Apparently unaware that it’ll now be trapped in an intricate game of cat and mouse, in which its Machiavellian plots will kill hundreds, bring down societies, and sully the reputation of innocent bags of potato chips, Netflix has gone ahead and recklessly picked up Death Note. Based off a popular Japanese manga and anime series, the film is being directed by The Guest and You’re Next’s Adam Wingard, and will star Paper Towns’ Nat Wolff as exactly the sort of teenager you wouldn’t want to see getting his hands on a mysterious notebook that conveys magical power over life and death.
Netflix is still in final negotiations for the project, which is expected to start filming in June. Presumably, all the contract negotiations, rules lawyering, and aggressive behind-the-scenes plotting required to secure the film will be a good warm-up for the movie itself, as the streaming service continues to add to its always-expanding roster of original and exclusive films.