‘High & Low’: Jeffrey Wright Joins Denzel Washington In Spike Lee’s Remake Of Akira Kurosawa Ransom Thriller

Coming off his recent Best Actor nomination for “American Fiction,” Jeffrey Wright has landed a high-profile part opposite Denzel Washington and Ilfenesh Hadera (“Billions“) in Spike Lee‘s (“Da 5 Bloods“) “High & Low,” according to a report from THR. The ransom thriller is a remake of the acclaimed Akira Kurosawa film from 1963. In the drama, a wealthy executive becomes caught up in a kidnapping plot. The original movie adapted the Ed McBain detective novel “King’s Ransom.“

READ MORE: Jeffrey Wright Hasn’t Always Wanted The Spotlight But Then Came ‘American Fiction’ [Interview]

Here is the logline for the 1959 McBain novel via Amazon:

For a wealthy businessman, a kidnapping puts him in a predicament as troubling as any he has ever experienced. For Detective Steve Carella and the men at the 87th Precinct, their troubles are even worse. Their only hope is that he will play ball―at least long enough for them to catch the perps before the kidnapping turns into a homicide.

Of course, Washington and Lee have a longstanding working relationship with films “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Malcolm X,” “He Got Game,” and “Inside Man.” “High & Low” will be their first reunion since 2006’s heist thriller “Inside Man” and their sixth feature-length collaboration. Lee, who won a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for “BlacKkKlansman,” will also co-write the film with Alan Fox and Evan Hunter.

Wright is coming off the massive critical success of “American Fiction,” which earned him his first Oscar nomination. He is also set to reprise his role as Jim Gordon in Matt Reeves‘ “The Batman Part II,” which recently saw its release date pushed back a whole year to October 2026 (telegraphing production delays and script polishing for the Batman sequel). 

“High & Low” will see A24 release the film theatrically before its global launch on Apple TV+; we’ll have to be patient for an official release date.