Spike Lee’s Surprise Cannes Premiere: Everything We Know About the Bold New Film

Spike Lee’s long-awaited reunion with Denzel Washington lit up the 78th Cannes Film Festival this week as “Highest 2 Lowest” premiered to thunderous applause, ending an 18-year gap since their last collaboration. The neo-noir crime thriller–Lee’s reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s classic “High and Low”–marks the duo’s fifth film together and, if Lee’s own words hold, possibly their last. Speaking to reporters, the director hinted that Washington “has been talking about retirement,” making this project a potential swan song for one of cinema’s most celebrated partnerships. Cannes Premiere Turns Into Knicks Watch Party True to form, Lee arrived on the Croisette wearing an orange-and-blue tuxedo lined with New York Knicks logos, refusing to miss the NBA Eastern Conference Finals even from France. Moments before the screening, he streamed Game 4 on his phone backstage, later joking that “cinema and the Knicks are my two religions”. Less than a week later, he was back courtside in Indianapolis, whipping up the crowd during the Knicks–Pacers rematch and becoming a viral social-media moment in the process. Political Fire Still Burns Lee’s press blitz was anything but apolitical. Responding to President Trump’s proposed 100 percent tariff on films shot abroad, the director warned that the measure would “kill American jobs and creativity,” urging filmmakers to “keep fighting for stories that cross borders”. He doubled down in an interview with Spain’s El País, asking, “How can we talk about American values considering who the president is?” The comments rocketed across social feeds, amplifying interest in both the film and the filmmaker’s outspoken stance. Inside “Highest 2 Lowest” Set in contemporary New York, “Highest 2 Lowest” follows a luxury-sneaker mogul (Washington) whose son is mistakenly kidnapped. Lee’s adaptation shifts Kurosawa’s corporate boardrooms into Harlem penthouses, weaving themes of wealth inequality, gentrification, and social surveillance into a taut two-hour thriller. Early festival buzz hails Washington’s performance as “mesmerizing” while praising Lee’s signature dolly-shot flourishes and a jazz-infused score by longtime collaborator Terence Blanchard. Industry chatter already pegs the $50 million film as an early Oscar contender, especially in the Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay categories. A Legacy in Motion For Lee, the project is both a cinematic milestone and a personal reflection. The Brooklyn native first saw Kurosawa’s film in his NYU days and says he’s “waited decades for the right moment” to re-envision it. That moment, he believes, is now: “I want the world to see how America’s skyscrapers can cast very long shadows,” he told festival-goers. With streaming giants circling and international distribution deals closing fast, “Highest 2 Lowest” is slated for a global theatrical release on October 10, positioning it squarely in awards-season territory. What’s Next for Spike Lee? While hinting that he may shift toward limited-series projects, Lee insists he’s “not retiring” and already has treatments in the works, including a documentary on voting rights and a narrative feature about the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics bid. As he told The Washington Post, “The story well is never dry—just look at what’s happening outside”. SEO takeaway Between Cannes accolades, NBA courtside virality, and pointed political commentary, Spike Lee remains a magnet for cultural conversation in 2025. Expect “Highest 2 Lowest,” his partnership with Denzel Washington, and his unfiltered views on American politics to dominate search interest—and the awards circuit—well into the fall.