Spike Lee's ‘High and Low' Remake Starts Production, Lensed by Matthew Libatique

So, a few things I’ve learned about Spike Lee’s “High and Low” remake.

We already know that Denzel Washington and Halle Berry will be starring in Lee’s film, which is being helmed by A24 and Apple Studios. The film will be a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s crime thriller of the same name and will be written by Alan Fox and Lee.

I can report that production has begun on the film in New York City. It’s currently going by the working title “Highest 2 Lowest,” maybe it’s the official title, I don’t know, but it’s what they’re using on the production grid.

Kurosawa’s classic 1963 crime thriller follows an executive at a Yokohama shoe company who becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur’s son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom. We don’t really know if Lee will be following the Kurosawa film’s plot to a tee, but it is definitely going to be heavily inspired by it.

I’m also hearing that Matthew Libatique is the cinematographer here. Now, this is welcome news. Libatique is best known for being Darren Aronofsky’s long-standing DP. They have collaborated together on seven films, including “Requiem For A Dream,” “Black Swan,” and “mother!” Libatique previously collaborated with Lee on four films, including 2006’s “Inside Man.”

Hard to believe, but, as legendary an actor/director duo as they might be, this will only be the fifth time Lee and Washington have worked together on a film. For some reason, I thought they had made more films. So far, their creative partnership has resulted in “Malcolm X,” “He Got Game,” “Mo Better Blues” and, most recently, 2006’s “Inside Man.”