Death Note (2017 film)

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. 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. On April 30, 2009, Variety reported that Warner Bros., the distributors for the original Japanese live-action films, had acquired the American rights for the remake, with the original screenwriters and producers still attached. The release date is tentatively set for the year 2015. On January 13, 2011, it was announced that Shane Black has been hired to direct the film, with the script being written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry. There have also been rumours that Zac Efron has been cast to play Light Yagami, though this has not been confirmed. Black confirmed in an interview with Bleeding Cool that he's still working on the film.

Warner Bros proposed changes to the story
Director Shane Black explained at his Long Beach Comic Con panel on the 29th October 2011 that the new Death Note project had been in jeopardy. Warner Brothers initially wanted Light Yagami to become the good guy, while Ryuk would be cut from the plot altogether. Black was largely opposed to this and insisted that a faithful adaptation was the correct way to go. Fortunately Black went on to say that eventually the original elements of the main character Light has been restored in the script, and added that this is what the film should be about.