Spike Lee recently opened up about his upcoming movie, a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, as well as any potential plans the director may have on retiring.
What did Spike Lee say about retiring?
Speaking during an appearance at the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (via THR), Lee opened up about the idea that he might retire. The director, 67, asked those in attendance how old the legendary Kurosawa was when he retired. After being told Kurosawa stopped at 81, Lee joked that he still had a lot of time left for making stuff.
“Yeah. Here is the thing though. How old was Kurosawa when doing his last film? Can someone look that up,” Lee asked. “81? Yeah, I got some time left. Whether it’s God or Allah, I am blessed . . . If you are able to make a living doing what you love, that’s a blessing . . . And as I have gotten older, I have realized it was my destiny to become a filmmaker.”
Lee’s next movie, Highest 2 Lowest, is an English-language remake of the iconic 1963 film High and Low by Kurosawa. The film will feature an all-star ensemble led by Denzel Washington and Ilfenesh Hadera. Released in 1963, the original High and Low was directed by Akira Kurosawa. It starred Toshiro Mifune as Kingo Gondo, Tatsuya Nakadai as Inspector Tokura, Kyōko Kagawa as Reiko Gondo, and Tatsuya Mihashi as Kawanishi.
“Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy industrialist whose family becomes the target of a ruthless kidnapper in Akira Kurosawa’s exemplary film noir,” the synopsis for the 1963 movie reads. “Based on Ed McBain’s detective novel King’s Ransom, High and Low is both a riveting thriller and a brilliant commentary on contemporary Japanese society.”
Spike Lee’s High and Low movie does not yet have an official release date at this time.
(Source: The Hollywood Reporter)
