Denzel Washington and Spike Lee are together again for Highest 2 Lowest, which looks like a sequel to their hit crime movie from years ago. It’s been nearly 20 years since Denzel and Spike worked together on a movie. The pairing responsible for Oscar contenders like Malcolm X and box office hits like Inside Man has reunited to remake Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low. Anticipation for the movie has been high ever since it was announced, but Apple TV+ and A24 have now offered a better look at it thanks to the Highest 2 Lowest teaser trailer.
The trailer doesn’t show too much of the film, as its less than one minute long, but that’s still enough time to generate excitement. It also manages to do its job of communicating some details about the film’s story. Kurosawa’s original film revolves around a Japanese businessman who becomes caught in a kidnapping scheme while attempting to take over the company he works for. Highest 2 Lowest updates the story to follow a music tycoon connected to a ransom, all told through the crime thriller genre, which is exciting considering Denzel and Spike’s history.
Highest 2 Lowest Brings Denzel Washington & Spike Lee Back To Crime Thrillers After Inside Man
It’s A Familiar Genre For Them
It’s made clear by Highest 2 Lowest‘s trailer and the original material that it’s reimagining that this story is a crime thriller. Denzel Washington’s character is shown on the run and with cops, while there are teases of money being stolen, exchanged, and more. That all directly plays into the crime thriller element of Highest 2 Lowest. It makes for a very engaging teaser trailer that wonderfully sells the genre and tone of Denzel Washington and Spike Lee’s movie.
What’s more exciting is that Denzel and Spike already have a history with crime thrillers. Their last movie together, Inside Man, was the same genre. The 2006 bank heist film featuring Jodie Foster and Clive Owen explored and subverted the genre while maintaining an entertaining value for audiences. This led to Inside Man becoming a massive hit upon its release, grossing $184 million at the worldwide box office. Critics were also pleased with the effort, as the movie sits at 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Inside Man proves Highest 2 Lowest should be great as Denzel and Spike return to the crime thriller genre. It’s also telling that they decided that this would be the project that brought them back together. Inside Man wasn’t just their last crime thriller together. It’s the last movie they both worked on overall. Their decision to reteam at this point in time for another crime thriller speaks volumes about Highest 2 Lowest‘s potential to recapture the greatness of Inside Man.
Inside Man Almost Got A Sequel, But It Was Canceled 14 Years Ago
Denzel & Spike Were Meant To Return
Following the successful release of Inside Man, Universal began considering ideas for the standalone film to expand into a franchise. Development officially began in November 2006. Screenwriter Russell Gewirtz was announced to be writing the sequel script, while Spike Lee was in talks to return to direct. After two years, Terry George was brought on to write a new version of the script. Spike Lee eventually confirmed that Denzel, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, and Chiwetel Ejiofor would all return.
While there was a plan for filming to begin in 2009, it was only two years later that Inside Man 2 was officially canceled. Lee told BET that, “We tried many times. It’s not going to happen.” The main issue that the sequel ran into was that Lee could not get the proper financing to make it happen. This was the end of the prospects of Inside Man becoming a franchise, with Denzel and Spike going their separate ways afterward before coming back together for Highest 2 Lowest.
Technically, there was a “sequel” to Inside Man that came out in 2019. The direct-to-video movie called Inside Man: Most Wanted takes place in the same universe, although there are no returning characters or creatives. So, for anyone wanting a real continuation of Keith Frazier or Dalton Russell’s story, that has not come.
Highest 2 Lowest Can Be The Unofficial Inside Man Sequel We Should’ve Gotten
It Has All The Pieces
After not getting a proper Inside Man sequel years ago, Highest 2 Lowest now looks like the next best thing. It fulfills the plan to be the next movie Spike and Denzel would have made together, and it maintains the crime thriller genre. Anyone who has spent the last two decades disappointed that Inside Man 2 never happened should be satisfied by what Highest 2 Lowest has to offer. Some may even question if it is a sequel to a previous movie, possibly even Inside Man, thanks to the “2” in the title.
At this point, there’s practically no chance that Inside Man will ever get a proper sequel. Spike and Denzel have both moved on from that specific story, but they clearly weren’t done with making crime thrillers together. With Highest 2 Lowest exploring a similar genre and characters, and possibly similar themes, to Inside Man, this new movie might as well be the unofficial sequel to the 2006 film.
Source: BET
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
