Upcoming Denzel Washington crime thriller is a remake of 1960s 'international classic'

Some pairings always make for cinematic gold, and that can definitely be said for the collaborative duo of director Spike Lee and American actor Denzel Washington. The pair most famously worked together on the historical biopic Malcolm X in 1992 but other projects include the musical-comedy drama Mo’ Better Blues and the riveting heist movie Inside Man. They haven’t teamed up in almost two decades now, but that’s all about to change with the news that they’re reuniting for a remake of High And Low.

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Denzel Washington and Spike Lee High And Low remake

It has been officially announced that both Spike and Denzel will be working together again on an upcoming crime thriller called High And Low.

Both Apple Original Films and A24 are making the film in partnership, A24 ensuring the movie gets a theatrical release before it becomes available for global streaming on Apple TV+ later on.

With production on the exciting project scheduled to commence in March, that leaves you plenty of time to check out the movie they’re remaking.

The 1963 High And Low was directed by legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, whose samurai movies like Seven Samurai and The Hidden Fortress have been incredibly influential on American cinema, evident even in the likes of George Lucas’ original 1977 blockbuster Star Wars.

Loosely based on Ed McBain’s 1959 novel King’s Ransom, High And Low centers on a board member who faces the dilemma of purchasing a shoe company or using the money to help an employee whose child has been kidnapped and held for ransom.

It currently sits at a 96% critic score and 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. I think it’s one of Akira’s very best movies, which is quite an achievement considering his expansive and surprisingly consistent filmography.

“Spike Lee remaking an international classic,” one reacted to the news on Twitter/X.

How to watch High And Low on streaming

If you’re looking to check out the original movie before Spike and Denzel work theig magic in the remake, you can find it on Max and stream it as part of your subscription.

“That’s one of Akira Kurosawa’s greatest movies,” one fan argued. “I saw it on Max earlier this year. I recommend it.” You can also subscribe to Max as a channel on Amazon Prime Video, with a subscription costing $9.99 a month.

This won’t be the first English-language remake of one of the director’s films either. The 2020 drama Living starring Bill Nighy is adapted from the 1952 masterpiece Ikiru, while both the 1960 and 2016 films The Magnificent Seven are western remakes of the aforementioned Seven Samurai.