-thriller Weapons, which surprised with a strong $43.5 million debut last weekend, is on track to hold its lead, with a second weekend gross projected at $25 million. Supported by stellar reviews, an A-minus CinemaScore, and an expansion to 3,450 theaters, Weapons is expected to pass the $90 million domestic milestone by Sunday, having already surpassed $100 million worldwide.

Meanwhile, Universal’s action sequel Nobody 2, a follow-up to the 2021 sleeper hit starring Bob Odenkirk, is expected to make a modest splash with an opening between $9 million and $12 million. By comparison, the original Nobody debuted with $6.8 million during the pandemic's early recovery phase and went on to gross $27.5 million domestically. This time, Odenkirk’s Hutch Mansell is drawn back into his violent past after stopping a home invasion — igniting...

“He’s like a jazz musician,” Matthew Libatique explains when quizzed on his longtime collaborator Spike Lee.

The two filmmakers, both native New Yorkers, have worked together on five features: Inside Man, She Hate Me, Miracle at St. Anna, Chi-Raq, and, most recently, Highest 2 Lowest, which opens today in U.S. theatres. Only Ernest Dickerson, the great cinematographer behind Lee’s most famous works, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, and Jungle Fever, has worked with the filmmaker more.

Highest 2 Lowest is Lee’s first New York-shot and set film since 2014’s Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. A remake, or, as Lee has described, a reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, it’s an ambitious film set across Manhattan and Brooklyn, with some of the most impressive action sequences in Lee’s decades-long career..

The crime-thriller stars Denzel Washington as a music industry exec who becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom. The wider ensemble features A$AP Rocky, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, and Elijah Wright.

Below, Libatique shares some of the secrets behind the film’s production, including how he and Lee managed to shoot on live Subway cars, how they executed the expansive Uptown sequence in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, and working with Denzel Washington. Libatique also talks about his time working on the now-stalled Blade sequel for Marvel.

Highest 2 Lowest is in theatres now and will drop on Apple TV+ on September 5.

Deadline: Matthew, you’re from New York, right? You’ve had a long collaboration with Spike. How’d that come about?

Matthew Libatique: I’m from Elmhurst, Queens, but I met Spike for the first time in California. I was in my early 30s, and I got a call from my agent at the time. She said, ‘Guess who called?’ It was Spike Lee. I freaked out. I remember meeting him at the Mondrian in Hollywood. I had to keep convincing myself to be professional. But we hit it off right away, and the rest is history. I wish I had done more films with him. I’m thankful for our relationship.

Deadline: Spike’s carry such a unique and indescribable feeling. It’s very him. As someone who has worked with him, what do you think creates that energy. What does he different from the others?

Libatique: He’s fearless in how he executes each day and accomplishes a scene. He’s not in the tradition of Ridley Scott, where he shoots everything with three cameras. He will do an entire two pages of dialogue with one shot. It’s really just a feeling. He’s like a jazz musician. The camera, lens, and performances aren’t Spike’s only considerations. He also has an idea of the final music and cadence while we’re shooting. He’s a true craftsman, but he’s also a creative force. He doesn’t see the world the same way as everybody else. And when you talk to him, you see that he’s a student of filmmakers like Billy Wilder, John Ford, and Alfred Hitchcock. So he’s an amalgamation of how he grew up as a kid. Popular culture personified. And a true craftsman.

Deadline: What was Spike’s pitch to you for this film?

Libatique: There was no pitch. Spike said, ‘Matty, I’m doing Kurosawa’s High and Low with Denzel.’ When somebody says that to you, there’s no pitch—that’s it.

Deadline: You’ve been pretty busy over the last few years. You shot ‘Caught Stealing’ and ‘Is This Thing On?.’ How’d this film fit into that schedule?

Libatique: After the strikes, I was going to do the sequel to Blade. I was in Atlanta, and planned to move to New York after the shoot. But the writers’ strikes happened. Blade shut down. I was stuck in Atlanta when Spike called. I finally moved to New York and started prepping with Spike two months later, so it didn’t have to fit in. I couldn’t believe how amazing a project it was, just the reunion of Spike and Denzel. It was an honor.

Deadline: The opening sequence: I have to ask, that wasn’t scripted, was it? How’d you execute it? Did you use drones? How’d you pick the music?

Libatique: I didn’t know what the music was going to be; Spike just came out of left field with it. Who would have expected it? I would’ve thought it might be something else, perhaps a score from Branford or Wynton Marsalis or maybe a Hip Hop track, but it was an old classic. And that’s what I’m saying, if Spike were a chef, he would make the oddest food ever. You think what he does is anachronistic, but it all works because it’s so consistent.

The opening wasn’t really scripted. His first idea was to go over the welcome sign in Brooklyn. And then go towards the building, but they wouldn’t let us fly over the Brooklyn Bridge. You’re not allowed to fly over the Brooklyn Bridge, so we ended up flying towards the building from the other side of the bridge. And then we had the drone up there and started shooting. We also mixed in some helicopter work, which we had to do because later in the film, there’s a chase scene up the East Side Highway, which we shot using the helicopter.

Deadline: People often talk about the difficulties of shooting in New York. What makes it so tough beyond the expense?

Libatique: The city is full of people who aren’t in the film industry, and there’s not a high tolerance for taking over a whole block to shoot something. It’s not like Los Angeles, which is an industry town, so you have to negotiate with real people, which is a challenge for the film commission in New York. For example, we used to be able to shoot two people in a car up and down Fifth Avenue. Now, just getting the location is a problem because they won’t really close down a road, so then you’re starting and stopping. They also have limits on how long you can be in a neighborhood to protect the population. And it’s expensive. But it’s worth it.

Deadline: And the Uptown Puerto Rican parade sequence. It immediately goes down as one of the all-time New York movie sequences. Did you really shoot that on the ground in the Bronx?

Libatique: Yep, we shot right in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. We shot the big party sequence at a skate park about three blocks away from Yankee stadium. Once Denzel’s character leaves the confines of the home, the language of the film changes. We transition into a more handheld environment. I even switched lenses. I switched from an anamorphic lens, the Mercury Atlas 1.5 Prime, to old Canon rangefinders for more flair and softer contrast. That’s when we introduced 16mm and Super 8 cameras. Spike is down for anything, and that’s why it’s so fun to work with him. One day, he said to me, ‘Where can we fit in film?’ And I said, the Puerto Rico Day Parade and the Subway. As soon as he leaves the house, it wouldn’t be one format, because he’s out in the real world. This affluent and famous man has to be out with the rest of us. I wanted to feel like the cinematography had different perspectives.

Deadline: How long did it take to shoot?

Libatique: It was a few days here and there on the Subway. We shot on the actual Subway cars. In New York, you can only shoot on two or three Subway platforms. Working with the Mta in New York is extremely difficult. Obviously, the Subway is used by real people at all hours of the day. There are some old platforms that you’re allowed to shoot on. When you watch the film, the train goes from Wall Street to 42nd Street, 14th Street, all the way Uptown. But it was all just one platform. We were just changing the angle and changing the signs. They also only gave us one train to shoot on, and we could only run it from one stop to another. It took a little time to cheat that.

Deadline: What was it like working with Denzel again?

Libatique: There are many movie stars, but he is beyond a movie star. He’s just an entity. And the camera loves him. Again, I go back to the jazz reference. For example, you see him rhyme at the end of the film with A$AP. That was all him. It wasn’t scripted. There’s the moment where he’s talking to Jeffrey Wright, and he’s just so frustrated that he starts slamming stuff onto his desk. Again, not scripted. He just creates. So you have Spike person creating behind the camera, and Denzel creating in front of it. It’s a magical combination. Working with him is just a joy to watch.

Deadline: You missed the Cannes premiere. Were you shooting Aronofsky’s film?

Libatique: I wasn’t shooting, I was coloring the film. I just finished it. It took a while, and I just couldn’t take myself away from my concentration. So I opted not to go.

Deadline: One major change since we last spoke in 2023 for Maestro is the discussion around AI in filmmaking and cinematography, specifically. What do you think about it all?

Libatique: It’s piqued my interest. You need to keep up with technology as a cinematographer or filmmaker. Some stuff I’ve seen looks photo-real, while other things look like I’m playing Call of Duty. I know from coloring a movie how AI tools have changed the game. We used to farm out shots for rotoscoping to different countries because it was a laborious process that was expensive to pay for when we did it in the United States. Now we can do it in real time. We had a shot in Highest 2 Lowest where Jeffrey Wright is in Denzel’s office, and there’s a light in his glasses. In the past, you would just take the L because there was nothing you could do about it. But using AI tools, they were able to take previous frames, reconstruct his eye, and remove the light.

It’s incumbent upon us to understand the technology. Everything is being redefined now, like the workflow. I think it will be akin to how the animation workflow works. I’ve experimented with prompting AI, and I never get good results, so it’s interesting. I’m not gonna sit there and be doom and gloom. We gotta face it.

Deadline: Last question: You mentioned Blade. When the film gets back moving will you go back and shoot it?

Libatique: It depends on the script and the filmmaker. But it’s always fun to reunite with old friends like Marvel.

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington’s “Highest 2 Lowest” hits theaters on Aug. 15 and in a joint interview with Vanity Fair published Thursday, the pair discussed the film’s limited theatrical release and how Apple played a big part in getting the film made.

The film will hit the streamer in September. While discussing the shifting landscape of film distribution they acknowledged how limited theatrical rollout is now the name of the game in the industry.

“That’s the nature of the business now—they also gave us a lot of money to make the film,” Washington said of Apple’s involvement. “The industry has changed. Time has changed. So we’ve got to change with the times.”

“This film would not have been made without Apple,” Lee said. “That’s just the truth.”

Though Washington and Lee are regarded as an iconic actor/director pairing, it’s been a...

One of the joys of movies is watching Denzel Washington act. While the concept of the movie star has changed drastically over the years, Washington remains one of the best of the best — a powerhouse performer with a screen presence that pulls us like a magnet. Washington has had many wonderful collaborators over the years, but arguably the best of his partnerships has been with Spike Lee. Lee, one of the best to ever do it, has helmed Washington in several memorable roles, and the last time they worked together was in 2006's crackerjack bank robbery flick "Inside Man" (the biggest box office hit of Lee's career).

Now, almost 20 years later, Washington and Lee are together again with "Highest 2 Lowest," a remake of Akira Kurosawa's masterful "High and Low" (itself inspired by the Ed McBain book "King's Ransom"). Washington and Lee reuniting is probably worth the price of admission alone,...

Here’s How You Can Watch Denzel Washington’s High-Rated Highest 2 Lowest Online! (Photo Credit –X)

Veteran Hollywood actor Denzel Washington has delivered many memorable performances throughout his illustrious career. The list includes Malcolm X, Training Day, The Great Debaters, American Gangster, Flight, and The Tragedy of Macbeth, to name a few. And now, the Oscar-winning actor is geared up for his next film, Highest 2 Lowest, which is slated to hit the big screen in the U.S. on August 15, 2025.

Ahead of its theatrical release, Spike Lee’s crime thriller has garnered favorable reviews from critics. The film currently holds an impressive 92% critics’ score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Read on to discover the film’s plot and where to stream it after its theatrical release.

Highest 2 Lowest by Spike Lee, starring Denzel Washington. August 15th. pic.twitter.com/BhIJeZT0K6

— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) July 24, 2025

Highest 2 Lowest...

Denzel Washington is one of the most popular actors alive, and over the years he has won and been nominated for several Oscars. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Cry Freedom in 1988, won Best Actor for Glory in 1990, and got another nomination for Malcolm X in 1993.

He was nominated again for The Hurricane in 2000, won Best Actor for Training Day in 2002, and received nominations for Flight, Fences, Roman J. Israel, Esq., and The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Now, Washington is back with a new movie, Highest 2 Lowest, which critics are loving. The 2025 neo-noir crime thriller is directed by Spike Lee and is an English-language take on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low.

The movie is loosely based on the 1959 novel King’s Ransom by Ed McBain. It stars Denzel Washington, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Asap Rocky, and Ice Spice, who makes her film debut. This marks the first time...

Denzel Washington is one of the most popular actors alive, and it’s no surprise he has won and been nominated for several Oscars over the years. He won Best Supporting Actor for Glory in 1990 and Best Actor for Training Day in 2002.

Other nominations include Cry Freedom (1988), Malcolm X (1993), The Hurricane (2000), Flight (2013), Fences (2017), Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2018), and The Tragedy of Macbeth (2022).

Now, Washington is back on screens with his new movie Highest 2 Lowest, which is already getting great reviews from critics. Directed by Spike Lee, the 2025 neo-noir crime thriller is an English-language remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low, itself based on Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom.

The movie stars Denzel Washington, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Asap Rocky, and Ice Spice, marking her first film role. This film also marks the first collaboration between Lee and Washington since Inside Man in 2006.

While promoting the film on Jake’s Takes,...

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington have collaborated on five movies so far, including 2025’s Highest 2 Lowest. Despite initially announcing that the latter would be his last project with the Oscar-winning actor, Lee recently confirmed he was open to working with Washington in the future (via The Hollywood Reporter).

I’m open to work with Denzel Washington and this not be the last film of the dynamic duo, D and Lee.

Lee made the above comment during a conversation with the publication, leaving the door open for more projects with Washington. However, until their next collaboration materializes, let’s take a look at the prolific duo’s five movies and see which one ranks the best. Here are all five Denzel Washington and Spike Lee movies ranked from worst to best!

5. Mo’ Better Blues (1990) A still from Mo’ Better Blues (Credit: Universal Pictures).

Mo’ Better Blues is a musical comedy-drama...

Spike Lee addressed whether Highest 2 Lowest will be his last movie with Denzel Washington. The pair have worked on five movies together, including Inside Man, Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and the latest reimagining of Akira Kurosawa's 1963 movie, High and Low. At Cannes, the legendary filmmaker suggested that Highest 2 Lowest might be their last film together after Washington's talk about retiring.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Malcolm X director revealed whether he intends to do another movie with Washington. He clarified that despite what he said, he's "open" to working with the actor again, hoping that Highest 2 Lowest would "not be the last film" from the duo. Read Lee's comment below:

I said that before, but I got my mind right. I'm open to work with Denzel Washington and this not be the last film of the dynamic duo,...

Will “Nobody 2” pack a punch at the box office? Universal’s sequel to the pandemic-era hit “Nobody,” starring Bob Odenkirk as a seemingly mild-mannered dad who actually kicks ass and takes names, is aiming for $10 million to $12 million from 3,200 North American theaters in its opening weekend.

That’s marginally ahead of the original 2021 film, which debuted to $6.8 million at a time when cinemas around the country were just starting to turn the lights back on after Covid. Even with that hobbled moviegoing landscape, “Nobody” managed to power to $27 million domestically and $57 million globally. Then, the first film was popular enough on premium video-on-demand platforms for Universal to greenlight a sequel, in which Odenkirk returns with vengeance. In the follow-up, his character Hutch Mansell takes his family on vacation to the small tourist town of Plummerville and finds himself in the crosshairs of several shady locals. “Nobody 2” was modestly priced at $25 million,...

Spike Lee is back in 2025 with a new neo-noir crime thriller called Highest 2 Lowest. The film is an English-language remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low, which itself was inspired by Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom.

Denzel Washington stars alongside Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Asap Rocky, and Ice Spice, who makes her film debut. This project marks the first time Lee and Washington have worked together since 2006’s Inside Man.

Filming took place in New York City, starting in March 2024 and wrapping in May. Highest 2 Lowest had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2025, out of competition. The movie is set to hit theaters in the United States on August 15 through A24 and will be available on Apple TV+ starting September 5, according to the studio.

Denzel Washington stars in the official trailer for Spike Lee's #Highest2Lowest (89%). pic.twitter.com/C3fPquRq...

Spike Lee’s latest film, Highest 2 Lowest, is a 2025 American neo-noir crime thriller that reimagines Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low. The movie is also loosely based on Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom.

The film stars Denzel Washington, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Asap Rocky, and Ice Spice, who makes her big-screen debut. This marks the first time Lee and Washington have worked together since 2006’s Inside Man, making it a highly anticipated reunion.

Filming took place in New York City from March to May 2024. Highest 2 Lowest had its world premiere out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2025. A24 is releasing the film in U.S. theaters on August 15, and it will become available on Apple TV+ on September 5.

Critics have generally responded positively. On Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 49 reviews were positive, while Metacritic gave it a score of 76 out of 100, signaling “generally favorable” reviews.

Spike Lee made headlines at Cannes this year when premiering his new film Highest 2 Lowest and announcing that it would likely be his last team-up with frequent collaborator Denzel Washington.

“I think this is it — five,” Lee told reporters of his and Washington’s number of films together. “He’s been talking about retirement, even though he’s just done another deal. Five films together, they stand up.”

The pair have united for Inside Man, Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game and now Highest 2 Lowest, but at the new film’s New York premiere on Monday, Lee walked back those previous comments and kept the door open for more projects with Washington.

“I said that before, but I got my mind right,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m open to work with Denzel Washington and this not be the last film of the dynamic duo,...

It’s been almost two decades since Spike Lee and Denzel Washington last joined forces with Inside Man, an instant classic of the heist genre. Their fifth and latest outing, Highest 2 Lowest, finds them paying tribute to another director-actor pairing—that of Kurosawa Akira and Mifune Toshiro, whose work together in the 1950s and ’60s has inspired several remakes and homages over the years, from A Fistful of Dollars to Star Wars.

Highest 2 Lowest draws from Kurosawa’s High and Low (titled Heaven and Hell in the original Japanese), itself an adaptation of a pulp novel by Ed McBain published a few years earlier. Working from a script by Alan Fox, Lee does for Kurosawa’s masterpiece what Kurosawa had done for several plays by William Shakespeare, translating the essentials of plot and character to a new time period and cultural context. Anyone familiar with the original—a...

Highest 2 Lowest stars Denzel Washington, A$AP Rocky, Ice Spice and director Spike Lee were in attendance at the A24 and Apple film’s red carpet premiere at New York City’s Brooklyn Academy of Music this evening.

Held at Bam Strong’s Harvey Theater, the star-studded affair also featured cast members Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, Dean Winters, John Douglas Thompson and more, as well as performers who had notably collaborated with Lee decades prior via his seminal breakout Do the Right Thing, which stars Giancarlo Esposito and Rosie Perez, both of whom reunited with the filmmaker tonight.

A slate of musicians also graced the carpet, including Judy Collins, Brent Faiyaz, Chance the Rapper, Princess Nokia and Slick Rick. Other notable attendees included Sinners breakout Miles Caton, Dapper Dan, Keegan-Michael Key, This Is Us alumna Susan Kelechi Watson, Tony winner Adrienne Warren and The Sopranos‘ Edie Falco.

Hitting theaters Aug.

A Highest 2 Lowest star "didn't even know" his son was auditioning with Denzel Washington, and yes, he got the part. Directed by Spike Lee, the upcoming film is a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low (1963) and stars Washington as a powerful music mogul who becomes the target of a ransom scheme and is forced to make an impossible moral choice.

In addition to Denzel Washington in the lead role, the cast also includes Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, Asap Rocky, Ice Spice, Dean Winters, John Douglas Thompson, Lachanze, Aubrey Joseph, Michael Potts, Wendell Pierce, and Elijah Wright. Appearing as themselves are Eddie Palmieri, Anthony Ramos, and Rosie Perez.

In an interview with ScreenRant, Highest 2 Lowest star Jeffrey Wright shared the story of how his son, Elijah Wright, also landed a role in the movie. Originally up for another role, his son's audition tape impressed Spike Lee, leading to an unexpected audition with Washington.

There’s a reason why Spike Lee’s latest, “Highest 2 Lowest” opens with “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'” from “Oklahoma!” playing over swooning aerial views of the high-rises of New York. The oldest of five kids, Lee was not only influenced by his jazz musician father, but he was also his cinephile mother’s movie date. She loved musicals like “Oklahoma!,” “The Sound of Music,” and “Bye Bye Birdie,” which inspired the Rosie Perez opening of “Do the Right Thing.”

A family friend also took the young Lee to see Akira Kurosawa films.

“I wanted to see people’s heads chopped off, in Samurai films,” Lee told me at Cannes in May, where “Highest 2 Lowest” premiered out of competition. At NYU Film School he came to appreciate Kurasawa’s entire oeuvre. “Rashomon” inspired the differing perspectives in his first feature, “She’s Gotta Have It.”

“Highest 2 Lowest” marks...

A movie starring Jason Statham and Clive Owen is making a splash with at-home audiences more than a decade after flopping in theaters. Clive Owen is an Oscar-nominated actor who is best known for his roles in movies such as Closer, Inside Man, and Children of Men. Collectively, his movies have grossed nearly $2 billion worldwide.

Meanwhile, Jason Statham movies have grossed more than $8 billion worldwide. This is partially due to a number of franchises in which he is part of a star-studded ensemble, such as The Expendables and Fast and Furious. However, he has also had numerous successes as a leading man, including The Meg, Crank, and The Transporter.

Killer Elite Is Surging On Streaming

Now, 2011's Killer Elite is thriving on streaming more than a decade after disappointing in theaters. The movie is based on the 1991 novel The Feather Menby Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who is no relation to Oscar-nominated...

Spike Lee’s new film Highest 2 Lowest released its first trailer Monday, revealing Denzel Washington and A$AP Rocky in a tense ransom drama set inside New York’s music industry and hitting theaters August 15 before streaming on Apple TV+ September 5. The project reunites Washington and Lee for the first time since 2006’s Inside Man and reimagines Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 thriller High and Low through a hip-hop lens, with A24 and Apple Original Films co-financing.

Washington portrays David King, a legendary label chief whose son is abducted; Rocky’s Yung Felon demands a precisely calculated $17.5 million payoff, a figure teased in the trailer’s opening monologue. Early footage shows Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice, and Ilfenesh Hadera orbiting King’s recording-studio empire, while commentators point to bold streetwear, gold headphones, and diamond watches that double as symbols of status and threat.

Apple’s synopsis lists a 133-minute running time and...

Starring Denzel Washington and A$AP Rocky, Spike Lee’s highly anticipated thriller Highest 2 Lowest is gearing up for both its theatrical and streaming release. The film, which is set to hit the theatres on August 15, 2025, will be made available for streaming on Apple TV+ starting from September 5, 2025.

Highest 2 Lowest had its grand premiere at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival, earning a positive response from critics, having an 89% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its release. A reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, Lee’s neo-noir thriller is set in modern-day New York City, focusing on a powerful music executive caught up in a high-stakes ransom plot.

Highest 2 Lowest Drops Thrilling New Trailer Denzel Washington in Highest 2 Lowest | Credit: A24

In a very interesting move, Highest 2 Lowest released its first official trailer merely days before the film hits theatres. However, the trailer, which...

When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business”, is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a reinterpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller High and Low, now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City.

In his Cannes Film Festival review, RogerEbert‘s Robert Daniels says, “Lee isn’t setting out to copy what was great before. He is using the past as a starting point to launch into what may be the final phase of his career. He is wielding a plethora of inspirations—musical, cinematic, and historical—to reunite with an old friend. He is making a Spike Lee joint. And it’s exceptional.”

Starring Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright,...

A24 has dropped the first full trailer for ‘Highest to Lowest,’ a gripping modern reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 masterwork High and Low, helmed by none other than Academy Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee.

Part crime thriller, part social commentary, the film sees Lee fuse his signature style of political urgency and kinetic energy with the bones of Kurosawa’s psychological noir. The result? A sleek, pressure-cooker drama set against the brutal backdrop of American class division and corporate power.

Leading the powerhouse ensemble is Denzel Washington, reuniting with Lee after their acclaimed collaborations on ‘Malcolm X,’ ‘He Got Game,’ and ‘Inside Man.’ Washington steps into the role originally played by Toshiro Mifune — here reimagined as a high-profile tech executive whose world unravels when a kidnapper mistakes the identity of a child in his care. But unlike the original film, Lee’s take pivots not just on moral dilemma, but on how wealth,...

Spike Lee’s new movie, Highest 2 Lowest, is making waves as a fresh take on Akira Kurosawa’s classic 1963 film High and Low.

This neo-noir crime thriller stars Denzel Washington, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Asap Rocky, and introduces Ice Spice in her first film role. The movie is based on the 1959 novel King’s Ransom by Ed McBain, but Lee brings a modern and American twist to the story.

Filming started in New York City in March 2024 and wrapped up by May. The movie had its world premiere out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2025. It’s set to hit theaters in the United States on August 15, with streaming on Apple TV+ to follow on September 5. The trailer for Highest 2 Lowest has just been released, giving fans a first look at the intense and stylish new film.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by...

Spike Lee’s new film Highest 2 Lowest is making waves with its recently released trailer, giving audiences their first real look at this stylish neo-noir crime thriller.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by A24 (@a24)

The movie stars Denzel Washington and is a fresh take on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low. This American version brings the story into today’s world, exploring crime, loyalty, and power in a gripping new way.

Highest 2 Lowest features a strong cast alongside Washington, including Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Asap Rocky, and Ice Spice, who makes her film debut here. The film’s story centers around David King, played by Washington, and the tense drama that unfolds when a kidnapping turns his world upside down.

The cast also includes familiar faces like Dean Winters and Wendell Pierce, with appearances by Eddie Palmieri, Anthony Ramos, and Rosie Perez as themselves.

Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Spike Lee mark their fifth collaboration with A24’s Highest 2 Lowest. A reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, the crime thriller’s official trailer sets up a battle between Denzel Washington and A$AP Rocky.

The film also stars Oscar nominee Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction) and Ilfenesh Hadera (Godfather of Harlem).

“When a titan music mogul (Washington), widely known as having the ‘best ears in the business,’ is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma,” reads A24’s synopsis.

Denzel Washington and Spike Lee’s successful collaboration began with Mo’ Better Blues in 1990. 1992’s Malcolm X came next, followed by He Got Game in 1998 and 2006’s Inside Man. Their fifth collaboration will open in theaters on August 15, 2025, followed by a streaming debut on Apple TV+ on September 5.

Alan Fox wrote the screenplay and Todd Black...

Amazing things happen when you team Denzel Washington up with Spike Lee. The star and filmmaker have collaborated several times over the years – from Malcolm X and Mo’ Better Blues, to He Got Game. But the last time they got together was on Inside Man, almost 20 years ago now – a film that saw them deliver a slick, mainstream thriller. Finally, with Highest 2 Lowest, Spike and Denzel are reunited – and this one finds them back in thriller mode, with a spin on one of Akira Kurosawa’s non-Samurai pics. Their film – hitting cinemas ahead of an Apple TV+ streaming release – is a spin on High And Low, a tale of extortion in which a high-flying businessman’s son is kidnapped for ransom. Watch the trailer here:

In Kurosawa’s High And Low, based on the novel King’s Ransom, Toshiro Mifune is the head of a major shoe company. In Highest 2 Lowest,...

Acting legend Denzel Washington goes from the Highest 2 Lowest in the anticipated titular crime thriller. The upcoming A24 reimagination of a Japanese classic drops its latest trailer, with Washington front and center.

A24 released the latest Highest 2 Lowest trailer on Aug. 4, spotlighting Washington's central character, David King, a high-ranking music executive regarded as the "best ears in the business." King initially claims that "there's more to life than just making money. There's integrity, there's what you stand for." However, King's associate, Paul Christopher (Jeffrey Wright) suggests that "you gotta be a little crazy sometimes in this world to get what you want."

Things get crazy when King gets threatened by a mystery kidnapper who's taken his son and demands a hefty payday in exchange for returning him home. The kidnapper drives a hard bargain with King, warning him that "you're not God no more...I am," and that "you got blood on your hands,...

Denzel Washington’s creative relationship with director Spike Lee goes all the way back to the 1990s’ Mo’ Better Blues, which they followed up with the landmark movies Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man. After a 19-year break, they have reunited for the kidnapping thriller Highest 2 Lowest. It hits theaters August 15 and comes to Apple TV+ September 5.

Highest 2 Lowest is a loose remake of the 1963 Akira Kurosawa film High and Low, which drew inspiration from Ed McBain’s 1959 crime novel King’s Ransom. In the new incarnation,...

It has been nearly 20 years since Spike Lee and Denzel Washington worked together on a feature. But for their fifth outing, they are going high and low, reteaming for the first time since 2006’s Inside Man for Highest 2 Lowest, the trailer of which has officially dropped ahead of the movie’s August 15th debut.

Here is the official plot of Highest 2 Lowest, courtesy of A24: “When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business”, is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a reinterpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller High and Low, now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City.” The movie runs 134 minutes, slightly shorter than Kurosawa’s film.

Apple and A24 today unveiled the first official trailer for Highest 2 Lowest, their Kurosawa-inspired crime thriller reuniting Spike Lee and Denzel Washington for the first time since Inside Man back in 2006.

The film will hit theaters on August 15 before arriving on Apple TV+ on September 5. The story is a modern reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low, which was itself based on the novel King’s Ransom by Ed McBain. While the original thriller follows a shoe company exec who becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom, the new film, set in contemporary NYC, sees a music mogul played by Washington contend with a similar plot.

Also starring A$AP Rocky, as well as Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, Dean Winters, John Douglas Thompson, and Ice Spice, Highest 2 Lowest debuted out of competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Spike Lee’s first narrative feature in five years is Highest 2 Lowest, his reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low that marks a reteam with Denzel Washington after Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man.

Also starring Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, and A$AP Rocky, the film premiered at Cannes a few months ago and is now getting a summer theatrical release beginning August 15 before dropping on Apple TV+ on September 5. Ahead of the opening, the full trailer has now arrived.

Here’s the synopsis: “When a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the ‘best ears in the business,’ is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. Brothers Denzel Washington and Spike Lee reunite for the 5th in their long working relationship for a reinterpretation of the great filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller High and Low,...

A new Spike Lee movie is still a calendar-clearing event; in the near 30 years since She’s Gotta Have It helped kickstart the Amerindie boom and introduced the world to a brash, trash-talking auteur from Brooklyn, he’s given us era-defining statements and eccentric sidebars, epic biopics and intimate performance movies, blockbusters and docs, highs and lows. His place in the canon is assured. It’s still always a dice roll, of course, and you never know which Spike you’re going to get once the lights go down — the crank,...

Legendary director Spike Lee holds the highest regard for iconic actor and long-time collaborator Denzel Washington, considering some of his biggest films featured the fellow Oscar winner. As they prepare to release their latest project together, Lee believes Washington is the "best actor" around and credits the actor's impact on his career.

Speaking at the Red Sea Film Festival (via Deadline), Lee expressed how much he savoured his first film alongside Washington since 2006's Inside Man. According to the veteran filmmaker, he is "blessed" to have worked with Washington on five films spanning over three decades. “Someone pointed out to me that the last time we worked together was 18 years ago. I was surprised because it didn’t feel that way. I’m very blessed to have done five films together, he is arguably the best actor on the planet,” Lee said.

Related Denzel Washington Reveals Apology to Black Panther...

A few weeks ago, Hollywood legend Denzel Washington did something he shouldn’t have done. During an appearance on The Today Show, Washington revealed that he was working on a new film in the MCU: Black Panther 3. Nevertheless, he wasn’t supposed to spill the details, and now, Washington reveals he had to call Ryan Coogler in order to apologize for the spoilers about the super-secret sequel in the MCU.

Washington spoke to Variety's Award Circuit podcast, and provided some details about what he had to do after he accidentally spilled the beans about his casting in the third Black Panther movie. But it’s Denzel Washington; half the industry probably already forgave him. Per the actor’s claims:

“Ryan’s a genius. I called him and apologized for talking about the movie, and right there sitting with him was his beautiful wife. He’s still Ryan, humble and full of ideas.

Spike Lee’s remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 kidnapping drama High and Low will change the setting from the shoe industry to the far more glamorous music business — and A$AP Rocky will play “the main role,” Lee revealed to Deadline. Also starring in Highest 2 Lowest is Denzel Washington, who will play a successful businessman, a reimagined version of Toshiro Mifune’s part as a shoe-biz executive in the original.

“In our film,” Lee told Deadline, “Denzel Washington is a music mogul with his own label and his reputation...

Spike Lee spoke about his upcoming film, Highest 2 Lowest--which will reunite the director with Denzel Washington--and the Japanese director that inspired it.

Spike Lee has long been an acclaimed director. Films like Do The Right Thing and BlacKkKlansman are searing examinations of the impact of racial politics in the United States, while works like She's Gotta Have It and 25th Hour show his versatility as a director, covering wildly different subjects and genres. According to Variety, he spoke about his newest film, Highest 2 Lowest, during an on-stage talk Tuesday at the Red Sea Film Festival, for which he is president of the competition jury. He talked about how the legendary Japanese director Akira Kurosawa was a key inspiration for his film career.

Related 'I Didn't Give a F—': Spike Lee Defends Madonna's Casting in 1996 Comedy

Acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee breaks down his thought process...

Spike Lee reflects on the documentary that helped the FBI reopen a cold case. While the director excels at helming fictional features, such as Do The Right Thing and Inside Man, his most influential works always come down to non-fiction. His 1992 biopic Malcolm X, which features Denzel Washington as the titular civil rights activist and leader, is considered a cultural touchstone, particularly in Black cinema.

His film adaptation of Ron Stallworth's autobiographical book, Black Klansman: A Memoir, resulted in the Oscar-winning BlacKkKlansman. Lee's next film will be Highest to Lowest, which is a reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low and will mark the fifth collaboration between him and Washington. However, recently, he revealed that he is most proud of the 1997 documentary that helped the FBI solve a case.

Spike Lee Considers 4 Little Girls His Best Work 4 Little Girls Brought Justice To The Victims

4 Little Girls is a...

Spike Lee spoke warmly of his long-time working relationship and friendship with Denzel Washington in a conversation at the Red Sea Film Festival on Tuesday.

Lee is currently in post-production on Highest 2 Lowest, his latest collaboration with Washington, and their fifth film together after Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game and Inside Man.

“Someone pointed out to me that the last time we worked together was 18 years ago. I was surprised because it didn’t feel that way. I’m very blessed to have done five films together, he is arguably the best actor on the planet,” he said.

Lee, who also cast Washington’s son John David Washington’s son in BlacKkKlansman, suggested he shared a special bond with the actor.

“We’re brothers,” he said. “We just do our thing. We’re familiar with one another… our families are very tight.”

Talking about their collaboration in Malcolm X,...

Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, BlacKkKlansman) took a brief break from his work as the president of the main competition jury at the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, sharing industry and career insights during an “In Conversation With” session and talking about being in post-production on his fifth film with Denzel Washington.

He calls his partnership with the actor “the dynamic Duo of D and Lee,” the legendary filmmaker told a crowd in Jeddah Old Town Al-Balad that was hanging on his every word amid growth in Saudi production activity and box office. “We are brothers. … We just do our thing.” Despite a long “gap” between working together, namely 18 years since Inside Man, he shared that it didn’t feel that way once they were on set. “We are familiar with each other. Also, our families are very tight.

Spike Lee spoke about his upcoming film “Highest 2 Lowest” – which will see the director reunite with lead actor Denzel Washington – during an on-stage talk Tuesday at the Red Sea Film Festival, where he is the president of the competition jury.

The film is inspired by Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller “High and Low,” he said, adding that Kurosawa has been a key inspiration for his career – from “She’s Gotta Have It” onward. In “High and Low,” an executive of a Yokohama shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom.

Lee said that attending NYU film school opened his eyes to filmmakers like Kurosawa, who introduced him to new approaches to story structure.

“One of the best things about film school is that you get introduced to world cinema, not just Hollywood. Seeing Kurosawa’s film...

Quick Links What is No Sudden Move About? Audiences Hated No Sudden Move Upon Release No Sudden Move is Perfect for a Double Feature

Some movie formulas are eternal and cannot be trifled with. It's a proven fact now that no matter how many times Hollywood pumps out a Hallmark Christmas movie or a big city rom-com, niche audiences will be there to gobble it up. The target audiences for these movies are generally easy to please, which causes filmmakers to lose their eye for meticulous detail and resort to recycling and replicating. Tropes become tropes for a reason, after all. Some subgenres, however, rely so heavily on fresh originality that they cannot be endlessly recycled for profit. This is the problem that the Heist thriller genre faces.

Audiences are fed up with some recent heist thriller releases, citing laziness and unoriginality. Fans have every reason to have high standards.

Just because someone cleans windows for a living doesn’t mean they can’t kick your ass when it counts. Daisy Ridley is ready to set her squeegee aside in favor of whichever weapon gets the job done in Cleaner, an action-packed thriller from director Martin Campbell. Quiver Distribution announced today that it has acquired North American rights to the Anton and Qwerty Films production Cleaner, set in, around, and on the side of one of the UK’s tallest buildings. Quiver will release the film in theaters on February 21, 2025.

Star Wars icon Daisy Ridley stars in Cleaner, based on a story she developed, alongside Clive Owen, who recently led the FX mini-series A Murder at the End of the World. The film takes Ridley and Owen into the dark heart of danger while innocent lives hang in the balance.

Here’s the official synopsis for Cleaner:

“Cleaner is set in present-day London.

While one of Denzel Washington's greatest movies, Malcolm X, still scores as an all-time hit for the Oscar-winning actor, the film's legendary director admits its emergence was no slam dunk. Decorated helmer Spike Lee insists that the biographical drama nearly went bust and shares how two of the greatest NBA stars of all time showed up in the clutch to save it.

Speaking on The Realest Podcast Ever, Lee recalled how he and Warner Bros. were at odds during the Malcolm X creative process. According to Lee, the studio wanted to cut down its 3-hour-and-22-minute runtime and suggested that he should concede control due to financial issues, leaving him at one of the "lowest points of my life" as he tried figuring things out.

Related Denzel Washington Achieves Career-Best Milestone Thanks to Gladiator II

Legendary actor Denzel Washington secures a major feat thanks to the success attained by his latest film,...

Spike Lee talks about how he saved his 1992 movie starring Denzel Washington when Warner Bros. turned down his request for more money. The iconic director has worked with Washington on four movies in total, starting with 1990's Mo' Better Blues. Their most recent collaboration as director and actor came in 2006's Inside Man, which starred Washington as an NYPD hostage negotiator dealing with a heist gone wrong.

Most recently, Washington has been making headlines and earning rave reviews for his performance in Ridley Scott's Gladiator II, where he plays scheming slave owner Macrinus. For his part, Lee hasn't released a feature film since 2020's Da 5 Bloods, but he has a number of projects in pre-production. Currently, he's looking back on perhaps his most fruitful collaboration with Washington, which opened to critical acclaim in 1992 and earned Washington an Oscar nomination.

Spike Lee Saved Malcolm X When The Money Ran Out...

Spike Lee gets candid regarding his Oscar losses, throwing some shade at awarded movies. Lee is best known as the director behind films such as Do The Right Thing (1989), Malcolm X (1992), Inside Man (2006), BlacKkKlansman (2018) and Da Five Bloods (2020). Though Lee is one of the most respected filmmakers in Hollywood, he's only won one Oscar in his career, taking home the Best Adapted Screenplay statue for co-writing BlacKkKlansman.

During a recent appearance on The Realest Podcast Ever, Lee speaks about his history with the Academy Awards, sharing some candid thoughts regarding both Do the Right Thing and BlacKkKlansman not winning Best Picture (the former wasn't even nominated). The director explains that, historically, some films that didn't win Best Picture end up being the films that are most remembered, and he uses Green Book as an example of a film that "no one's watching" now. Check out Lee's honest thoughts below:

Well,...

One of Denzel Washington's career-making movies lands on a new streaming home in time for the holiday season. The Oscar-winning actor's legendary film, Malcolm X, is set to debut via Paramount+ very soon, giving fans another chance to see his acclaimed turn as the eponymous civil rights activist.

Paramount+ confirmed Malcolm X will debut on its platform on Dec. 1. The film has largely been available to rent or purchase on various digital platforms, including Prime Video, Apple TV and YouTube, while also streaming for free (with ads) on Tubi.

Related 'There's No Better Director': Ridley Scott Hailed by Gladiator II Stars

Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington reveal what Ridley Scott did to make the sequel feel as special as the original.

Malcolm X chronicles the many battles faced, speeches made and movements started by the titular Black liberation leader and orator, looking at his rise from...

Denzel Washington is renowned as one of the greatest actors of his generation. Acting since the late 1970s, Washington has been nominated for numerous Oscars for his acting work, winning awards for Glory and Training Day. An actor on both the stage and screen, Washington's career is characterized by his distinguished dramatic roles in works like Fences and Malcolm X. In more recent days, the beloved actor made a statement that suggested he might retire. Luckily for his fans, however, Washington later clarified that he would simply be more selective and continue more behind-the-scenes work, rather than retire completely.

In addition to his Oscar nominations, Washington has also been in a number of blockbuster films. Franchise-wise, this has notably included Antoine Fuqua's The Equalizer trilogy. Those films have collectively made nearly $600 million at the worldwide box office, becoming a major contributor to Washington's overall box office. While this is Washington's main franchise draw,...