Highest 2 Lowest opens in select theaters, Apple TV streaming Sept 5

Spike Lee’s new crime drama Highest 2 Lowest opened in select theaters on August 15 and will be available to stream on Apple TV on September 5. The reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low reunites Lee with longtime collaborator Denzel Washington and features a high-profile turn from rapper AAP Rocky. Rocky’s performance has generated early awards season buzz even as the film’s theatrical run has been small and its box office totals have not been publicly disclosed by the distributor and partner studio.

Highest 2 Lowest centers on a music mogul caught in a moral and financial dilemma after a ransom plot threatens the future of his label. Washington plays the mogul, while Rocky portrays Yung Felon, a brash rising rapper who becomes entangled in the crisis. The cast includes Ice Spice, Jeffrey Wright and Wendell Pierce. Lee’s decision to place contemporary hip hop at the heart of the story has drawn attention to the chemistry between Washington and Rocky, which Lee and others have described as electric. "Don’t sleep on AAP," Lee told television audiences while discussing the film. The director also pointed out a striking visual resemblance between the two leads that adds an...