With a whirlwind stop from Denzel, Spike unveils 'Highest 2 Lowest' in Cannes

With a whirlwind stop from Denzel, Spike unveils ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ in Cannes

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Director Spike Lee, left, and Denzel Washington pose for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 19, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

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A$AP Rocky, left, and director Spike Lee pose for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 19, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

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Director Spike Lee poses for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 19, 2025. (Photo by Lewis Joly/Invision/AP)

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Denzel Washington, from left, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, director Spike Lee and A$AP Rocky pose for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 19, 2025. (Photo by Lewis Joly/Invision/AP)

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Director Spike Lee, from left, A$AP Rocky and Denzel Washington pose for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 19, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

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Adria Arjona, left, and Jason Momoa pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 19, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

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Paul Pogba, left, and Zulay Pogba pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘Highest 2 Lowest’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Monday, May 19, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

By Jake Coyle

CANNES, France (AP) — Denzel Washington sandwiched a whirlwind trip to the Cannes Film Festival, in between Broadway performances, for the premiere of Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest” on Monday.

Cannes flipped around some of its scheduling to accommodate Washington’s speedy France trip, which came on his lone off-day while performing “Othello” in New York. “Highest 2 Lowest” premiered Monday night in Cannes. And while the festival’s photo calls usually happen the following day, Cannes hosted one for “Highest 2 Lowest” earlier Monday.

Washington, playfully posing with Lee and co-star A$AP Rocky, showed no signs of jet leg after arriving on Monday. Washington is expected to fly back to New York immediately after the screening.

That Washington would be able to make the trip had been a sticking point for Cannes. When the festival first announced its lineup last month, “Highest 2 Lowest” wasn’t announced. Within hours, however, Lee, himself, announced the film was heading to Cannes. Representatives for the festival said they had been waiting for confirmation that Washington would attend to walk the red carpet.

“Highest 2 Lowest,” a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film “High and Low,” will be released in theaters by A24 on Aug. 22 before streaming on Apple TV+ on Sept. 5.