A pact between Apple Original Films, A24, Spike Lee, and Denzel Washington is making noise this Thursday with news about a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 crime drama High and Low. Lee and Washington are old friends, of course, with the duo’s fourth collaboration being for 2006’s Inside Man.
In Kurosawa’s High and Low, an executive of a Yokohama shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom. Details about Lee’s remake are scarce, though we know it will be an English-language reimagining of the original—details about how and if the plot will differ from Kurosawa’s classic crime drama remains a mystery.
Alan Fox and Lee wrote the screenplay for the High and Low remake, with A24, Escape Artists, and Mandalay Pictures handling development. Production kicks off in March, with Todd Black producing for Escape Artists and Jason Michael Berman for Mandalay Pictures. In addition to directing and co-writing High and Low, Lee will executive produce through his 40 Acres studio and A Mule Filmworks. Joining Lee as an executive producer is Peter Guber for Madalay Films, Matthew Lindner for Juniper Productions, Chris Brigham, and Katia Washington. Mandalay’s Jordan Moldo is co-producing. According to reports, Spike Lee and Denzel Washington began thinking about collaborating on another film project last spring. Still, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes delayed any forward momentum.
Denzel Washington’s next film is one cinephiles didn’t think would ever happen: Gladiator 2. Ridley Scott directs the Gladiator sequel from a script by David Scarpa (All The Money In the World). The film stars Paul Mescal (Aftersun) as Lucius, the young boy who idolized Maximus (Russell Crowe) in the original movie. The cast also includes Denzel Washington (The Equalizer 3), Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), Connie Nielsen (Wonder Woman), May Calamawy (Moon Knight), Lior Raz (The Crowded Room), Peter Mensah (Spartacus), Matt Lucas (Wonka), Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus), and Derek Jacobi (Murder on the Orient Express).
Speaking with Deadline in November, Ridley Scott explained how Washington’s character parallels Lucius, saying, “There’s a parallel character, the owner of a business that supplied weapons for the Romans, who supplied the oil when they traveled, who supplied the wine they drink. They wouldn’t drink water, they drank wine. When they traveled, who would supply wagons and horses and tack? There had to be the arms dealers of the period; here is a man who already rich from supplying the weapons, the catapults. His hobby is like a racing stable except it’s gladiators. He’s got a stable of 30 or 40 gladiators. He likes to actually see them fight and it evolves that that’s where he came from. He was captured in North Africa, and evolved into a free man because he was a good gladiator. But he hides that because also he’s now realizing the potential of his actual power. He’s wealthier than most senators, so already has thoughts and designs of the possible idea of taking power from these two crazy princes.”
Are you a fan of Kurosawa’s High and Low? What changes have been made to the story to fit Lee’s directorial style and sensitivities? Let us know what you think in the comments below.