Highest 2 Lowest: Release date news, cast details, streaming details and more about A24's upcoming crime thriller starring Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington is transforming Akira Kurosawa's 1963 film High and Low into a modern setting dubbed Highest 2 Lowest, in what will be his fifth collaboration with Spike Lee. Before this, the pair was seen working together in Malcolm X (1992), Inside Man (2006), He Got Game (1998), and Mo' Better Blues (1990).

The first premiere of the film is set for May 19, 2025, where it will be shown to the audience alongside Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Colours of Time (La Venue de l'avenir), The Richest Woman in the World (La femme la plus riche du monde), and more at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. It'll then be released in August 2025 and available for streaming in September.

Other than Washington, Jeffrey Wright, A$AP Rocky, Wendell Pierce, and more are in the film too. Last year, as reported by Deadline, Spike Lee said that A$AP Rocky will "the main role" in the story. However, seeing the teaser, that doesn't really looks like the case. Therefore, let's wait for a proper trailer before we can actually say anything about it.

When will Highest 2 Lowest be release?

The Cannes Film Festival will take place between May 13 and May 24 this year, and as we have mentioned, the film will be premiered there. However, the date isn't confirmed yet. As for the theatrical release, it will hit big screens on August 22, 2025, in the US.

When will the Spike Lee film be streaming?

Denzel Washington plays David King in Highest 2 Lowest. (Image via A24)

Following the theatrical release, Highest 2 Lowest will land on Apple TV+ on September 5, 2025.

Highest 2 Lowest cast

Jeffrey Wright plays Paul Christopher in Highest 2 Lowest. (Image via A24)

The story will pretty much play out the same as High and Low, but the fact that the events there are happening in Japan and, comparatively, in an older setting, Highest 2 Lowest will introduce some new characters. That said, here's the cast list of the film.

Denzel Washington as David King
Ilfenesh Hadera as Pam King
Jeffrey Wright as Paul Christopher
Ice Spice as Marisol Cepeda
A$AP Rocky as Yung Felony
Dean Winters as Det. Higgins
John Douglas Thompson as Det. Earl Bridges
LaChanze as Det. Bell
Aubrey Joseph as Trey King
Michael Potts as Patrick Bethea
Wendell Pierce as Gabe
Manny Joseph as Big Money
Michael Potts as Patrick Bethea

What's the story again?

Fans who want to learn how Highest 2 Lowest is likely to play out, we recommend they go back and watch the Akira Kurosawa film. But here's a brief plot of the upcoming film (via IMDb).

"When a titan music mogul is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. A reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa's crime thriller High and Low, now played out on the mean streets of modern day New York City."

Originally, the Kurosawa film centers around a shoe business, but a dilemma arises for the protagonist where he has to decide if he should save the business or a life.