Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest film released its first official trailer on Monday (May 5), ahead of its nationwide arrival in theaters this August.
The director and Denzel Washington reunite to work together for the fifth time in the crime thriller, which also stars A$AP Rocky as Yung Felon, who’s Washington’s son in the movie, and the project serves as Ice Spice’s feature film debut, who does not appear in the new trailer.
The film is said to be loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 noir High and Low, which finds an individual at a moral crossroads and dealing with the chaos of New York City.
“There’s more to life than just making money. There’s integrity, there’s what you stand for. There’s what you actually believe in,” Washington narrates in the clip. “The hard times will come from the money and the mayhem follows … That’s the question I have for you, can you handle it? All money ain’t good money.”
Produced by A24 along with 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, Highest 2 Lowest was shot throughout New York City. The film is set to premiere at Cannes Film Festival later in May before coming to theaters on Aug. 22 and eventually landing on Apple TV+ on Sept. 5.
“And A$AP, man. Fire,” Spike Lee gushed about Rocky’s acting during an appearance on Carmelo Anthony’s 7pm in Brooklyn show in April. “I mean, there’s some scenes with him and D head to head, he ain’t backin’ up. It’s like, ‘I’m here too!’ Very, very happy with the way the film turned out and looking forward to sharing with the world.”
Rocky was also impressed with Denzel Washington’s music taste, as he revealed that the esteemed actor pulled up to the movie set bumping Memphis rappers such as Pooh Shiesty and Moneybagg Yo.
“He likes to listen to Memphis rappers, but modern Memphis rappers,” Rocky told Vogue recently. “Then he started quoting NLE Choppa … He’s really tapped in. Working with Denzel was a dream come true, he’s an OG.”
Watch the Highest 2 Lowest trailer below.