Denzel and A$AP Rocky face city-wide showdown in Spike Lee's Kurosawa-inspired thriller
The story reimagines Akira Kurosawa's 1963 classic High and Low, this time through the lens of a modern music industry tycoon. Denzel Washington stars as a powerful mogul whose world is thrown into crisis after a kidnapping gone wrong leads to an explosive spiral of extortion, violence, and moral reckoning.
Joining him is A$AP Rocky, whose role has already sparked praise from Lee, who called the rapper 'underrated and committed.' The cast also features Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice, Ilfenesh Hadera, and Dean Winters, creating a uniquely high-stakes ensemble for this noir revival.
This marks the fifth and possibly final collaboration between Lee and Washington, a detail the director hinted at during the film's press rounds. 'This is it, five,' Lee said, calling Highest 2 Lowest a culmination of their creative journey.
Shot with Lee's signature visual punch and set to a pulsing urban score, the film brings class tensions, cultural fault lines, and personal sacrifice into a single narrative thread. From red carpets to ransom calls, this is a story where the stakes are financial, emotional, and deeply human.
Behind the camera, the film was co-written by Alan Fox and Lee, with production from Escape Artists, Mandalay Pictures, and 40 Acres and a Mule. Executive producers include Katia Washington, Peter Guber, and Matthew Lindner, among others.
Expect a sleek, stylised showdown when Highest 2 Lowest drops, one that pushes Lee's legacy and Washington's gravitas into bold, uncharted territory.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Marvel announces Inhyuk Lee's Street-Verse Variants reimagining heroes in techwear style
Marvel has announced a new collection of Street-Verse Variant Covers by best-selling artist Inhyuk Lee, reimagining some of its most recognisable characters in futuristic, techwear-inspired designs. The series will be released this November, coinciding with the launch of a yet-to-be-announced title. Unveiled to retailers during San Diego Comic-Con, the collection will feature heroes such as Spider-Man, the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Doctor Doom. Lee, known for his digital artistry and fashion-influenced work, combines superhero iconography with functional, modern styling. 'I was honoured to create the Street-Verse Variant Covers for Marvel,' Lee said. 'I started my career as a character designer at a game company 20 years ago, so I'm familiar with and enjoy designing characters. I've been working on a personal project since the winter of 2021, redesigning Spider-Man characters' costumes in a modernised way, which I called 'Who is next?'. Marvel saw the series and approached me with this cover and mural project.' Now in his 13th year collaborating with Marvel, Lee noted that the publisher understands his strengths and vision. This project marks a continuation of Marvel's collaborations with prominent artists to reinterpret its characters for modern audiences, merging comic tradition with contemporary design trends.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Did Elon Musk just greenlight AI-generated NSFW images of celebrities?
Elon Musk's newest AI venture, Grok Imagine, has ignited controversy after allowing users to create sexualised deepfake videos of major celebrities, including Scarlett Johansson and Taylor Swift. The app, marketed as a text-to-video generator, launched this week for Apple users and has reportedly produced over 34 million images within 48 hours. For $30 a month, users can access a feature-rich platform that turns text prompts into realistic images and short videos using four presets: 'Custom', 'Normal', 'Fun', and 'Spicy'. It's the latter that has sparked global outrage. While most platforms block sexually explicit prompts involving public figures, Grok Imagine appears to bypass such safeguards, enabling users to generate provocative or semi-nude videos of real people, including stars who've vocally opposed AI misuse. A prompt as benign as 'Scarlett Johansson walks the red carpet' returned images of the actress in recognisable awards show settings. But when pushed into 'Spicy' mode, some videos showed Johansson suggestively revealing her underwear. Others, like Kristen Bell, Jenna Ortega, and Sydney Sweeney, were similarly exploited. Even male celebrities like Timothée Chalamet and Nicolas Cage were depicted in various states of undress. Though some prompts triggered a 'Video moderated' message, many were not blocked at all. Johansson's rep declined to comment, but the actress has previously condemned AI manipulation, warning that we are 'losing a hold on reality.' She famously considered legal action against OpenAI for allegedly mimicking her voice in a ChatGPT assistant. Musk, meanwhile, has continued promoting Grok Imagine on X, showing no intention of tightening content restrictions despite rising ethical concerns. The app's virality and Musk's silence on moderation, has sparked widespread criticism. As social media users began posting and sharing these deepfake clips, others called for urgent regulation. 'This isn't innovation,' one user wrote, 'it's exploitation disguised as tech.'
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Is a Luigi Mangione biopic in the works? Dave Franco says he's open to play role
Dave Franco has responded to speculation about potentially portraying Luigi Mangione in a biopic, saying he's open to the idea but has yet to be contacted about the role. Appearing on Watch What Happens Live with his wife, Alison Brie, Franco addressed the growing fan buzz around him possibly playing Mangione, who is currently facing multiple state and federal charges including murder, forgery, and identity falsification. Franco said, when asked whether he would take the role, 'No one has approached me about it yet, I'll say that. This is something that more people in my life reached out about this exact thing than anything else that has ever happened.' Mangione made headlines after being accused of killing Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. He pleaded not guilty in December 2024, and his next court appearance for the New York state case is scheduled for September 16, 2025. Franco, known for his recent Emmy-nominated guest role in The Studio on Apple TV+, concluded his comments on the potential casting by saying, 'Let's just say I'm open if the right people… and let's just leave it at that.' Franco's filmography continues to expand, with his next project, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, set to hit theatres on November 14.
