The upcoming live-action remake of "Death Note" is hitting Netflix later this month. Hence, in-depth details on the differences between the new film version and the original Japanese manga series have been revealed.
Adam Wingard, best known for helming the 2011 slasher film "You're Next," has made a live-action movie that is visually and tonally different from the original "Death Note" series. While the adaptation is set in present day America, it still keeps the series' core themes in place.
"For me, it became about what do these themes mean to modern day America, and how does that affect how we tell the story," Wingard, 34, said in an interview with IGN. "Ultimately, the cat and mouse chase between Light and L, the themes of good, evil, and what's in between the gray area. Those are the core things of 'Death Note,' and that's really what we went for."
Also, Wingard said that there are major changes when it comes to the characters' personalities. While Light Yagami (Keith Stanfield) still enjoys playing with his food, his overall personality is a bit different.
As per the live-action remake's director, the only character that comes off the same way as he did in the original manga series is the demonic god of death, Ryuk (voiced by Willem Dafoe). The character starts communicating with Light Turner, also known as Kira (Nat Wolff), when the latter gets the supernatural book and cautions him about its repercussions.
Aside from the above-mentioned characters, "Death Note" will also feature Mia Sutton (Margaret Qualley) who falls in love with Light Turner after he kills her parents' murderer. She is said to be the second Kira and also has the Shinigami Eyes, enabling her to see nearly everyone's name and life span.
"Death Note," which also stars Shea Whigham, Paul Nakauchi and Masi Oka, is scheduled for release on Friday, Aug. 25 on Netflix.
