Denzel Washington and Spike Lee Welcome Their First Film Together in Almost 20 Years as Production Begins on “High and Low”
Forming a prolific actor-director duo, Denzel Washington and Spike Lee have together achieved cinematic excellence on numerous occasions, with partnerships on movies like “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Malcolm X,” and “He Got Game.” And though it has been a while since their latest collaboration, the two are teaming up once again as they begin production this month on their new film “High and Low.” Backed by Apple Original Films and A24, few other details about “High and Low” have been announced, but some speculation has surfaced that Denzel’s son, John David Washington, could potentially have a role in the upcoming film.
Spike Lee and Denzel Washington’s most recent collaboration came in 2006 with “Inside Man,” which saw the duo join forces for an action-crime thriller that wowed audiences and became the highest grossing picture in Lee’s filmographic repertoire.
Now, almost two decades after the release of their critical and box office hit, Lee and Washington are teaming up again for a long-awaited revival of their director-actor alliance with “High and Low.”
“High and Low” will be the fifth film from the pair, marking a nearly 35-year history of collaboration which began in 1990 with “Mo’ Better Blues.” Lee’s latest feature film, “Da 5 Bloods,” came out in 2020 and was initially supposed to star Denzel, but he ultimately wasn’t able to accept the role due to other commitments. Lee’s forthcoming “High and Low” will be a reimagining of a 1963 crime thriller of the same name by Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, one of Lee’s favorite directors, but little else about the project has been revealed.
Like many other prominent filmmakers, Spike Lee tends to cast actors who he already has a working relationship with, which generally helps contribute to the established style and methodology of his directing process. Aside from Denzel Washington, no other cast members have been announced for “High and Low,” but speculation surrounding John David’s potential involvement stems from his previous work with Lee, having starred in the critically acclaimed “BlacKkKlansman.”
Though achieving acting success in his own right, John David Washington has not performed in a film with his father since he was just a kid in “Devil in a Blue Dress” where he had a minor role. That was in 1995, and since then the father and son have yet to work alongside one another, so the prospect of this potential casting is monumental and would likely mark a pivotal moment in both of their careers.
Production for “High and Low” has only just begun, so it’s currently unclear when the film will hit theaters. We can likely expect an early 2025 release, assuming everything goes smoothly during the development process. In the meantime, Denzel is set to appear in “Gladiator 2” releasing in November, and will be starring in a Netflix film directed by Antoine Fuqua coming in the near future.
