Spike Lee returned to the Cannes Film Festival Official Selection tonight with his latest feature, Highest 2 Lowest, which is running in the Out of Competition strand.
Starring Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, A$AP Rocky and Ilfenesh Hadera, the Akira Kurosawa-inspired crime thriller garnered a six-minute ovation at its world premiere.
Highest 2 Lowest is a modern reinterpretation of Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low, which was itself based on the novel King’s Ransom by Ed McBain.
From Apple and A24, the film reunites Lee and Washington for the first time since Inside Man back in 2006.
Ahead of the Highest 2 Lowest premiere, Washington received a surprise honorary Palme d’Or.
With his most recent film, Highest 2 Lowest, which is currently showing in the Out of Competition strand, Spike Lee made a comeback to the Cannes Film Festival Official Selection tonight. At the world premiere, the crime thriller with Akira Kurosawa influences, starring Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, A$AP Rocky, and Ilfenesh Hadera, received a six-minute standing ovation.
Highest 2 Lowest is a contemporary adaptation of Kurosawa’s 1963 masterpiece High and Low, which was based on Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom. The new movie, which is set in modern-day New York City, follows a music mogul played by Washington as he deals with a similar plot to the original, which followed a shoe company executive who becomes the victim of extortion after his chauffeur’s son is accidentally abducted and held for ransom.
It’s the first time Lee and Washington have been together since Inside Man in 2006, and it comes from Apple and A24. Additionally, the two have collaborated on He Got Game, Malcolm X, and Mo’ Better Blues. Prior to the premiere of Highest 2 Lowest, Washington was unexpectedly awarded an honorary Palme d’Or.
This marks Lee’s sixth appearance in the Cannes Official Selection, and his first appearance was for 1989’s Do the Right Thing, 36 years ago today. Other books he has written include BlacKkKlansman (2018), Ten Minutes Older (2002), Girl 6 (1996), and Jungle Fever (1991).
Follow along on Deadline.
On the same day that the Official Selection was revealed, Lee revealed Highest 2 Lowest’s Cannes berth, which did not include his film.
The festival clarified at the time, saying, “We were waiting on one last piece of information, which was the confirmation that Denzel Washington would be attending Cannes, so we didn’t announce the film this morning. “.”.
See also: Denzel Washington Receives a Surprise Honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes Before the Premiere of “Highest 2 Lowest”.
Washington was present at the event this evening, and the festival gave him an honorary Palme d’Or as a big surprise. Festival director Thierry Frémaux described the award as a means of expressing his admiration for the work he has done in the film industry.
Highest 2 Lowest, written by Alan Fox and Lee, is scheduled to premiere in a few theaters on August 22 and then stream on Apple TV+ on September 5. Jason Michael Berman produced for Mandalay Pictures, while Todd Black produced for Escape Artists. Among the executive producers were Lee from 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, Peter Guber from Mandalay, and Matthew Lindner, Chris Brigham, and Katia Washington from Juniper Productions. Jordan Moldo of Mandalay co-produced the film.
A contributor to this report was Erik Pedersen.
