Death Note (2017 film)

Death Note is an upcoming American feature film remake of the Death Note manga.

Most recent reports indicate that Warner Bros. is developing the film, which will be written by Jeremy Slater, directed by Adam Wingard, and starring Nat Wolff and possibly Margaret Qualley. A release date has not yet been announced.

Early development
On January 14, 2007, the Malaysian paper The Star stated that more than ten film companies in the United States had expressed interest in the rights for a Death Note remake. On June 2nd, 2008, Shock Till You Drop reported that the American production company Vertigo Entertainment was developing the remake with Vlas and Charles Parlapanides as screenwriters. 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 still attached, along with Vertigo's producers Roy Lee and Doug Davison, in addition to producers Dan Lin and Brian Witten. The release date was tentatively set for the year 2015. On January 13, 2011, Deadline announced that Shane Black had been hired to direct the film, with the script being written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry. On April 24, 2013, Black confirmed in an interview with Bleeding Cool that he's still working on the film. On July 8, 2014, The Tracking Board reported that Gus Van Sant would direct the film since Shane Black was leaving for another project.

On April 27, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Adam Wingard would direct the film, with the most recent version of the script written by Jeremy Slater. On September 29, 2015, Variety reported that Nat Wolff was cast as the student who finds the Death Note. On November 12th, 2015, Deadline reported that Margaret Qualley was in negotiations for the female lead.

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.