Death Note (2017 film)

Death Note is an upcoming American film directed by Adam Wingard, based on the manga series of the same name by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The film will star Nat Wolff, Margaret Qualley, Keith Stanfield, Paul Nakauchi, Shea Whigham, and Willem Dafoe. The film is planned for a 2017 release.^[1]

Plot

A young man comes to possess a supernatural notebook, the Death Note, that grants him the power to kill any person simply by writing down their name on the pages. He then decides to use the notebook to kill criminals and change the world, but an enigmatic detective attempts to track him down and end his reign of terror.^[2]

Cast

• Nat Wolff as Light Turner
• Margaret Qualley as Mia Sutton
• Keith Stanfield as L
• Paul Nakauchi as Watari
• Shea Whigham as James Turner
• Willem Dafoe as Ryuk (voice)
• Masi Oka

Production

In 2007, the Malaysian paper The Star stated that more than ten film companies in the United States had expressed interest in the Death Note franchise.^[3] The American production company Vertigo Entertainment was originally set to develop the remake, with Charley and Vlas Parlapanides as screenwriters and Roy Lee, Doug Davison, Dan Lin, and Brian Witten as producers.^[4] On April 30, 2009, Variety reported that Warner Bros., the distributors for the original Japanese live-action films, had acquired the rights for an American remake, with the original screenwriters and producers still attached.^[5] In 2009, Zac Efron responded to rumors that he would be playing the film's lead role by stating that the project was "not on the front burner".^[6] On January 13, 2011, it was announced that Shane Black had been hired to direct the film, with the script being written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry.^[7] Warner's studios planned to change the background story of Light Yagami into one of vengeance instead of justice and to remove Shinigami from the story. Black opposed this change, and it had not been green-lit.^[8] Black confirmed in a 2013 interview with Bleeding Cool that he was still working on the film.^[9] In July 2014, it was rumored that Gus Van Sant would replace Black as the film's new director, with Dan Lin, Doug Davison, Roy Lee and Brian Witten producing through Vertigo Entertainment, Witten Pictures and Lin Pictures.^[10]

On April 27, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Adam Wingard would direct the film, that Lin, Lee, Jason Hoffs and Masi Oka would produce, and that Niija Kuykendall and Nik Mavinkurve would oversee the studio.^[11] On September 29, 2015, Nat Wolff was cast in the lead role.^[12] On November 12, 2015, Margaret Qualley joined the film as the female lead.^[13] Producers have stated the film will receive an R rating.^[14] In April 2016, TheWrap reported that because Warner Bros. had decided to make fewer films, the studio put the film into turnaround but allowed Wingard to take the project elsewhere. Within 48 hours, Wingard was reportedly approached by nearly every major film studio.^[15] On April 6, 2016, it was confirmed that Netflix had bought the film from Warner Bros. with a budget of $40-$50 million and a recent draft of the script being written by Jeremy Slater. Production officially began in British Columbia on June 30, 2016, overseen by DN (Canada) Productions, Inc.^{[16][17][18][19][20]} In June 2016, Keith Stanfield joined the cast.^[21] On June 30, 2016, it was announced that Paul Nakauchi and Shea Whigham had joined the cast.^[1] On August 2, 2016, Willem Dafoe was announced to voiced the Shinigami Ryuk.^[22]

Early casting announcements, similar to other Hollywood productions based on Japanese manga such as Dragonball Evolution and Ghost in the Shell, generated controversy over the race of the lead actors.^[23][24] In response, producers Roy Lee and Dan Lin stated that "Our vision for Death Note has always been to...introduce the world to this dark and mysterious masterpiece. The talent and diversity represented in our cast, writing, and producing teams reflect our belief in staying true to the story’s concept of moral relevance — a universal theme that knows no racial boundaries.”^[20] Oka announced that he also has a role in the film.^[25]

References

External links

• Death Note at the Internet Movie Database