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Denzel Washington tapped Spike Lee to direct their new film, Highest 2 Lowest, a reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low, for deeply personal reasons stemming from their 50-year careers.
“In [most of] the time I’ve been an actor, I wouldn’t even have been allowed to play a part like this. No white directors were hiring us, and no studios were hiring us,” Washington explained. “That’s why I called Spike. I trust Spike, and he trusts me.”
Washington and Lee, both Oscar winners, sat down to discuss their latest collaboration, hitting theaters Aug. 15 via A24 before streaming on Apple TV+ Sept. 5. Their interviews are a lively exchange, often interrupting each other with shared laughter that underscores their long friendship.
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Highest 2 Lowest stars Washington as David King, a music-label executive contemplating a company sale amidst shifting tastes. His world is upended when his son is targeted in a kidnapping plot by an aspiring rapper, played by A$AP Rocky. The son of David’s chauffeur, Paul (Jeffrey Wright), is mistakenly taken, forcing David into a difficult choice about paying the ransom.
The film’s final line, “Let’s go to work,” echoes Lee’s favorite movie, On the Waterfront. Lee noted the line’s significance, stating, “It was not random—it’s because work is what we do. If I may speak for Denzel right here, we love what we do.” Washington added, “It’s to have the luxury to like it or not like it.”
A Longstanding Creative Partnership
Lee and Washington first collaborated on 1990’s Mo’ Better Blues, shot just before Washington’s breakout role in Glory. “I’m a better filmmaker now than I was with Mo’ Better Blues,” Lee admitted. “Every time I’ve done a film with Denzel, I’ve learned.”
Their filmography includes the acclaimed Malcolm X and the hit Inside Man. Lee, a professor at New York University, teaches his films with Washington every semester. Washington is scheduled to visit Lee’s class in early September.
Discussing the cast, which includes Wendell Pierce, John Douglas Thompson, and Michael Potts, Washington quoted, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Lee playfully reminded him, “He Got Game!” Washington responded, “I haven’t seen that movie since.” He added, “Once I make them, I’m done with them.”
Reinterpreting a Classic
Washington had not seen Kurosawa’s High and Low but recognized the script’s potential for Lee. “Out of nowhere, my brother called me and said, ‘I’ve got this project. I want to send it,’” Lee recalled. Their reunion was for their first film together since 2006’s Inside Man.
Lee approached Highest 2 Lowest as a “jazz reinterpretation,” aiming for a reimagining rather than a direct remake. “It was right up my alley—a big, fat, juicy one coming down the middle of the plate. And I feel like I knocked it out,” he said.
The film received strong reviews at the Cannes Film Festival. Lee had previously suggested it might be their final collaboration, but he has since retracted that statement. “I have to stop saying it,” Lee said. “I hope it will happen [again].”
Finding Purpose in Work
When asked about retirement, Washington quoted Matt Chandler’s 2012 book The Explicit Gospel: “No matter what our job is, we view it not as our purpose in life, but rather as where God has sovereignly placed us for the purpose of making Christ known and his name great.”
Washington clarified, “I no longer use the word retirement. I’m looking for opportunities to bring God’s purpose to my work. That’s where I’m at.”
Theatrical Release and the Changing Industry
Highest 2 Lowest was a hit at Cannes, with audiences particularly engaged by a train sequence and the climactic scenes between Washington and Rocky. Lee and Washington stressed the importance of seeing the film in theaters.
Despite the film’s August 15 theatrical release, it will have a limited rollout before moving to streaming. Washington acknowledged the industry’s evolution, saying, “That’s the nature of the business now—they also gave us a lot of money to make the film.” Lee added, “This film would not have been made without Apple. That’s just the truth.”
“But it is called show business,” Washington stated. “No business, no show. No business, no next show.”
Washington concluded by reiterating the trust that brought them together: “There was only one person to do this. And I’m sitting next to him.”
