Spike Lee Unveils ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ Premiere at Cannes: A Cinematic Journey to Remember

Liam James6 days agoLast Updated: 10 April 2025

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Spike Lee has announced that his film *Highest 2 Lowest*, starring Denzel Washington, will premiere out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival. However, the film was not included in the initial lineup revealed during a Thursday morning event.

At a press conference in Paris, Cannes delegate general Thierry Frémaux and president Iris Knobloch unveiled the series of titles set to debut on the Croisette this May. The lineup features prominent works such as Wes Anderson’s *The Phoenician Scheme*, Richard Linklater’s *Nouvelle Vague*, and Ari Aster’s *Eddington*.

Just an hour after the Cannes lineup was announced, Lee took to Instagram to share exciting news: “Bon Jour. Good Morning. Whaddup❓Da New SPIKE LEE JOINT-HIGHEST 2 LOWEST Starring My Brother DENZEL WASHINGTON Has Been Invited To Da 2025 CANNES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (In The Out Of Competition Category).” His post included an embroidered article that reads “Highest 2 Lowest 2 Cannes.”

*Highest 2 Lowest* serves as an English-language reinterpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 Japanese film *High and Low*, which is itself loosely based on the 1959 novel *King’s Ransom*. The film features an impressive cast, including Denzel Washington, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice, and ASAP Rocky, and is set for a theatrical release through A24 before being available on Apple TV+.

As is often the case with Cannes, additional titles may be announced after the initial lineup, and Frémaux did mention that he had forgotten to include a title.

The competition lineup for 2025 is filled with acclaimed filmmakers, including Kelly Reichardt, who returns with *The Mastermind*, an art-heist drama starring Josh O’Connor and John Magaro, set against the Vietnam War backdrop. Norwegian director Joachim Trier, who triumphed in 2021 with *The Worst Person of the World*, is back with *Sentimental Value*, featuring Renate Reinsve. Additionally, dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi will present his latest drama, *A Simple Accident*.

Scarlett Johansson and Harris Dickinson are also poised to make their directorial debuts at this year’s festival. Frémaux revealed that a record-breaking 2,909 features were screened during the selection process.

Stay tuned for more updates from HiCelebNews, and be sure to check out the full lineup for the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.