'The D N Lee Combo Is 5 For 5': Spike Lee Hyped Up His First Denzel Washington Movie Since Inside Man With A Very On Brand Message

It’s hard to believe that director Spike Lee and actor Denzel Washington have only made five films together, but I’d be lying if I said otherwise. The fifth is set to release as part of the 2025 movie schedule, as Highest 2 Lowest marks the first collaboration between the titans since 2006’s Inside Man. With a new trailer released to get the crowd ready for what to expect, Lee has also taken the time to write a totally fitting tribute to his frequent leading man.

We now have a longer look at the A24/Apple TV+ subscription title (which debuts in theaters on August 15th), and the remake to Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low appears to be worth the wait. Showing us Washington’s record mogul David King seemingly on top at the start, sour notes start to land in his life before you know it. Which is the total opposite of the vibe you’ll get from reading Spike Lee’s Instagram caption, shared below:

You’ve gotta love when friends like these absolutely gas each other up in the press. As far as that five picture run is concerned, Washington has been part of some of the most acclaimed pictures on Lee’s resume. Though that's not to overlook the current run of streaming heaters the Crooklyn director has been putting out.

In fact, some of Spike Lee's most socially relevant movies have been platform based originals like Prime Video's Chi-Raq and Netflix's Da 5 Bloods. That makes this reunion even more fruitful, as Washington can now be added to the roster of recent hits banked by Brooklyn's cinema hype man.

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But of course, the wait between Inside Man and this new movie is one that fans have been braving for a while. You could see that as Lee’s message accompanying Highest 2 Lowest’s teaser acknowledged that “hella long” wait. That seems to be a specialty for Apple Original Films, as around this same time last year the platform delivered the George Clooney/Brad Pitt reunion we know as Wolfs.

What’s even more fitting is that yesterday Spike Lee posted another clip to his social media, one that may have been his tip off that a new Highest 2 Lowest look was coming. Sharing the snippet of Mo’ Better Blues you see below, the Atlanta-born filmmaker threw us all the way back to the beginning of his professional relationship with Denzel Washington:

As if the fan hype for Highest 2 Lowest wasn't enough, you've also got stories like ASAP Rocky's experience working with Mr. Washington, which only stoke those flames all the more. It's probably a good thing that audiences won't have to wait too much longer before they can catch Highest 2 Lowest, and with two very different options available.

You’ll be able to try and find the picture at a theater near you, as its theatrical release starts on August 15th. However, Apple TV+ subscribers will be able to partake in the reunion of Spike Lee and Denzel Washington soon after, as it will hit the streaming platform on September 5th.