Featured MEdia
Supply Chains

In today’s Hollywood, while follower counts often influence casting choices, acclaimed director Spike Lee is taking a different approach—he’s looking to memes.

As he prepares for the Cannes premiere of his A24 film Highest 2 Lowest next month, the Oscar-winning director shared that he cast A$AP Rocky after encountering a meme that humorously compared the Grammy-nominated artist to his co-star, Denzel Washington.

“It’s amusing because I was scrolling through Instagram four or five years ago, and people were saying A$AP looked like he could be Denzel’s son,” Lee recounted on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast. “I saw those memes, and we incorporated that into the film.”

 

Watch on Deadline

 

Rocky’s upcoming role alongside Washington and Ice Spice marks a significant moment in his career, following his debut in 2015’s Dope and his recent performance in A24’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

“A$AP is incredible,” Lee praised. “In some scenes, he and Denzel are going head-to-head—he’s not backing down. He’s asserting his presence. I’m extremely pleased with how the film turned out and can’t wait to share it with audiences.”

Lee’s latest project is a fresh take on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low. In this film, Washington portrays a powerful music mogul renowned for having the “best ears in the business,” who becomes embroiled in a perilous ransom scheme.

Previously, Lee mentioned to Deadline that Rocky plays “the main role” in this compelling narrative.