Jeffrey Wright Joins Denzel Washington in Spike Lee’s ‘High and Low’

Fresh from his Oscar-nominated role in “American Fiction,” Jeffrey Wright has joined the cast of “High and Low.” The re-imagining of the Akira Kurosawa classic thriller is being directed by Spike Lee and will star Denzel Washington. Lee wrote the script with Alan Fox for the English-language adaptation of the story of a wealthy man dealing with a kidnapping. Production on the Apple Original Films starts this month.

In addition to Washington, “High and Low” also stars Ilfenesh Hadera (“Billions”). A24 will release the film theatrically before its global launch on Apple TV+.

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The feature will be produced by Todd Black, who worked with Washington on “The Equalizer” films, for Escape Artists and Jason Michael Berman (“Air”) for Mandalay Pictures. In addition to directing, Lee will serve as executive producer through his 40 Acres And A Mule Filmworks. Mandalay’s Peter Guber will serve as executive producer, along with Juniper Productions’ Matthew Lindner, Chris Brigham, and Katia Washington. Mandalay’s Jordan Moldo is co-producing.

It’s the fifth collaboration between Lee and Washington, who previously teamed on “Mo’ Better Blues,” “He Got Game,” “Inside Man” and “Malcolm X,” which earned Washington an Oscar nomination for best actor. Washington previously worked with Apple on “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” which A24 also released.

Wright’s credits include HBO’s “Westworld,” as well as such films as “Basquiat,” “Shaft,” “The French Dispatch,” “No Time to Die” and “The Batman.” On stage, Wright has starred in “Topdog/Underdog,” “A Free Man of Color” and the original Broadway production of “Angels in America” (he also appeared in the HBO mini-series adaptation of the play).

Wright is represented by CAA, Strategic PR and the law firm of Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.

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