Ice Spice has joined the cast of Spike Lee’s upcoming film High and Low, as Variety reports. The project will serve as the rapper’s acting debut.
Announced in February, Lee’s High and Low is an English-language remake of Akria Kurosawa’s 1963 original, which itself was a loose adaptation of Ed McBain’s novel King’s Ransom, and is set to star Denzel Washington and feature Jeffery Wright. The project marks the fifth collaboration between Washington and Lee, with 2006’s Inside Man being their most recent meeting. A24, Escape Artists, and Mandalay Pictures are developing and producing the project, while Lee and Alan Fox penned the script.
Though there is not yet a release date for the project, it has officially begun production. Once complete, A24 is set to distribute the film theatrically, followed by a global launch on AppleTV+, as Apple Original Films has partnered as a co-financier.
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While Ice Spice’s specific role is still unknown, the rapper’s involvement is bound to garner attention. 2023 proved to be a breakout year for the young star, as she nabbed chart-topping hits, collaborated with artists like Taylor Swift, and appeared on the Barbie soundtrack. Her Nikki Minaj collaboration “Princess Diana” made Barack Obama’s 2023 summer playlist, and (perhaps even more impressively) her track “In Ha Mood” was named the 5th best song of 2023 by Consequence.
Most recently, Ice Spice returned with the meme-inspired single “Think U the Shit (Fart).” She’s also set to appear at this year’s Coachella. Get tickets to either weekend here.
Lee’s most recent work includes 2018’s Oscar-winning BlaKkKlansman and 2020’s Da 5 Bloods. He also moderated the Talking Heads reunion panel and directed the filming of David Byrne’s American Utopia.
The original High and Low is a Japanese crime thriller that centers around a businessman who must choose between using his wealth to climb the corporate ladder or assist an employee whose child is being held for ransom. In the years since its release, it’s continued to gain recognition, even being included on Martin Scorsese’s list of essential foreign films.
