Spike Lee’s Knicks Obsession Fuels Cannes Premiere/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Spike Lee’s Cannes premiere, “Highest 2 Lowest,” blends his deep love for New York and the Knicks. The film, starring Denzel Washington, is a modern reworking of Kurosawa’s “High and Low.” Its red carpet moments and East Coast pride lit up the French Riviera.
“Highest 2 Lowest” + Cannes Quick Looks
- Film Title: Highest 2 Lowest
- Premiere Location: Cannes Film Festival, France
- Director: Spike Lee
- Starring: Denzel Washington, A$AP Rocky, Jeffrey Wright
- Inspired By: Kurosawa’s High and Low
- Release Dates: Aug. 22 in theaters, Sept. 5 on Apple TV+
- Main Character: Knicks fan record exec, David King
- Themes: Moral dilemmas, loyalty, New York culture
- Scene Stealer: Basement rap duel between Denzel and A$AP Rocky
- Surprise Moment: Denzel honored with an unexpected Palme d’Or
Deep Look: Spike Lee Unleashes Knicks-Fueled “Highest 2 Lowest” at Cannes
CANNES, France — May 21, 2025 — Spike Lee brought the grit of New York and the heart of Madison Square Garden to the French Riviera with the Cannes premiere of his newest film, Highest 2 Lowest. A brash, blistering reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, the film doubles as a love letter to Lee’s two lifelong passions: cinema and the New York Knicks.
At the center is Denzel Washington’s David King, a powerful record executive and die-hard Knicks fan who refuses to allow a thread of Celtics green inside his Brooklyn home. His apartment proudly displays a framed Jalen Brunson jersey. Movie buffs will catch references to The French Connection, The Defiant Ones, and The Sweet Smell of Success. Even Yankee Stadium features prominently.
“We’re not counting on Boston for box office!” Lee joked at Cannes, doubling down on his Knicks pride in his trademark blue and orange suits.
Red Carpet Drama and Denzel’s Palme d’Or
The film’s Cannes debut was cinematic in itself. Denzel Washington, who plays King, was surprised on the red carpet with an honorary Palme d’Or — a moment even Spike didn’t see coming.
“That wasn’t acting,” Lee grinned. “Only three or four people knew.”
But the red carpet also brought chaos: a photographer grabbed Washington’s arm, prompting a brief confrontation.
“Do not touch Denzel Washington or it’s going to be a problem,” Lee warned with a laugh.
An NYU Film Student’s Homage to Kurosawa
While Highest 2 Lowest echoes Kurosawa’s classic, Lee twists the story into something unmistakably his own. The plot revolves around a botched kidnapping — A$AP Rocky’s character mistakenly abducts the wrong child, forcing King to choose between money and morality.
Lee’s respect for Kurosawa runs deep. He discovered the Japanese auteur during his NYU film school days and still treasures a signed brushstroke autograph.
“Coltrane did something to ‘My Favorite Things,’” Lee said. “That’s what we did here.”
Basketball, Beats, and Big Moral Stakes
Basketball isn’t just a backdrop — it’s a state of mind. King’s Knicks fandom bleeds into the film’s tone and tempo. But it’s not just sports: Highest 2 Lowest is laced with music, race, and power dynamics.
The climactic scene pits Washington against Rocky in a lyrical battle inside a basement studio. Denzel, drawing on Nas lyrics, improvised most of his lines.
“We had to pay for that!” Lee joked.
“Rocky didn’t punk out,” Lee added. “That was a slugfest. And that’s what makes great cinema.”
Spike and Denzel’s Last Dance?
This marks Lee and Washington’s fifth collaboration, their first since 2006’s Inside Man. Could it be their last?
“That’s what he says,” Lee said of Denzel’s rumored retirement. “I’ll believe it when he hangs it up.”
Despite the 19-year gap, Lee said their chemistry didn’t miss a beat. From Mo’ Better Blues to Malcolm X, their pairing remains one of Hollywood’s most iconic duos.
Cannes, Knicks, and Spike’s Swagger
Lee worked the festival like a court-side legend, donning pinstripe suits, debating Premier League soccer, and quoting Yoda (“There is no try, only do”). But he didn’t dodge politics either.
“I don’t know how much we can talk about American values considering who is president,” he said.
Lee also expressed remorse over his infamous 2021 Cannes gaffe, when he accidentally revealed the Palme d’Or winner early. But it didn’t stop Titane director Julia Ducournau from warmly greeting him.
“A car impregnates a woman? You got my vote,” Lee said, still amazed.
From Brooklyn to Cannes, a True Spike Lee Joint
At its core, Highest 2 Lowest is about doing what’s right — a theme familiar to Spike Lee fans. Whether through Malcolm X, Mookie, or now David King, Lee centers characters at crossroads of conscience and identity.
“He’s going through it,” Lee said of King. “Money on one hand, a life on the other.”
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