Anime may be the kind of thing that makes Geoff roll his eyeballs so hard that they pop out of his head, but there’s still some damn fine shows to be seen within this Japanese art form. Take Death Note for example. It has a premise that sounds ridiculous as its main character finds a book that allows him to kill anyone he wants to, just by writing their name inside of it.
Sounds silly, right? Well it really isn’t, as the Death Note manga and its original anime adaptation is handled with unbelievable precision and plotting to create a truly cerebral mystery that centers around the idea of playing god. It’s the kind of show that has more twists than a marathon of M Night Shamoo the Killer Whale movies and has earned a cult following over the years.
Naturally, Hollywood wanted a piece of that. A Death Note adaptation for the west was in development for ages, but it looks like Adam “Blair Witch” Wingard is going to get the property moving again now that Netflix has their hands on it. Speaking to Collider, Wingard promised something a little more “weird” with this adaptation:
Blair Witch is very much a mainstream horror film, and I think Death Note’s a return for me to go back to doing something kind of weird. It’s more along the tone of The Guest but something completely different. It’s kind of a genre mashup in a lot of ways, too, there’s lots of different types of movies within the movie itself, so it’s going to be a fun, crazy movie.
And here’s where things get even more promising. Warner Bros. originally optioned Death Note for an eventual release, but gave up on it and abandoned the project. And that was a blessing in disguise, as Netflix decided to pick up the rights for Death Note. The streaming service has made a name for itself by funding series and animation which networks have outright ignored, to great success. And Wingard is going to use that liberty to create something that is going for a mature audience:
We can do whatever we want. And that was the cool thing about it, because it’s an anime film, so, technically, it’s a cartoon that you’re bring to life. To me, the thing about anime is that it’s so adult-oriented. I remember going to Suncoast growing up and you see Akira there with the little “Not for Kids” sticker on it. That always made an impact on me. So, doing my first live-action anime thing, to me it was important that you have those adult themes.
So, it’s got nudity, it’s got swearing, it’s got a ton of violence. Jason Eisener, who did Hobo with a Shotgun. I brought him on -– I’m good friends with him –- as second-unit director. There’s basically like three good Jason Eisner short films in there and they’re all very gory. I was able to just turn him loose sometimes, and just do some crazy stuff. With the combined efforts, I think we ended up with a really nasty and crazy film.
Right now, the cast of Death Note includes Nat Wolff as Light Yagami (That name will probably be changed though), Keith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley, Paul Nakauchi, and Shea Whigham. Oh, and Willem Dafoe as the voice of that Death God who has a thing for apples.
Last Updated: September 20, 2016
Pariah ???
September 20, 2016 at 11:09
Willem Dafoe. That has to be the best casting in ages.
Original Heretic
September 20, 2016 at 11:13
They should use his face as well, not just his voice.
RinceThis
September 20, 2016 at 11:15
Intrigued.
Dungeon of JJ
September 20, 2016 at 11:20
fatigued
RinceThis
September 20, 2016 at 11:21
Is that why you have… Bags under your eyes? Teheheh!
Dungeon of JJ
September 20, 2016 at 11:21
My eyes are party at the top, business at the bottom!
RinceThis
September 20, 2016 at 11:21
Also, happy belated Bday boet. Once again those invites keep getting lost through the curtain!
Dungeon of JJ
September 20, 2016 at 11:23
^that’s what happens when you live near zef-ville. But they are a-coming for a get together of (overstated) epicness.
RinceThis
September 20, 2016 at 11:25
Ha! I’ll believe that when Trevor is burning his steak!
Dungeon of JJ
September 20, 2016 at 11:27
Hahaha.
Dungeon of JJ
September 20, 2016 at 11:16
Awesome. I see there are a few Netflix animes, still need to check one of them out.
Dungeon of JJ
September 20, 2016 at 11:18
I never actually watched the Death Note anime, but loved the manga.
Original Heretic
September 20, 2016 at 11:21
It was really good. I’ve been rather selective with the anime I’ve watched over the years, but this one really stood out.
Miss Mitzi
September 20, 2016 at 15:37
The manga is way better, but the anime was also enjoyable and added an interesting scene reminiscent of a passage from the Bible.
Dungeon of JJ
September 20, 2016 at 16:03
Interesting. I should actually give it a try. Would be interesting to see the characters in “living” form.
The Wanderer
September 27, 2016 at 08:53
Which is the scene reminiscent of the bible you speak of? Is it on youtube?
Miss Mitzi
October 7, 2016 at 20:07
Shortly before Judas betrayed Jesus to the Romans, effectively killing him, Jesus washed Judas’ feet.
The Wanderer
October 20, 2016 at 01:28
and the scene in Death Note was?
Miss Mitzi
November 3, 2016 at 15:41
L washing Light’s feet, only to be killed by (or rather, because of) Light shortly after.
Dutch Matrix
September 20, 2016 at 12:02
Y’know, I kinda MISS the days where a show sold on the good story, and not the blatant “let’s do NUDITY AND GORE AND VIOLENCE AND…” Same with Daredevil. Good show. But oy. The levels of violence…
GooseZA
September 20, 2016 at 13:42
Agreed.
The Order of the Banana
September 20, 2016 at 12:26
Good! Screw the sensitive snowflakes who misappropriated “the triggering” and their overly sensitive grannies.
Pariah ???
September 20, 2016 at 12:29
Your face is ugly and you taste weird. Especially in milkshakes.
The Order of the Banana
September 20, 2016 at 13:00
You’re DRINKING ME WRONG!!!!
Pariah ???
September 20, 2016 at 13:01
I USED A STRAW DAMMIT!!!
The Order of the Banana
September 20, 2016 at 13:03
A STRAW? A STRAW? THAT’S THE LAST STRAAAWWWW? 😮
Pariah ???
September 20, 2016 at 13:05
YEP. NO STRAW FOR YOU!!!!!
Johann
September 20, 2016 at 13:56
Wow, for once they listened to the fans? People have been asking for Willem Dafoe as Ryuk
Miss Mitzi
September 20, 2016 at 15:36
The name was changed a while ago. It’s Light Turner.