DEATH NOTE Movie Will Be Rated R, Tone Revealed
Last year it was announced that we would be getting a live-action adaptation of the anime/manga series Death Note. The story follows a student who discovers a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone simply by writing the victim’s name. This discovery leads him down the road where he wants to cleanse the world of evil with this newfound power.
The movie is being directed by Adam Wingard (The Guest, You’re Next) and will star Nat Wolf (Paper Towns). We’ve now learned from producer Roy Lee that the movie will most certainly be rated R, and he also offered up some information regarding the tone they are going for. While talking to Collider, Lee was asked about the target audience for the film, and this was his reply:
“It’s definitely for adults. It is zero chance it will be below an R-rating.”
As far as the tone of the film goes, he said that it “will be one of the first manga adaptations that feels very grounded but still has fantastical elements.” That sounds like something I think fans of the property will be able to get behind. This is a great project for Wingard to develop. I’ve enjoyed the films he’s directed, and I think he’s go the talent to give fans what they are looking for in a feature film adaptation.
For those of you note familiar with Death Note, here’s an official description to fill you in:
Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects - and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life? Light tests the boundaries of the Death Note powers as L and the police begin to close in. Luckily Light's father is the head of the Japanese National Police Agency and leaves vital information about the case lying around the house. With access to his father's files, Light can keep one step ahead of the authorities. But who is the strange man following him, and how can Light guard against enemies whose names he doesn't know?
Hopefully this talented team can actually pull it off!