Latest news with #Kurosawa-Inspired
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Denzel Washington, Spike Lee and A$AP Rocky (and Rihanna!) Stun Cannes as ‘Highest 2 Lowest' Earns 5.5-Minute Ovation
Denzel Washington, Spike Lee and A$AP Rocky brought New York City to Cannes for the world premiere of their neo-noir crime thriller 'Highest 2 Lowest,' which earned a five and a half-minute standing ovation. Rihanna also drew plenty of attention as she sat with A$AP Rocky during the screening. Lee, who always dons a talked-about red carpet look, wore an orange and blue-striped suit and jacket and matching hat to the premiere as an homage to his beloved New York Knicks. Washington, in a more traditional suit, jacket and tie, spent extra time on the Croisette, slapping hands with fans like a professional athlete on game day. More from Variety Dakota Johnson and Michael Angelo Covino's Open Marriage Comedy 'Splitsville' Cracks Up Cannes, Earning 6-Minute Standing Ovation 'Highest 2 Lowest' Review: Spike Lee's Kurosawa-Inspired Kidnapping Drama Isn't So Much a Remake as a Manifesto 'Splitsville' Review: Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona Play the Field in an Exhausting Knockabout Romcom Before the premiere, Lee presented Washington with an honorary Palme d'Or, calling the actor 'my brother from another mother.' Plenty of stars who do not appear in the film were on hand. Jason Momoa walked the carpet with his girlfriend, 'Splitsville's' Andria Arjona. The 'Aquaman' star held up Arjona's dress to make sure she didn't trip on the Palais steps. Ed Norton, who starred in Lee's '25th Hour,' was also there to support his former director, as was fellow filmmaker Wes Anderson (he premiered his latest film, 'The Phoenician Scheme,' at Cannes the night before). A$AP Rocky cut a shiny look, with big gold hoop earrings, gold teeth and blinged-out custom Ray Bans. 'Highest 2 Lowest,' an English-language remake of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's 1963 film 'High and Low,' is set in modern day New York and stars Washington as a music mogul tied up in a life-or-death ransom plot. Rocky plays Yung Felon, an aspiring rapper who will stop at nothing to achieve his dream. Alongside Washington and Rocky, 'Highest 2 Lowest' stars Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice (in her film debut), Dean Winters, John Douglas Thompson, LaChanze, Aubrey Joseph, Michael Potts and Wendell Pierce. The screenplay was penned by William Alan Fox. After premiering at Cannes, 'Highest 2 Lowest' will get a theatrical release starting Aug. 22 via A24 and will stream on Apple TV+ Sept. 5. Lee has a long history with Cannes, first competing for the Palme d'Or in 1989 with his now classic comedy-drama 'Do the Right Thing.' Other Lee joints to premiere at the festival include 1991's 'Jungle Fever,' 'Summer of Sam' in 1999 and 'BlacKkKlansman,' which won the festival's Grand Prix in 2018. In 2021, Lee served as the president of the competition jury, which that year awarded Julia Ducournau's 'Titane' with the Palme d'Or. 'Highest 2 Lowest' marks two-time Oscar winner Washington's first time at Cannes Film Festival and the second for Rocky, who was in the cast of the coming-of-age film 'Dope' which closed the Director's Fortnight section in 2015. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dakota Johnson and Michael Angelo Covino's Open Marriage Comedy ‘Splitsville' Cracks Up Cannes, Earning 6-Minute Standing Ovation
Michael Angelo Covino's open marriage comedy 'Splitsville' brought much-needed laughter to Cannes on Monday night, earning a warm six-minute ovation. As the applause roared, director Covino teared up and Dakota Johnson comforted him with a hug as he kissed her on the cheek. More from Variety 'Highest 2 Lowest' Review: Spike Lee's Kurosawa-Inspired Kidnapping Drama Isn't So Much a Remake as a Manifesto 'Splitsville' Review: Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona Play the Field in an Exhausting Knockabout Romcom 'The Crime of Father Amaro' Exec Producer Laura Imperiale Boards Dominican-Set 'Black Sheep, White Sheep' by 'Made in Bangkok' Helmer Flavio Florencio (EXCLUSIVE) It was Johnson's first time in Cannes, but as a Venice Film Festival veteran she's no stranger to applause. Even still, she humbly waved off the cheers when the camera panned to her first. Then, when Arjona got her roar of approval, her boyfriend Jason Momoa could be seen clapping enthusiastically in the row behind her. Covina and Marvin shared a brotherly embrace as they celebrated another well-received collaboration. 'We need to keep making comedies for Cannes, plain and simple. Because laughter should be seen in a theater, not on a television screen,' said Covino. The premiere drew several high-profile filmmakers, including Ari Aster and last year's Palme d'Or winner Sean Baker. 'Splitsville' follows two couples, made up of Johnson and Covino and Adria Arjona and Kyle Marvin. According to the film's official logline: 'When Ashley (Arjona) asks for a divorce, the good-natured Carey (Marvin) runs to his friends, Julie (Johnson) and Paul (Covino), for support. Their secret to happiness is an open marriage; that is, until Carey crosses the line and throws all of their relationships into chaos.' The cast also includes Nicholas Braun, David Castañeda, Charlie Gillespie, Simon Webster, Stephen Adekolu, Tyrone Benskin and O-T Fagbenle. Marvin and Covino penned the script, and Johnson served as a producer with her TeaTime Pictures co-founder Ro Donnelly. Ahead of its debut in Cannes' Premiere section, 'Splitsville' was acquired by Neon, which has notably distributed the last five Palme d'Or winners: Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite,' Julia Ducournau's 'Titane,' Ruben Östlund's 'Triangle of Sadness,' Justine Triet's 'Anatomy of a Fall' and Sean Baker's 'Anora.' 'Splitsville' marks Covino's sophomore feature following 2019's 'The Climb,' which he also starred in and wrote alongside Marvin. 'The Climb,' which follows two friends on a biking trip whose relationship is fractured by infidelity, premiered in Cannes' Un Certain Regard section and was eventually released in 2020 by Sony Pictures Classics. 'Splitsville' will premiere in theaters on Aug. 22 via Neon. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Denzel Washington, Spike Lee and A$AP Rocky (and Rihanna!) Stun Cannes as ‘Highest 2 Lowest' Earns 5.5-Minute Ovation
Denzel Washington, Spike Lee and A$AP Rocky brought New York City to Cannes for the world premiere of their neo-noir crime thriller 'Highest 2 Lowest,' which earned a five and a half-minute standing ovation. Rihanna also drew plenty of attention as she sat with A$AP Rocky during the screening. Lee, who always dons a talked-about red carpet look, wore an orange and blue-striped suit and jacket and matching hat to the premiere as an homage to his beloved New York Knicks. Washington, in a more traditional suit, jacket and tie, spent extra time on the Croisette, slapping hands with fans like a professional athlete on game day. More from Variety Dakota Johnson and Michael Angelo Covino's Open Marriage Comedy 'Splitsville' Cracks Up Cannes, Earning 6-Minute Standing Ovation 'Highest 2 Lowest' Review: Spike Lee's Kurosawa-Inspired Kidnapping Drama Isn't So Much a Remake as a Manifesto 'Splitsville' Review: Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona Play the Field in an Exhausting Knockabout Romcom Before the premiere, Lee presented Washington with an honorary Palme d'Or, calling the actor 'my brother from another mother.' Plenty of stars who do not appear in the film were on hand. Jason Momoa walked the carpet with his girlfriend, 'Splitsville's' Andria Arjona. The 'Aquaman' star held up Arjona's dress to make sure she didn't trip on the Palais steps. Ed Norton, who starred in Lee's '25th Hour,' was also there to support his former director, as was fellow filmmaker Wes Anderson (he premiered his latest film, 'The Phoenician Scheme,' at Cannes the night before). A$AP Rocky cut a shiny look, with big gold hoop earrings, gold teeth and blinged-out custom Ray Bans. 'Highest 2 Lowest,' an English-language remake of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's 1963 film 'High and Low,' is set in modern day New York and stars Washington as a music mogul tied up in a life-or-death ransom plot. Rocky plays Yung Felon, an aspiring rapper who will stop at nothing to achieve his dream. Alongside Washington and Rocky, 'Highest 2 Lowest' stars Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice (in her film debut), Dean Winters, John Douglas Thompson, LaChanze, Aubrey Joseph, Michael Potts and Wendell Pierce. The screenplay was penned by William Alan Fox. After premiering at Cannes, 'Highest 2 Lowest' will get a theatrical release starting Aug. 22 via A24 and will stream on Apple TV+ Sept. 5. Lee has a long history with Cannes, first competing for the Palme d'Or in 1989 with his now classic comedy-drama 'Do the Right Thing.' Other Lee joints to premiere at the festival include 1991's 'Jungle Fever,' 'Summer of Sam' in 1999 and 'BlacKkKlansman,' which won the festival's Grand Prix in 2018. In 2021, Lee served as the president of the competition jury, which that year awarded Julia Ducournau's 'Titane' with the Palme d'Or. 'Highest 2 Lowest' marks two-time Oscar winner Washington's first time at Cannes Film Festival and the second for Rocky, who was in the cast of the coming-of-age film 'Dope' which closed the Director's Fortnight section in 2015. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
