Denzel Washington and Spike Lee to reunite for 'High and Low'

Pallade Veneta - Denzel Washington and Spike Lee to reunite for 'High and Low'

CULTURE 08.02.2024

Denzel Washington and Spike Lee to reunite for 'High and Low' / Photo: VALERIE MACON - AFP/File

Frequent collaborators Denzel Washington and Spike Lee are reuniting to adapt a classic movie by legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, Apple announced Thursday.

Change text size:

Crime thriller "High and Low" will begin production in March, and will be the fifth film directed by Lee and starring Washington, after acclaimed hits such as "Malcolm X."

No release date has yet been set for the new movie, which will be released in theaters by indie distributor A24, before streaming globally on Apple TV+.

The original "High and Low," released in 1963, told the story of a wealthy businessman who believes his son has been kidnapped.

In a case of mistaken identity, it emerges that his chauffeur's son has been kidnapped instead, leaving the businessman facing the dilemma of whether to still pay the ransom.

Kurosawa, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, directed classics such as "Rashomon" and "Seven Samurai."

His film "Ikiru" was recently adapted into English for 2022 Oscar-nominated drama "Living" -- a film which transposed events from the original's Japanese setting to 1950s London.

Apple did not provide any details on the setting for the new English-language reinterpretation, co-written by Lee.

Lee recently received an honorary Oscar for a film career including "Do the Right Thing" and "She's Gotta Have It," and won a competitive Oscar for writing "BlacKkKlansman" in 2019.

Washington has two Oscars, for "Glory" and "Training Day," and was nominated for Lee's "Malcolm X."

The pair have also collaborated on "Mo' Better Blues," "He Got Game" and "Inside Man."

D.Vanacore--PV

Jersey Boys Anniversary Tour Opens in Birmingham With Gritty Account of Crime and Fame

The 20th-anniversary tour of Jersey Boys has opened at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre, offering a gritty and unvarnished look at the Four Seasons’ journey. The production details the band's turbulent rise from New Jersey petty criminals to international rock stars, highlighting the complex personal costs behind their musical success.

UBC professor describes police call after Galloway remark as act of care

VANCOUVER — A University of British Columbia professor has testified about a colleague’s decision to call police to visit Steven Galloway after he was accused of sexual assault, describing it as an “act of care” toward the author, who had spoken of killing himself. Galloway, who is suing his accuser and others in a defamation trial centred on the unproven allegations, has described his subsequent committal to a hospital in the United States as “terrifying.

Pallade Veneta - Denzel Washington and Spike Lee to reunite for 'High and Low'