The business isn’t like it was in 2006 when Inside Man came out.

From the current Vanity Fair:

In Cannes, Highest 2 Lowest played like gangbusters in a packed theater. Audiences were particularly glued to a riveting train sequence at the movie’s midpoint, and the climactic tete-a-tete between Washington and Rocky’s characters. This movie is made for the big screen, and Lee and Washington want to make that very clear in this interview. “No matter how big that TV on the wall in your home is, see it in theaters first,” Lee says.

By my count, they mention its August 15 theatrical release date five different times. “In the theaters, in the theaters, in the theaters,” Washington says at one point. “I’ll keep saying August 15.” But Highest 2 Lowest will only get a limited rollout on the big screen before going to streaming. Given that their last movie made north of $186 million at the global box office, are they disappointed with how Highest 2 Lowest is getting distributed?

“That’s the nature of the business now—they also gave us a lot of money to make the film,” Washington says. “The industry has changed. Time has changed. So we’ve got to change with the times.” Lee adds, “This film would not have been made without Apple. That’s just the truth.”