Netflix's live-action Death Note series from the Duffer Brothers' Upside Down Pictures has found its writer. As reported by Deadline, the upcoming adaptation of the popular Japanese manga and anime series will be written and executive produced by Halia Abdel-Meguid.
Abdel-Meguid speaks Japanese and has previously lived in Tokyo, but perhaps more importantly, is a longtime fan of the manga and anime series. This is her second project with the Duffers' Upside Down Pictures, having previously served as a writing consultant on their series adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub's The Talisman. She has also written for Hulu's upcoming adaptation of The Devil in the White City.
The Death Note adaptation was first revealed by Netflix back in July when it was announced that the Duffer Brothers had formed Upside Down Pictures as part of their overall deal with the streaming company.
While the Duffers are probably best known for Stranger Things, Upside Down Pictures aims "to create the kind of stories that inspired the Duffers growing up - stories that take place at that beautiful crossroads where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, where big spectacle co-exists with intimate character work, where heart wins out over cynicism.”
Death Note is just one of many projects in the works for Netflix and Upside Down Pictures.
While we don't have many details on the adaptation, the original Death Note manga follows Light Yagami, a teen genius who discovers a mysterious notebook that grants the user the supernatural ability to kill anyone whose name is written in its pages. Intoxicated with power, the teen attempts to rid the world of individuals whom he deems immoral. He does so under the god-like vigilante name "Kira," while law enforcement officers try to track down and stop the unknown killer.
Death Note has seen multiple live-action film adaptations with the most recent American take released by Netflix in 2017. The film was directed by Adam Wingard, written by Charles and Vlas Parlapanides, and starred Nat Wolff as Light and Willem Dafoe as Ryuk. It was met with a largely negative response from critics and fans alike. Several producers of the 2017 film are on board for this project as well, including Dan Lin and Roy Lee as executive producers, and Jonathan Eirich and Miri Yoon as co-exec producers.
Given the popularity of the source material, any adaptation is bound to face intense scrutiny from fans. There's currently no release date for Death Note on Netflix.