Death Note U.S Hollywood adaption.....Wooooo!

EoJ: Agent Keaton

This my friends, is the turning point for anime to live action adaptions. I was glad when I heard about Cowboy Bebop, with its great mix of story and action getting the Hollywood treatment, but Death Note is the one I've been waiting for. Why is that?

Well, while it might not be everyone's cup of tea, Death Note is the kind of well written, thought provoking manga material that is perfect for the big screen. I don't know if they can really cover everything the tv series does in one film though, which might mean the possibility of more than one film (a trilogy would be better).

I'm glad to see some better choices being made in the selction process too, especially after that Dragonball debacle. Perhaps some of them might actually pay more attention to the source material this time, and get it right enough so we can all enjoy it. On top of that, some new anime/manga fans might be born from it.

What I really hope, is that they keep Ryuk and don't go with a western grim reaper thing. That would be too easy and detract from the death god concept. The Grim Reaper digs too much into western mythology and what we already know. It would be nice for them to keep the eastern angle of the book.

I'm just buying the anime series dvd, as I feel its one to own and share with anime and manga doubters. Have to fiish the manga too.

I have high hopes for Death Note. Anyway, your thoughts please.

lackofcheese

I don't know if they can really cover everything the tv series does in one film though, which might mean the possibility of more than one film (a trilogy would be better).

Or how about they don't cover everything the TV series does.

Dkong

I'm not excited. I remember how the Death Note movies that were shown in theaters about a year ago in select places in America were shitty as all hell. This won't be any better.

lackofcheese

Dkong, you can't really equate the Japanese movies to a Hollywood adaptation.
I think this is the kind of story Hollywood could potentially do a pretty good job with. Sure, chances are it will suck, but that applies to pretty much everything that's going to come out.

Sail

Don't remind me that Hollywood will almost certainly be making a debacle of not just Cowboy Bebop, but Akira and Ghost in the Shell.

gomidog

I'm willing to give Cowboy Bebop the benefit of the doubt. It's probably really accessible to an audience familiar with the the conventions of Hollywood/western movies that Bebop borrows from so liberally. It's a melting pot of genres, and the show itself pays homage to certain Hollywood films from time to time. It's ripe for the plucking for a Hollywood treatment. That's not to say that it will ultimately be good, but I'm optimistic. Akira and GitS, not so much. There's quite a lot of cerebral/philosophical stuff in there, especially in Ghost in the Shell, and I can see that being cut to make way for a bunch of CG shooty action and that only. Ghost in the Shell is one of those Sci-Fi stories that is very location independent, but Akira I have a tough time picturing in America.

Also, do you think that the character of Light works as well outside of Japanese culture, with it's exams and strict school system? He just doesn't strike me as an American anti-hero. Hmm.

Kate Monster

Also, do you think that the character of Light works as well outside of Japanese culture, with it's exams and strict school system? He just doesn't strike me as an American anti-hero. Hmm.

I am not so sure. Many American shows now focus on intelligence/perception as a super-power (Lie to Me, Numbers, CSI, etc.) As long as Light is seen as formidble (and cute), the U.S. audiance should have no problem with it.

EoJ: Agent Keaton

That's true Mrs MacRoss. And Death Note just loves that inner monologue and deep thought around a problem.

Thinking about the Shinigami thing again, I hope the film explains about them and doesn't dodge it because its an eastern idea, as well as the concept and rules of the Death Note itself. Guess it would be hard to dodge, since Ryuk plays a vital part in the story, but I wouldn't put anything past hollywood meddling.

I can see this being a trilogy, there's just too much to cram into one film, unless it went LotR style, for 3 hours. I don't think one film would do it enough justice, but I still have high hopes.

gomidog

Thinking about the Shinigami thing again, I hope the film explains about them and doesn't dodge it because its an eastern idea

How is a spirit/god/personification of death and eastern idea? (Just watched "The Hogfather" heh.) The shinigami in Deathnote are made up things that are conglomeration of many ideas surrounding death-gods, both eastern and western.
The whole "Writing the name of the dead in a book" speaks more of western mythos than it does of Japanese shinto legends.

I am not so sure. Many American shows now focus on intelligence/perception as a super-power (Lie to Me, Numbers, CSI, etc.) As long as Light is seen as formidble (and cute), the U.S. audiance should have no problem with it.

Yeah, actually, that puts it in perspective. I mean, look at the popularity of Dexter. Light's in a similar vein.

Mankoon

I don't really trust hollywood to make anything good. So, I don't really get excited about these types of things. I do really like the death note manga up until a certain point. I hope it comes out well.
Also:

bunnikun

Mankoon already proves my point. Hollywood can't be trusted.

Funfetus

Mankoon already proves my point. Hollywood can't be trusted.

I don't think that's for real.

bunnikun

Mankoon already proves my point. Hollywood can't be trusted.

I don't think that's for real.

I know. It just wouldn't surprise me.

Li_Akahi

Okay, so I wasn't the only person who thought that. That would completely ruin any chances of the movie being good.

omegafinal

I actually enjoyed the live action movies, especially the ending.

Somehow, I believe Death Note is one of those stories where you can make something original out of it, as in creating a different situation where someone else got the Death Note. Then again, what I thought was great about Death Note is the questions of doing something to justify the ends. So if Hollywood were to take the original route...boy used Death Note is kill antagonists torturing the love interest, then all hell breaks loose? Okay, some idea, different execution. I'm just thinking here, I know most likely they'll adapt the original story.

Hmm...the pretty boy from High School Musical...I wonder how the fangirls will react when [he gets killed at the end?]

Erwin

Yeah, any of Naoki Urasawa's stories have a lot more mystery and suspense in their pinkie than Death Note. I will always wait for Moster. And have heard that the 20th Century Boys live action movie is actually very good.

EoJ: Agent Keaton

You miss what I meant, regardless of the origins of the material in the story (in or outside in the real world), those making the film could cut a lot or not explain stuff properly. That's all I'm saying.

I meant eastern idea, as in the manga.....which is from japan.

As for actors, I'm really not bothered, so long as they are good enoungh in their roles. Would be nice to see a few new faces get in it.

Sail

Also, do you think that the character of Light works as well outside of Japanese culture, with it's exams and strict school system? He just doesn't strike me as an American anti-hero. Hmm.

Yeah, I was thinking about this too. In a lot of ways, Light is a victim of the society he lives in. He feels restricted and powerless because of his obligation to his parents and the pressure of society to study hard and get outstanding grades. But once he receives the death note, he goes power-mad. If you take someone who has no control over his life and give him the power to decide who lives and who dies, you can be damned sure that they're going to use it and use it to the full extent which, in Light's case, is to "save the world". Change the societal context and all of that looses some of it's meaning.

EoJ: Agent Keaton

Yeah I agree, I like you deep outlook on it like that. Kudos Gomi.

That's weird. Looking at that Zack picture, he might actually make a good Light. He's got the looks, and if he could pull off such a role, it would change the minds of many, and shed that cheesy High School Musical image in a flash.

Σπεκωσποκ

If they reinterpret the series, it could be good, like instead of being a "shinigami", Ryuk could be a Western devil or demon of some sort, and instead of being all horrific and whatnot, he could just be Jack Nicholson in a suit and tie (EDIT: Like 6 from BSG was to Baltar). Something like The Departed, which is very similar in terms of story, has the potential to be really good. However, this is Hollywood we're talking about here, so I'll hold off on my judgement until I see a trailer/preview/review/something.

I think it would be a terrible idea to stick to the manga/anime story, for two reasons: first, it sucks ass after (L dies), and second, it's too Eastern a story, and not one that I think mainstream Western audiences would like all that much.

EoJ: Agent Keaton

I don't think that would work, because from the start of Death Note more or less, you see bored Ryuk in hell (should be interesting to see their vision of that). There's no need to humanise Ryuk in the comfortable way we are used to doing in films (Bedazzled and Devils Advocate spring to mind, also giving the impression that there's one devil). Only good portrayal of death I remember was The Pitt in Meet Joe Black.

Having Ryuk be his true self from the start is best, because it means there's no deception between him and Light from the start (a joke in itself I guess). Ryuk is kind of naive to the ways of humans at first, because he's only dealt with them at a distance before. There's also the horrific fear that Light experiences in first setting eyes upon his uglyness, which might not work in Ryuk is more personable or approachable. Think of the moment Frodo meets Gollum in LotR, it needs impact like that scene, in its own way..

Can't wait for Ryuk to eat those apples, (great symbolism of temptation, there, as well as Light being swallowed by the darkness of Ryuk, slowly in nibbles) and Ryuk's eating of them is also a sign of how different he is. Not the usual actions we associate death, but does the story justice.

omegafinal

Huh, I've never thought of that about the apples, but it does make sense. Now just imagine that scene with a humanoid Ryuk. "These 'apples', they are...how do you human describe them? Juicy?" For some reason, I wouldn't be surprised if they cast a woman to be Ryuk's analogue. It's the temptation thing.

EoJ: Agent Keaton

Yeah, I love spotting those little bits of symbolism in films. A lot of films have hidden messages in them that many miss. There's probably more in the anime, but I'll have to check.

Ryuk's voice will probably be digitally warped some way, to be beyond human. I hope they can get Weta Workshop and ILM to work on him and get things right, like someone said, just having CG might not work as well.

As for temptation, embodied in an evil voice, I'd go with not human, it makes things more creepy. Remember, there will also be a lot of non anime fans watching this film too, so it'll be good to help grab them. Even in the anime, Ryuk's voice wasn't plain human tones from what I recall.

Again on the looks of Ryuk, also don't forget Light changes as the story goes on and his deeds get darker, so the ugliness of Ryuk is actually kind of a mirror to what Light becomes (inside and/or out), without him realising. Ryuk's uglyness is all part of the game, kind of a hidden dark appleseed, that grows in Light, the more he wonders into the darkness, for kicks.

Bronzdragon

Even in the anime, Ryuk's voice wasn't plain human tones from what I recall.

Sample of Ryuk's voice.