Emmy-nominated actor, Jeffrey Wright will join forces with Hollywood heavyweight, Denzel Washington, for a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s ‘High and Low.’ The revamped version of the 1963 crime thriller is being jointly produced by Apple and A24 Films. At this moment, details about Wright’s role in the film remain undisclosed.
Key Takeaways:
– Jeffrey Wright will be joining Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s remake of Akira Kurosawa’s ‘High and Low.’
– The remake comes from a collaboration between Apple and A24 Films.
– Details about Wright’s character in the film have not yet been revealed.
– This will be Denzel Washington’s fourth collaboration with Spike Lee.
Acclaimed Accomplishments of Jeffrey Wright
Wright recently received much acclaim for his Oscar-nominated film, ‘American Fiction.’ Additionally, he played a significant role in ‘Rustin’, another Oscar-nominated film, hosted on Netflix. In the past year, Wright starred in ‘Asteroid City’ by Wes Anderson, a director he also collaborated with on ‘The French Dispatch.’ Renowned for his versatile acting skills, Wright has received three Emmy nominations for his portrayal as Bernard Lowe on HBO’s ‘Westworld.’ Furthermore, he recently left a mark in the ‘Batman’ universe as James Gordon, working alongside Robert Pattinson in Matt Reeves’ standalone ‘The Batman.’
Exploring the 1963 “High and Low” Blueprint
The original ‘High and Low’, by Kurosawa, tells the tense story of a Yokohama shoe company executive who becomes a victim of extortion. The chaos ensues when his chauffeur’s son is mistakenly kidnapped and held for ransom. Details about Lee’s reimagined film are currently minimal. What is known is that it will be an English-language version of the original. Speculations regarding changes in the plot or similarities to Kurosawa’s classic crime drama continue to abound.
Lee-Washington: A Proven Partnership
This venture will mark Washington’s fourth collaboration with Lee. The duo’s past projects include the exciting bank heist film, ‘Inside Man.’ Lee also worked with Washington’s son, actor John David Washington, in his award-winning film ‘BlacKkKlansman.’
A Stellar Production Squad
The screenplay for the upcoming remake of ‘High and Low’ is penned by Alan Fox and Lee. Production teams include A24, Escape Artists, and Mandalay Pictures. The production kickstarts in March, with Todd Black on board as producer for Escape Artists and Jason Michael Berman for Mandalay Pictures. Apart from directing and co-writing, Lee also serves as an executive producer through his 40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks studio. Joining Lee as executive producers are Peter Guber for Mandalay Films, Matthew Lindner for Juniper Productions, Chris Brigham, and Katia Washington. Mandalay’s Jordan Moldo has been announced as a co-producer.
Reports suggest that last spring, Lee and Denzel Washington began contemplating another film collaboration, but strikes by WGA and SAG-AFTRA halted their momentum. However, despite these setbacks, the project is now in full swing and film enthusiasts worldwide are eager for its release.
