Legendary filmmaker Spike Lee recently sat down with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show to promote his upcoming film Highest 2 Lowest, set to hit theaters August 22. While there, he gave major props to both A$AP Rocky and Denzel Washington, who star opposite each other in the crime thriller.
“Don’t sleep on A$AP,” Lee said during the interview. “In this film, Denzel and A$AP go toe-to-toe.” He added that Rocky not only held his own alongside the Oscar-winning Washington, but also brought an extra layer of authenticity to their dynamic. “Even before I got involved, I always thought A$AP looked like he could be Denzel’s son. There’s a real resemblance. Seeing them together on screen really adds to that father-son energy.”
Lee, who’s directed Washington in five previous films, admitted that many actors find it tough to share the screen with someone of Denzel’s caliber. “People get overwhelmed. He’s one of the greatest living actors. But A$AP wasn’t fazed. They went at it, for real.”
Highest 2 Lowest is a modern reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic noir High and Low, set in New York City. Washington plays the head of a powerful record label, Stackin Hits, while Rocky plays his son Yung Felony, an up-and-coming rapper whose choices set off a gripping narrative about power, family, and ambition.
The film, backed by A24 and Apple, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May to critical acclaim and currently holds an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes. After its limited theatrical run, it will hit Apple TV+ on September 5.