Spike Lee and Denzel Washington Premiere ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ in Brooklyn

by Kadeem Lundy August 12, 2025

by Kadeem Lundy August 12, 2025 0 comments

Spike Lee, A24, and Apple TV+ brought some of the top names in film and hip hop to the BAM Harvey Theater on Monday, August 11th, in Brooklyn, New York, for the premiere of Lee’s latest film “Highest 2 Lowest”.

Attendees included the film’s stars Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, A$AP Rocky, Rick Fox, Wendell Pierce, LaChanze, Dean Winters, John Douglas Thompson, Aiyana-Lee, Jensen McRae, Ice Spice, Princess Nokia, Rick Fox, Nicholas Turturro, Rosie Perez, Allison Worrell. Several other special guests in attendance included Chance the Rapper, Giancarlo Esposito, Karl-Anthony Towns, Keegan-Michael Key, John Turturro, Slick Rick, CC Sabathia, Malcolm Washington, Dapper Dan, Edie Falco, Breanna Stewart, Nicole Ari Parker, and more.

“Highest 2 Lowest” is based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film “High and Low”, which was itself based on Ed McBain’s 1959 novel “King’s Ransom”. The film follows a titan music mogul (Denzel Washington), widely known as having the “best ears in the business”, who is targeted with a ransom plot and winds up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. While Kurosawa’s film was set in Japan, Lee’s takes place on the streets and subways in New York City. The film also marks the fifth collaboration between Lee and Washington, having last worked together on the 2006 film “Inside Man”.

Moments prior to the film being screened at the premiere, Lee spoke about Eddie Palmieri, the Puerto Rican-American pianist, composer, bandleader, and Latin jazz innovator who passed away earlier this month. Palmieri worked with Lee on the film and served in a crucial musical role in the film. Lee took the time to honor Palmieri before introducing Palmieri’s son to say a few words about his father. Lee then briefly introduced the cast before the film began.

A$AP Rocky and Dapper Dan attend Apple Original Films and A24’s ‘HIGHEST 2 LOWEST’ New York after party on Monday, August 11, 2025, at BAMcafé, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.

After the conclusion of the film, guests headed over to the BAM Peter Jay Sharpe Building’s BAMCafe for the after-party reception. At the after-party guest were treated to an array of hors d’ouvres and cocktails with names such as King’s Ransom (a nod to the original novel), and The Chase, as well as music from deejay who played many hits from the 1980’s while guest like Lee mingled with rap icon Slick Rick, and A$AP Rocky mingled with hip hop fashion design legend Dapper Dan.