‘The Devil in the White City’ writer will executive produce and write the ‘Stranger Things’ creators’ upcoming live-action adaptation of the beloved anime and manga series that follows a teen who discovers a mysterious black notebook giving him supernatural power over life and death.
Second time’s the charm? Netflix will again tee up a live-action adaptation of the beloved anime and manga series Death Note, after a whitewashed film adaptation released in 2017 to mixed reviews. Thankfully, the Duffer Brothers previously announced the upcoming series would start from a blank slate, entirely separate from the prior Netflix effort. Even more promising, the Stranger Things powerhouse duo have signed Halia Abdel-Meguid (The Devil in the White City), a longtime fan of the manga and a fluent Japanese speaker, as writer and executive producer for the series. Abdel-Meguid also lent her writing talents to the brothers Duffer on their adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub’s novel The Talisman for Netflix.
The original manga focuses on a bright teenager who discovers a mysterious black notebook that gives him supernatural power over life and death, all by writing a person’s name in the book. The teen becomes intoxicated with power as he decides to cleanse the world of undesirables, as a law enforcement team tries to stop him. The original manga, 108 chapters, ran from December 2003 to May 2006. The 37 episode anime series ran from October 2006 to June 2007.
Death Note is one of a few exciting upcoming projects in development for Upside Down, the squeaky-clean new production company from Matt and Ross Duffer. Other ventures include an original series from creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), The Talisman series, and a Stranger Things spin-off series.
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—Laurén brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
