Spike Lee Announces Surprise New Film—Cast, Plot & Release Date Inside

A New Spike Lee Surge: Two Major Projects Ignite Conversation Brooklyn auteur Spike Lee is dominating cultural headlines again thanks to a one-two punch: his Hurricane-Katrina documentary series “Come Hell and High Water” and the feature film “Highest 2 Lowest,” a hip-hop–infused reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic “High and Low.” Together, the projects have vaulted Lee back into the spotlight just as the 20th anniversary of Katrina approaches and awards-season chatter heats up. “Come Hell and High Water”: Katrina, 20 Years Later • Premiered this week on PBS and PBS Passport, the four-part series revisits New Orleans residents first profiled in Lee’s 2006 HBO epic, exposing how housing inequity and climate-driven flooding still haunt the Gulf Coast. • Lee’s cameras follow Alisa Payne, Fred Johnson Jr. and other long-time interviewees as they grapple with rising insurance costs and an uneven rebuilding process. • Critics highlight the director’s signature mix of archival footage, urgent music cues and in-your-face graphics to keep the material visceral for Gen-Z viewers who were infants when the levees broke. From “High and Low” to “Highest 2 Lowest” • Opening in theaters on September 5, “Highest 2 Lowest” recasts Kurosawa’s kidnapping thriller inside today’s music industry, with Denzel Washington playing a streaming-era record mogul whose moral compass is tested after his driver’s child is abducted. • The screenplay—co-written by Lee and Pulitzer Prize finalist Katori Hall—layers in commentary on algorithmic payola, AI-generated beats and cancel culture. • Rolling Stone reports that Questlove and producer 9th Wonder curated an original soundtrack blending gospel samples with drill basslines, which Lee used on set to shape performances and camera movement. The Denzel Factor The film marks Washington’s sixth collaboration with Lee and their first since “Inside Man” (2006). Early festival screenings drew standing ovations for the Oscar winner’s portrayal of mogul Kingston Hayes, while social media lit up over a surprise cameo by Lil Nas X as a ruthless A&R executive. Why Spike Lee Is Trending 1. Dual Releases: Dropping a prestige docu-series and a star-driven thriller within weeks maximizes press cycles and algorithmic visibility. 2. Cultural Timing: The Katrina anniversary and ongoing debates about AI in music give each work built-in relevance. 3. Celebrity Visibility: Lee’s courtside appearances at the 2025 US Open alongside Simone Biles and Anna Wintour fed entertainment feeds and hashtag momentum. What Happens Next • “Come Hell and High Water” will stream globally on Netflix starting October 15, expanding its audience beyond public television. • “Highest 2 Lowest” lands on Apple TV+ in December after its theatrical run, positioning Lee for possible Oscar and Grammy (Best Compilation Soundtrack) nominations. • Industry insiders hint Lee may adapt the late bell hooks’s essays on Black masculinity for his next project, signaling no slowdown at age 68. Bottom Line Between a politically charged documentary and a genre-bending thriller, Spike Lee has engineered a media perfect storm. Search interest and social engagement suggest that the director’s blend of activism, nostalgia and pop savvy is resonating across generations—and that his latest creative peak is far from over.