Sometimes, you’ve got to take matters into your own hands — and that’s exactly what Spike Lee did.
When this year’s Cannes Film Festival lineup dropped with a noticeable omission — his upcoming film Highest 2 Lowest — Lee didn’t sit back and wait. Just over an hour after the official announcement, the filmmaker hopped on Instagram to share the news himself, confirming that Highest 2 Lowest will, in fact, premiere at Cannes — just not in competition.
“Bon Jour. Good Morning. Whaddup❓Da New SPIKE LEE JOINT-HIGHEST 2 LOWEST Starring My Brother DENZEL WASHINGTON Has Been Invited To Da 2025 CANNES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (In The Out Of Competition Category),” Lee posted, alongside a photo of a patch that reads “Highest 2 Lowest 2 Cannes.”
No press release. No fanfare. Just Spike doing what Spike does best — keeping it real and making sure his work gets the shine it deserves.
Now, Highest 2 Lowest was heavily expected to be a part of the initial lineup reveal on Thursday morning, so the omission raised a few eyebrows. But this is Cannes, and every year a few titles find their way into the mix after the curtain rises on the press conference.
In fact, Cannes artistic director Thierry Frémaux even joked during the presser that someone was texting him saying he “forgot a film.” That someone might’ve been Spike.
Lee, who last premiered BlacKkKlansman in competition at Cannes in 2018, was previously vocal about wanting Highest 2 Lowest to compete for the Palme d’Or. As recently as two weeks ago, there were rumblings that he might pull the film if it wasn’t included in the main competition. So to see him accept an out-of-competition slot? That’s a bit of a plot twist.
But even without the golden statue chase, the film’s already making waves — and the cast is stacked. Denzel Washington leads the project, which also features A$AP Rocky, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, Ice Spice. According to IMDB Michael Potts, John Douglas Thompson, LaChanze, Dean Winters, and more are also part of the cast.
Rocky plays Yung Felon, a role Lee described as “the main role,” while Washington stars as a legendary music mogul known for having “the best ears in the business.” The film is inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low — but don’t call it a remake. Spike made that clear.
“This is not a remake,” he told Deadline. “This is a reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s great film.” In the original, the story revolves around a shoe executive whose life is upended by a kidnapping. In Spike’s version, the stakes move into the cutthroat world of the music industry, with the kidnapping still in play — but the power dynamics, culture, and rhythm of the story feel entirely 2025.
And this isn’t Spike and Denzel’s first rodeo. Highest 2 Lowest marks their fifth collaboration, following Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game, and Inside Man. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 18 years since Inside Man,” Lee said. “It seemed like it was yesterday. But we’re back together, and the film is coming out in the summer.”
For A$AP Rocky (aka Rakim Mayers), this marks another big step in his growing acting resume. He made his debut in Dope and has popped up in films like Zoolander 2 and a Rihanna-led short. Now he’s leading a Spike Lee film — not too shabby.
Produced by Apple Original Films in partnership with A24, Highest 2 Lowest will hit theaters first before streaming on Apple TV+. The screenplay is co-written by Lee and Alan Fox, with Lee also executive producing through his 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks.
Currently in post-production, the film is slated for a summer 2025 release — but with a Cannes premiere now on the books, it’s already shaping up to be one of next year’s major cinematic moments.
Spike Lee said it best: “Da New Spike Lee Joint” is coming. Whether Cannes wanted to shout it from the rooftops or not — he did it for them.