- Film is a remake of the 1963 film by the famous late filmmaker Kurosawa
- Washington, 69, and Lee, 66, have worked on four films together in the past
- Among them are Inside Man, He Got Game, Malcolm X and Mo’ Better Blues
Denzel Washington and Spike Lee will collaborate again for the first time since 2006 on a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low.
Washington (69) and Lee (66) have collaborated on four films in the past, including the 2006 crime thriller Inside Man, the 1998 sports drama He Got Game, the 1992 biopic Malcolm X and the 1990 music drama Mo’ Better Blues.
The remake of High and Low will be a collaboration with A24, which will release the film in theaters; and Apple Original Films, which will release the film worldwide via its AppleTV+ platform.
The film was not shot as part of the A24 deal and the streaming service Max came to an agreement last year, insiders said Variety on Thursday.
Under the terms of the deal with Max, A24 films will be shown during the time frame known as the “pay one” window, which covers the period during which a film is released on cable after it has been shown in theaters and on demand , the outlet reported. .
Spike Lee, 66, and Denzel Washington, 69, will collaborate again for the first time since 2006 on the remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low. The Oscar-winning filmmaker and actor were photographed at an event in LA in 2019
The English-language remake of the Japanese crime thriller comes more than sixty years after Toshiro Mifune played Kingo Gondo in the Kurosawa-directed crime thriller, which was based on Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom.
The storyline revolved around a shoe company executive who was extorted by kidnappers who accidentally took his driver’s son and held him for ransom.
It was not immediately clear how the film’s story and structure would change in the remade film.
Lee and Washington have remained friends as they sat together during a game between Lee’s beloved New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in March 2023.
Lee’s last feature film came five years ago with the 2020 war drama Da 5 Bloods. The film starred the late Chadwick Boseman, Delroy Lindo and Jonathan Majors.
Washington has been seen on the big screen in recent years in the 2023 crime thriller The Equalizer 3, which he says grossed more than $191 million worldwide. Box Office Mojo.
Before that, Washington starred in the 2021 film The Tragedy of Macbeth, which earned him an Oscar nomination for his work in the Joel Coen-directed film, which was also released by A24 and Apple.
Washington has won an Academy Award twice for his work: Best Supporting Actor for Glory in 1990; and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Training Day in 2002.
Lee and Washington pictured last year at a Lakers-Knicks game at Crypto.com Arena in LA
Lee and Washington were photographed in 2006 at the New York premiere of their film Inside Man
Washington played the titular role in Lee’s 1992 film Malcolm X
The English-language remake of the Japanese crime thriller comes more than sixty years after Toshiro Mifune played Kingo Gondo in the Kurosawa-directed crime thriller, which was based on Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom.
Peter Guber is executive producing the film, as are Lee, Jason Michael Berman and Todd Black.
Black has collaborated with Washington in the past on films such as Fences, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Equalizer.
Production on the film, written by Lee and Alan Fox, will begin next month.