Since it first appeared in the pages of Weekly Shōnen Jump in 2003, Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s manga series Death Note has been adapted into a popular animated series, three live-action films, a musical, several video games, and an ungodly amount of merchandise. It’s been redone to the point of meaninglessness—which means that it’s time to for it to become a Hollywood blockbuster.
A live-action American Death Note has been in development since 2007, with the likes of Shane Black (pre-Iron Man 3) and Gus Van Sant attached to direct at various stages. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it looks like the project is being resurrected once again, this time with Adam Wingard (You’re Next, The Guest) at the helm. Wingard is a bold choice, and his macabre sensibilities seem like a perfect fit for this heartwarming story of a teenager who comes into possession of a notebook that will kill any person whose name is written into its pages, and also hangs out with an extra-dimensional death monster who loves apples.
After this many false start, it remains to be seen whether this version of Death Note will get made. Wingard, for now, is busy with The Woods, his latest collaboration with screenwriter Simon Barrett, which will start shooting this summer.