Now this is how you build momentum.
Spike Lee just dropped the teaser trailer for his upcoming film Highest 2 Lowest starring Denzel Washington, A$AP Rocky, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice, Dean Winters, and John Douglas Thompson. It’s a powerful mix of seasoned heavyweights, rising stars, and first-time collaborators — with A$AP Rocky stepping into what Lee himself calls “the main role.”
The teaser, posted on Lee’s Instagram, came with a caption only he could write:
“I Know U Have Been Waiting ‘HELLA LONG’ And Here Is DA TEASER TRAILER (Finally????) For Da 5th Return Of D And LEE – HIGHEST 2 LOWEST. And Dat’s Da WASHINGTONS/LEES FAMILY TRUTH, RUTH. YA-DIG? SHO-NUFF. STRAIGHT UP ????????????????????????????”
It’s classic Spike — full of flavor, full of energy, and giving us just enough to know this one’s personal.
Highest 2 Lowest is a bold reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 thriller High and Low. But Lee’s version trades 1960s Tokyo for modern-day New York, and re-centers the story in the music industry. Washington plays a legendary music mogul — the man with “the best ears in the business” — whose empire is shaken when he’s forced to make a moral decision that could upend everything.
From what we know, the themes are heavy: legacy, loyalty, and the cost of power. And with a 2-hour and 12-minute runtime, it looks like Lee’s giving the story room to breathe and hit deep.
And now, the film is set to make its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival — officially confirmed by Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux. The screening will take place May 19, a date loaded with meaning. It marks the anniversary of Do the Right Thing’s premiere at Cannes in 1989. It’s also the 100th birthday of Malcolm X, whom Lee famously honored in Malcolm X (1992), again with Washington in the lead.
“Spike loves celebrations,” Frémaux told Variety. “It’s intentionally full circle.”
What makes this premiere even more significant? Denzel Washington will be there — walking the Cannes red carpet for the first time in his career. That detail, Frémaux explained, is exactly why the film was left off the original lineup — they were waiting to confirm Denzel’s attendance.
Highest 2 Lowest was written by Alan Fox, with Spike Lee coming aboard to rewrite and direct after Washington signed on. It’s produced by A24, Apple Original Films, Escape Artists, and Mandalay Pictures, with Lee’s 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks also producing. The film was shot in New York City earlier this year with cinematographer Matthew Libatique and officially wrapped on May 31.
This marks the fifth Spike Lee–Denzel Washington collaboration, following Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man. It’s also their first time working together in nearly two decades — and judging by the cast, the concept, and the energy already building, it’s about to be one of the standout releases of the year.
After its Cannes debut, Highest 2 Lowest will hit theaters via A24 before streaming on Apple TV+.