High and Low (D: Spike Lee) S: Denzel Washington
02-08-24, 02:19 PM
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High and Low (D: Spike Lee) S: Denzel Washington
Apple Original Films and A24 are partnering on High and Low which reunites long time collaborators Spike Lee and Denzel Washington with Washington starring and Lee directing. A24 will release the film theatrically before its global launch on Apple TV+.
Developed and produced by A24, Escape Artists and Mandalay Pictures, and written by Alan Fox and Lee, the new thriller starts production in March. The feature will be produced by Todd Black for Escape Artists and Jason Michael Berman for Mandalay Pictures. In addition to directing, Lee will serve as executive producer through his 40 Acres And A Mule Filmworks. Mandalay’s Peter Guber will serve as executive producer, along with Juniper Productions’ Matthew Lindner, Chris Brigham, and Katia Washington. Mandalay’s Jordan Moldo is co-producing.
The film is the English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller of the same title. While its unknown how similar the plot will be to Kurosawa’s movie, the original pic was released in 1963, and follows an executive of a Yokohama shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom.
The project marks the fifth time the two Oscar winners have worked together most recently in 2006’s Inside Man. According to sources, both started showing interest in working together on the project last spring but when the WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes forced production to halt on the Gladiator sequel Washington was starring, the idea was tabled. With the strikes resolved and production on Gladiator wrapped, High And Low became priority for the two with the plan to shoot this March.
The film marks the second collaboration for Apple Original Films and Washington following the multi-Oscar nominated The Tragedy of Macbeth, also from A24, which landed Washington his 10th nomination for Best Actor.
Washington is represented by WME, Lee is represented by Gersh and Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks and Fox is represented by Grandview.
Developed and produced by A24, Escape Artists and Mandalay Pictures, and written by Alan Fox and Lee, the new thriller starts production in March. The feature will be produced by Todd Black for Escape Artists and Jason Michael Berman for Mandalay Pictures. In addition to directing, Lee will serve as executive producer through his 40 Acres And A Mule Filmworks. Mandalay’s Peter Guber will serve as executive producer, along with Juniper Productions’ Matthew Lindner, Chris Brigham, and Katia Washington. Mandalay’s Jordan Moldo is co-producing.
The film is the English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller of the same title. While its unknown how similar the plot will be to Kurosawa’s movie, the original pic was released in 1963, and follows an executive of a Yokohama shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom.
The project marks the fifth time the two Oscar winners have worked together most recently in 2006’s Inside Man. According to sources, both started showing interest in working together on the project last spring but when the WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes forced production to halt on the Gladiator sequel Washington was starring, the idea was tabled. With the strikes resolved and production on Gladiator wrapped, High And Low became priority for the two with the plan to shoot this March.
The film marks the second collaboration for Apple Original Films and Washington following the multi-Oscar nominated The Tragedy of Macbeth, also from A24, which landed Washington his 10th nomination for Best Actor.
Washington is represented by WME, Lee is represented by Gersh and Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks and Fox is represented by Grandview.
02-08-24, 02:24 PM
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Re: High and Low (D: Spike Lee) S: Denzel Washington
Kurosawa’s version is fantastic! I doubt Lee and Denzel could match the greatness of that one but I’m excited to see them work together again.
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rexinnih (02-08-24)
02-08-24, 03:17 PM
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Re: High and Low (D: Spike Lee) S: Denzel Washington
A24? Denzel and Lee together again?
I'm in.
I'm in.
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DeanoBKN (03-19-24)
02-08-24, 03:32 PM
#5
Re: High and Low (D: Spike Lee) S: Denzel Washington
For the record, Kurosawa's HIGH AND LOW was based on Ed McBain's crime novel, "King's Ransom," one of the author's 87th Precinct series. It might behoove Spike Lee's screenwriters to give that book a read first. And maybe license the rights from McBain's estate.
Just sayin'...
Just sayin'...
02-08-24, 03:36 PM
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whotony (03-19-24)
02-08-24, 03:38 PM
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Re: High and Low (D: Spike Lee) S: Denzel Washington
No mention of it in the press release linked in the OP. Granted, that doesn't mean they didn't do it. I just hope they did. Nothing wrong with expressing that hope and bringing the original source material to this group's attention.
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whotony (03-19-24)
02-08-24, 04:58 PM
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Re: High and Low (D: Spike Lee) S: Denzel Washington
The "Built-in Doubt" in this thread is hilarious. But maybe it'll help this film in the end because if there are no high expectations, there's nowhere to go but up.
02-08-24, 05:38 PM
#9
Re: High and Low (D: Spike Lee) S: Denzel Washington
For the record, Kurosawa's HIGH AND LOW was based on Ed McBain's crime novel, "King's Ransom," one of the author's 87th Precinct series. It might behoove Spike Lee's screenwriters to give that book a read first. And maybe license the rights from McBain's estate.
Just sayin'...
Just sayin'...
I’ve read King’s Ransom (Ed McBain is a pseudonym) after seeing High and Low. It’s one of the loosest book adaptations of all time. To put it in perspective, people (rightly) accept that The Godfather movie is better than the book. Kurosawa’s adaptation is multiple universes above that in terms of elevating the source material to something else entirely.
Last edited by bluetoast; 02-08-24 at 05:48 PM.
02-08-24, 05:41 PM
#10
DVD Talk Hero
Re: High and Low (D: Spike Lee) S: Denzel Washington
That said, Spike “Oldboy” Lee hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt from me for English language remakes.
03-19-24, 05:38 PM
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Re: High and Low (D: Spike Lee) S: Denzel Washington
Hot on the heels of his first Academy Award nomination for his lead role in American Fiction, Jeffrey Wright has been set to join Denzel Washington and Ilfenesh Hadera in Spike Lee’s High and Low, an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime thriller, for Apple and A24.
Details as to his role are under wraps.
Details as to his role are under wraps.
