'Death Note' Sequel: Director Hopeful Manga Live-Action Adaptation Receives Follow-Up on Netflix Despite Criticisms
The live-action adaptation of "Death Note" is now out on Netflix. Director Adam Wingard is waiting for the streaming site to green light a follow-up despite the film receiving criticisms from its original manga followers.
Wingard adapted "Death Note" from the Japanese source material created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The Netflix film, however, took a different route and Wingard stated via The Hollywood Reporter that this was intentional because he planned on doing a trilogy from the very beginning.
"When I went to Netflix initially, I pitched it as at least a two-film series, maybe three, knowing this was the origin story," Wingard said.
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The director revealed that he knows that a sequel isn't always assured. Just the same, he is satisfied with giving the film a different ending from the manga.
"On some level, I really love that the movie ends with all the characters damaged. It's such an unconventional ending for any kind of comic book film, and I really like that," Wingard said.
Fans of the original "Death Note" weren't happy that the American film version, which stars Nat Wolff as Light Turner and Margaret Qualley as Mia Sutton, ended up becoming a teen romance. They also didn't like that the main character had a moral compass when the manga series had more nuances about evil, death and the afterlife.
"Death Note," which also features Willem Dafoe as Ryuk, had its share of whitewashing controversy as well. Wingard reasoned that it made sense to cast American actors in his adaptation because the setting for the movie shifted from Japan to Seattle.
The director also expressed that the negative reviews and trolling he received from netizens doesn't bother him.
"Film criticism is different than b*tching at filmmakers on twitter. ;) Obvious to some but not others," Wingard said on Twitter.
"Death Note" on Netflix has been streaming on the platform since Friday, Aug. 25.
