Death Note (film)
Encyclopedia
is a series of two live-action Japanese films
released in 2006 and based on the Death Note
manga
and anime
series by Tsugumi Ohba
and Takeshi Obata
. The films primarily center on a university student who decides to rid the world of evil with the help of a supernatural notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it. The two films were directed by Shūsuke Kaneko
, produced by Nippon Television
, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Japan
.
A spin-off film directed by Hideo Nakata
, titled L: Change the World
, was released on February 9, 2008.
, a young man and college student whose life undergoes a drastic change when he discovers a mysterious notebook, known as the "Death Note", lying on the ground. The Death Note's instructions claim that if a person's name is written within it while picturing that person's face, that person shall die. Light is initially skeptical of the notebook's authenticity, but after experimenting with it, he realizes that the Death Note is real. After meeting with the previous owner of the Death Note, a shinigami
named Ryuk
, Light seeks to become "god of the new world" by passing his judgment on those he deems to be evil or who get in his way.
After months of killing criminals, Light is dubbed Kira by the public and some believe him to be righteous about killing criminals. Interpol
is no closer to catching him, and is going to pass the case on to the Ministry of Health as some disease, until L
steps onto the scene. Known as the best detective in the world, L has solved many cases with his assistant Watari. Working with them, L manages to confront Light, live on TV, and deduces he is in the Kanto region of Japan and he can "kill without lifting a finger." The race begins between L and Light to discover each other's identity, and a game of cat and mouse ensues between the two geniuses. Later Misora kidnaps Shiori and asks Light to come to the art museum and confess that he really is Kira if he wants to save her. He goes to the museum, but denies that he is Kira, and says that he is upset at seeing his girlfriend being taken hostage. Misora tells Light that unless he starts to write her real name, which was "Naomi" written in katakana, she would kill Shiori. Light adamantly insists that he is not Kira. Soichiro, upon seeing this, sends the police. Misora immediately becomes upset and distracted, allowing Light's girlfriend to break free and run away from her. Misora fires her gun and shoots Shiori, who dies in Light's arms shortly afterward, and then afterwards commits suicide by shooting herself.
Later, Ryuk finds that Light had actually engineered Naomi's death using the Death Note, as he had already found out her name by checking with the church since she revealed to him she was Iwamatsu's fiancée and he reasoned that nobody would use a fake name in marriage and written a scenario whereby Misora would commit suicide after shooting Shiori. Obviously, Ryuk is confused, as by doing this, Light would end up killing Shiori, but Light reveals that he had written her name in the Death Note as well.
Using these events to foster hatred for Kira, Light asks to join the investigation team when his father checked on him. While Soichiro is slightly reluctant, L immediately grants his wish.
Later Misa, using her Shinigami eyes, kills Mogi and two policemen. Sayu was also almost killed until her father Soichiro crashed into the festival wearing a motorcycle helmet. Light kills Takada to regain ownership of his Death Note. Afterwards Light tricks Rem into killing L and Watari. After they both die, Rem dies for intentionally killing someone to help Misa. Misa then gives up her ownership of the notebook and loses her memory of it.
Later it is revealed that L did not die and avoided death by writing his name in the notebook stating, "L Lawliet will die 23 days from this date". After proving that Light is Kira, Light pleads with Ryuk to kill L and the task force. Ryuk then agrees but writes Light's name in the Death Note, telling Light that anyone who uses the death note is banned from heaven and hell and will instead spend eternity as nothingness. Light dies in his father's arms begging him to believe he acted as Kira to carry out justice, which Soichiro had taught him since his childhood, into practice. Later Sochiro goes home and lies to his wife and daughter, saying that Light was killed by Kira. It ends 23 days later, with L dying peacefully.
explained his desire to convince audiences that, while the killing of bad humans may seem to be fair, it underestimates the corrupting influence of wielding such power (the manga series follows a very similar viewpoint). Kaneko also commented that the psychological fear of dying could be "more nightmarish than Kaiju
(monsters) destroying cities and killing people".
Kaneko also stated that he wanted the film to "focus on psychological pain", explain how the deaths occur, and explain how younger people would begin to like Kira. He also removed many of the interior monologues prominent in the manga and anime to allow audiences to develop their own ideas about the characters' thoughts and beliefs, while allowing "dramatic tension".
Kaneko said that the most difficult portion of the manga to film was the scene when the investigation begins and the authorities conclude that a person is responsible for the killing of criminals. He chose to add a scene in which L explains his logic via his laptop in order to make the film "more believable" and "excite people" for the coming struggle between L and Light.
Kaneko indicated mixed feelings while directing the movie. He said that he felt "a little reservation" at how the movie would perform, since the film "uses 'death' to entertain the audience" and feels "morally unsettling". Kaneko theorized that the film may have performed well because of the Internet culture of Japan, saying that the use of the Death Note had similarities to how users attacked one another on message boards and blogs. In addition, Kaneko noted that death is "carefully" concealed, to the point where "people don't even think about it".
line to film a particular scene in the first film; this was the first time in Japanese film history that an underground line was used. Kaneko used about 500 extras throughout the first film.
Death Note: The Last Name
L: Change the World
for two weeks, pushing The Da Vinci Code
into second place.
Death Note (死亡筆記) was released in Hong Kong
on August 10, 2006, in Taiwan
on September 8, 2006, in Singapore
on October 19, 2006, and in Malaysia on November 9, 2006 with English and Chinese subtitles. The world premiere was in the UA Langham Place cinema in Hong Kong
on October 28, 2006, the first Japanese movie to premiere in Hong Kong
. The film ended up earning US$
41 million in Japan
, $1.9 million in Hong Kong
. The film was released in the UK on April 25, 2008.
The sequel was released in Hong Kong
on November 3, 2006, in Taiwan
on November 24, 2006, in Singapore
on December 28, 2006, and in Malaysia on January 25, 2007, with English and Chinese subtitles.
Christy Lee S.W. of The Star
, in her review of the second film, stated that Kaneko "did a good job" in pacing the film, adding that the increased pacing towards the end made some of the content difficult to understand. She also said that screenwriter Tetsuya Oishi made sure the characters were "well fleshed out" and easily empathized with.
). The film was broadcasted in Canadian theaters for one night only on September 15, 2008. The DVD was released on September 16, 2008, one day after the Canadian showing.
Death Note: The Last Name was given similar treatment. The film was dubbed into English and released in American theaters for two nights only, October 15 and 16. The film was released in Canada
on December 3, the DVD was released on February 10, 2009.
L: Change the World
was released in the United States
on April 29–30 of 2009.
.
stated that more than ten film companies in the United States
had expressed interest in the Death Note franchise. The American production company Vertigo Entertainment was originally set to develop the remake, with Charley and Vlas Parlapanides as screenwriters and Roy Lee
, Doug Davison, Dan Lin
, and Brian Witten as producers. On April 30, 2009, Variety
reported that Warner Bros.
, the distributors for the original Japanese live-action films, had acquired the American rights for the remake, with the original screenwriters and producers still attached. On January 13, 2011, it was announced that Shane Black
has been hired to direct the film, with the script being written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry. There have also been rumours that Zac Efron
has been cast to play Light Yagami
, though this has not been confirmed.
Cinema of Japan
The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world – as of 2009 the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. Movies have been produced in Japan since 1897, when the first foreign cameramen arrived...
released in 2006 and based on the Death Note
Death Note
is a manga created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and manga artist Takeshi Obata. The main character is Light Yagami, a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook, the "Death Note", dropped on Earth by a god of death, or a shinigami, named Ryuk...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series by Tsugumi Ohba
Tsugumi Ohba
is a writer best known for the manga Death Note. His real identity is a closely guarded secret. As stated by the profile placed at the beginning of each Death Note manga, Ohba collects teacups and develops manga plots while holding his knees on a chair, similar to a habit of L, one of the main...
and Takeshi Obata
Takeshi Obata
is a Japanese manga artist. He works as the artist in collaboration with a writer. He has also mentored several manga artists, including Kentaro Yabuki of Black Cat fame, Nobuhiro Watsuki of Rurouni Kenshin and Busou Renkin, and Yusuke Murata of Eyeshield 21.He originally became noticed in 1985...
. The films primarily center on a university student who decides to rid the world of evil with the help of a supernatural notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it. The two films were directed by Shūsuke Kaneko
Shusuke Kaneko
is a Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter.-Career:Shūsuke Kaneko began his career in film with Nikkatsu's Roman Porno film series, in which he served as assistant director to Kōyū Ohara. The series also gave Kaneko his directorial debut with writer Kōichirō Uno's, Kōichirō Uno's Wet and Swinging ,...
, produced by Nippon Television
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures Japan
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
.
A spin-off film directed by Hideo Nakata
Hideo Nakata
Hideo Nakata is a Japanese filmmaker.-Life and career:Nakata was born in Okayama, Japan. He is most familiar to Western audiences for his work on Japanese horror films such as Ring , Ring 2 and Dark Water...
, titled L: Change the World
L: Change the WorLd
is a 2008 Japanese film that is a spin-off to the Death Note film series. Although the film is inspired by the manga Death Note that was written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, it follows an original storyline...
, was released on February 9, 2008.
Death Note
The series is about Light YagamiLight Yagami
, also known as is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the manga and anime series Death Note. He is an extremely intelligent, athletic, popular, but bored young man who finds the Death Note dropped by the Shinigami Ryuk by sheer chance...
, a young man and college student whose life undergoes a drastic change when he discovers a mysterious notebook, known as the "Death Note", lying on the ground. The Death Note's instructions claim that if a person's name is written within it while picturing that person's face, that person shall die. Light is initially skeptical of the notebook's authenticity, but after experimenting with it, he realizes that the Death Note is real. After meeting with the previous owner of the Death Note, a shinigami
Shinigami (Death Note)
In the manga and anime series Death Note, are a race of extra-dimensional beings who survive by killing humans to extend their own lives. Shinigami in this series are not responsible for every death that occurs; people will eventually die regardless of whether or not the Shinigami pay attention to...
named Ryuk
Ryuk (Death Note)
is a fictional character of anime and manga series Death Note created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. In the series, he is a Shinigami bored with the activities of the Shinigami Realm, so he decides to obtain a second Death Note and drop it in the human world for someone to find, hoping to...
, Light seeks to become "god of the new world" by passing his judgment on those he deems to be evil or who get in his way.
After months of killing criminals, Light is dubbed Kira by the public and some believe him to be righteous about killing criminals. Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
is no closer to catching him, and is going to pass the case on to the Ministry of Health as some disease, until L
L (Death Note)
, widely known by the letter , is a fictional character in the manga series Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. Considered the world's greatest detective, he lives in secrecy...
steps onto the scene. Known as the best detective in the world, L has solved many cases with his assistant Watari. Working with them, L manages to confront Light, live on TV, and deduces he is in the Kanto region of Japan and he can "kill without lifting a finger." The race begins between L and Light to discover each other's identity, and a game of cat and mouse ensues between the two geniuses. Later Misora kidnaps Shiori and asks Light to come to the art museum and confess that he really is Kira if he wants to save her. He goes to the museum, but denies that he is Kira, and says that he is upset at seeing his girlfriend being taken hostage. Misora tells Light that unless he starts to write her real name, which was "Naomi" written in katakana, she would kill Shiori. Light adamantly insists that he is not Kira. Soichiro, upon seeing this, sends the police. Misora immediately becomes upset and distracted, allowing Light's girlfriend to break free and run away from her. Misora fires her gun and shoots Shiori, who dies in Light's arms shortly afterward, and then afterwards commits suicide by shooting herself.
Later, Ryuk finds that Light had actually engineered Naomi's death using the Death Note, as he had already found out her name by checking with the church since she revealed to him she was Iwamatsu's fiancée and he reasoned that nobody would use a fake name in marriage and written a scenario whereby Misora would commit suicide after shooting Shiori. Obviously, Ryuk is confused, as by doing this, Light would end up killing Shiori, but Light reveals that he had written her name in the Death Note as well.
Using these events to foster hatred for Kira, Light asks to join the investigation team when his father checked on him. While Soichiro is slightly reluctant, L immediately grants his wish.
Death Note: The Last Name
Movie starts with Misa, TV presenter, gets second Death Note.Later Misa, using her Shinigami eyes, kills Mogi and two policemen. Sayu was also almost killed until her father Soichiro crashed into the festival wearing a motorcycle helmet. Light kills Takada to regain ownership of his Death Note. Afterwards Light tricks Rem into killing L and Watari. After they both die, Rem dies for intentionally killing someone to help Misa. Misa then gives up her ownership of the notebook and loses her memory of it.
Later it is revealed that L did not die and avoided death by writing his name in the notebook stating, "L Lawliet will die 23 days from this date". After proving that Light is Kira, Light pleads with Ryuk to kill L and the task force. Ryuk then agrees but writes Light's name in the Death Note, telling Light that anyone who uses the death note is banned from heaven and hell and will instead spend eternity as nothingness. Light dies in his father's arms begging him to believe he acted as Kira to carry out justice, which Soichiro had taught him since his childhood, into practice. Later Sochiro goes home and lies to his wife and daughter, saying that Light was killed by Kira. It ends 23 days later, with L dying peacefully.
Cast
| Character |  Actor (Original) |
 English DubbingDubbing (filmmaking) Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be... |
|---|---|---|
| Light Yagami Light Yagami , also known as is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the manga and anime series Death Note. He is an extremely intelligent, athletic, popular, but bored young man who finds the Death Note dropped by the Shinigami Ryuk by sheer chance... |
Tatsuya Fujiwara Tatsuya Fujiwara is a Japanese television and film actor.-Biography:Born in Saitama, Fujiwara has had an interest in acting from a young age.He is famous for acting the part of Shuya Nanahara in the controversial 2000 film Battle Royale and continues the character as a leader of the Wild Seven in the sequel, Battle... |
Brad Swaile Brad Swaile Bradley "Brad" Swaile is a Canadian voice actor. He has acted in several animated series, known mostly for his anime roles; particularly that of Amuro Ray in the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, Mousse in Ranma 1/2, and Quatre Raberba Winner in Gundam Wing... |
| L L (Death Note) , widely known by the letter , is a fictional character in the manga series Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. Considered the world's greatest detective, he lives in secrecy... |
Kenichi Matsuyama | Alessandro Juliani Alessandro Juliani Alessandro Juliani is a Canadian actor, singer, and voice actor. He is notable for playing Tactical Officer Lieutenant Felix Gaeta on the Sci Fi Channel television program Battlestar Galactica, and Emil Hamilton in Smallville... |
| Misa Amane Misa Amane , also known as the second Kira is a fictional character in the Death Note anime, manga, and film series.-Conception and development:Tsugumi Ohba, writer of Death Note, decided to create Misa to be the second Kira before the serialization began... |
Erika Toda Erika Toda , is a Japanese actress from Kobe. She originally debuted as a gravure model at age 13.She starred in many dramas like Liar Game, Code Blue, Ryusei no Kizuna and Keizoku 2: SPEC. She has had supporting roles in many popular Japanese TV dramas such as BOSS, Nobuta wo Produce, Engine and Gal Circle... |
Shannon Chan-Kent Shannon Chan-Kent Shannon Chan-Kent is a Canadian voice actor, singer and actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as the singing voice of Pinkie Pie in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic... |
| Naomi Misora | Asaka Seto Asaka Seto Asaka Seto also known as Megumi Ieda, is a Japanese actress who works at Foster Management. She won the award for Best Actress at the 24th Yokohama Film Festival for Travail... |
Nicole Oliver Nicole Oliver -Education:She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from York University, and additional training from the British American Drama Academy in Oxford and London.-Career:... |
| Ryuk (Voice) | Shidou Nakamura | Brian Drummond Brian Drummond Brian Drummond is a Canadian actor. He also serves on the board of directors for the New Westminster-based Urban Academy along with his wife, Laura Drummond, also a voice artist. He and his wife serve as vice-president and president, respectively.- Career :Drummond was born in Salmon Arm, British... |
| Rem | Shinnosuke Ikehata Peter (actor) is a Japanese singer, dancer and actor who has appeared in Akira Kurosawa's Ran and Toshio Matsumoto's Bara no Sōretsu. Ikehata also uses his stage name of when he appears on TV variety shows and musical revues... (Voice in Death Note: The Last Name) |
Michael Dobson |
| Raye Iwamatsu | Shigeki Hosokawa Shigeki Hosokawa is a former Japanese model and now a Japanese television and movie actor.He married Mamiko Mise on 2 February 2011.-Shigeki Hosokawa:Shigeki Hosokawa attended Ogaki Municipal North Elementary School and Ogaki Municipal North Junior High School. He then graduated from Ogaki Public High School in... |
Michael Adamthwaite Michael Adamthwaite Michael David Adamthwaite is a Canadian voice actor. He is credited with providing the voice for many characters in various anime series... |
| Watari | Shunji Fujimura Shunji Fujimura is a Japanese actor from Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. He appeared in the second series of Monkey as the horse. He appears in the Death Note live-action movie as Quillsh Wammy A.K.A... |
Ron Halder Ron Halder - Biography :He has performed extensively in theatres across Canada from Victoria, BC to St. John's, Newfoundland. He has played key roles as Malcolm Lowry in the Vancouver Playhouse production of Goodnight Disgrace, James Tyrone Jr. in the Neptune Theatre production of Moon for the Misbegotten and... |
| Soichiro Yagami | Takeshi Kaga Takeshi Kaga is a well-known stage and movie actor in Japan who is probably best known internationally for his portrayal of Chairman Kaga in the Japanese television show Iron Chef produced by Fuji TV. His real name is .-Biography:... |
Christopher Britton Christopher Britton (actor) Christopher Britton sometimes credited as "Chris Britton," is a Canadian-born film actor, television actor, Stage Actor, and voice actor who is probably best known for his work in X-Men: The Animated Series, in which he was the voice of Mister Sinister... |
| Shiori Akino | Yuu Kashii Yuu Kashii , known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress and model. She studied at Mejiro University, where she majored in English. She married actor Joe Odagiri, who is exactly 11 years her senior, on February 16, 2008, the birthday the couple shares... |
Ashleigh Ball Ashleigh Ball Ashleigh Ball is a Canadian voice actress and the lead singer and flautist in the Vancouver-based jazz/pop band Hey Ocean!.-Filmography:-External links:... |
| Sayu Yagami | Hikari Mitsushima Hikari Mitsushima is a Japanese film actress, born on 30 November 1985, in Okinawa, Japan. She began her career in 1997 as a teenage idol singer in the J-pop groups Folder and Folder 5. She made her acting debut in Rebirth of Mothra II in 1997, but did not start acting regularly until 2005... |
Kristie Marsden Kristie Marsden Kristie Marsden is a Canadian actress, singer and dancer.Marsden was the youngest Canadian actress to play the role of Sophie in the Broadway musical, Mamma Mia!. She played the role for 832 performances... |
| Kanzo Mogi | Shin Shimizu | John Murphy |
| Lind L. Taylor | Matt Lagan | Ted Cole Ted Cole - Anime Roles :* Beyblade - Lee, Spencer, Kane, Coach Barthez* Dokkoida!? - Pierre the Slave* Death Note - Reiji Namikawa, Yukito Shiraba, John McEnroe/Larry Conners, Jack Neylon/Kal Snydar* Dragon Ball - Yamcha... |
| Sachiko Yagami | Michiko Godai Michiko Godai , real name is a Japanese actress.-References:... |
Saffron Henderson Saffron Henderson Saffron Henderson is a Canadian voice actress and singer and the daughter of Bill Henderson of Chilliwack fame. She has voiced various characters from anime series... |
| Shuichi Aizawa | Tatsuhito Okuda | Trevor Devall Trevor Devall Trevor Devall is one of the various voice actors who works for Ocean Group, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Trevor has performed various anime roles, most notably Mu La Flaga of Gundam SEED. Other anime roles include Mukotsu of InuYashas Shichinin-tai, as well as the multiple faces of... |
| Touta Matsuda | Sota Aoyama Sota Aoyama is a Japanese male actor. He is best known for his roles as Sadaharu Inui of the first generation Seigaku cast of the Prince of Tennis musical series, Tenimyu, and as Kaito Toma, the human host of Ultraman Max in the 2005 Ultraman Max series.- Stage Roles :... |
Vincent Tong Vincent Tong Vincent Tong is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He is the voice of Gene Khan/The Mandarin in Iron Man: Armored Adventures. Other notable voice characters include Touta Matsuda in Death Note, Toro in Sushi Pack, Henry in Kid vs... |
| Hirokazu Ukita | Ikuji Nakamura | Jeremy From |
| Kevin LeRoy | Ruben Chacon | ???? |
| Ryotaro Sakajo | Masanori Fujita | Michael Donovan Michael Donovan Michael David Donovan is a voice actor for many TV shows and anime. He is most known for his voice on the series ReBoot for his voices of Phong, Mike the TV, Cecil, and Al. He has also provided the voice of Sabretooth for X-Men: Evolution and Carnage for Spider-Man Unlimited. He played the lead... |
| FBI Agent | Norman England | ???? |
| Matsubara | Takeo Nakahara | Ron Halder Ron Halder - Biography :He has performed extensively in theatres across Canada from Victoria, BC to St. John's, Newfoundland. He has played key roles as Malcolm Lowry in the Vancouver Playhouse production of Goodnight Disgrace, James Tyrone Jr. in the Neptune Theatre production of Moon for the Misbegotten and... |
| Sasaki | Yoji Tanaka | Bill Switzer Bill Switzer Bill Switzer is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for his work on the animated television series series Mummies Alive!. He has also played the title roles in Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension and Sabrina, the Animated Series... |
| Saeki | Masahiko Tsugawa Masahiko Tsugawa , born Masahiko Kato on January 2, 1940 in Kyoto, Japan is a Japanese actor and director.He made his debut at the age of 16 in the Kō Nakahira film Crazed Fruit in 1956. Tsugawa's family was heavily involved in the film industry since before his birth... |
???? |
| Sanami | ???? | Janyse Jaud Janyse Jaud Janyse Aldis Jaud is a Canadian actress, dancer and singer/songwriter. She is of Icelandic-French descent.... |
| Takeshi Maruo | ???? | Vincent Wong Vincent Wong Vincent Wong is a Hong Kong TVB actor. He married with Hong Kong actress Yoyo Chan at 11:00 AM on November 11, 2011.-TV series:-Film:-Theme songs:... |
| Kiichiro Osoreda | ???? | Brian Dobson Brian Dobson Brian Dobson is the third of three brothers, the others being Paul and Michael, who are well known for their talent as voice actors.- Anime Roles :*.hack//Roots - AI Harald... |
| Katsuya Seta | ???? | |
| Takuo Shibuimaru | ???? | Louis Chirillo Louis Chirillo Louis Chirillo is an American-Canadian actor and voice actor.He was born in Seattle, Washington. He is famous for voicing Keefe in Zoids: Fuzors. He has also voiced Shaman in Pucca... |
| Yusuke Hibisawa | ???? | |
| Koreyoshi Kitamura | ???? | David Kaye David Kaye David V. Hope , known professionally as David Kaye, is a Canadian American actor who is better recognized for his work as a voice actor... |
| Additional voices | N/A | Ted Cole Ted Cole - Anime Roles :* Beyblade - Lee, Spencer, Kane, Coach Barthez* Dokkoida!? - Pierre the Slave* Death Note - Reiji Namikawa, Yukito Shiraba, John McEnroe/Larry Conners, Jack Neylon/Kal Snydar* Dragon Ball - Yamcha... |
Development
In his production notes, director Shūsuke KanekoShusuke Kaneko
is a Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter.-Career:Shūsuke Kaneko began his career in film with Nikkatsu's Roman Porno film series, in which he served as assistant director to Kōyū Ohara. The series also gave Kaneko his directorial debut with writer Kōichirō Uno's, Kōichirō Uno's Wet and Swinging ,...
explained his desire to convince audiences that, while the killing of bad humans may seem to be fair, it underestimates the corrupting influence of wielding such power (the manga series follows a very similar viewpoint). Kaneko also commented that the psychological fear of dying could be "more nightmarish than Kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
(monsters) destroying cities and killing people".
Kaneko also stated that he wanted the film to "focus on psychological pain", explain how the deaths occur, and explain how younger people would begin to like Kira. He also removed many of the interior monologues prominent in the manga and anime to allow audiences to develop their own ideas about the characters' thoughts and beliefs, while allowing "dramatic tension".
Kaneko said that the most difficult portion of the manga to film was the scene when the investigation begins and the authorities conclude that a person is responsible for the killing of criminals. He chose to add a scene in which L explains his logic via his laptop in order to make the film "more believable" and "excite people" for the coming struggle between L and Light.
Kaneko indicated mixed feelings while directing the movie. He said that he felt "a little reservation" at how the movie would perform, since the film "uses 'death' to entertain the audience" and feels "morally unsettling". Kaneko theorized that the film may have performed well because of the Internet culture of Japan, saying that the use of the Death Note had similarities to how users attacked one another on message boards and blogs. In addition, Kaneko noted that death is "carefully" concealed, to the point where "people don't even think about it".
Filming
Kaneko chartered an undergroundRapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
line to film a particular scene in the first film; this was the first time in Japanese film history that an underground line was used. Kaneko used about 500 extras throughout the first film.
Theme songs
Death Note- "Manatsu no Yoru no Yume" by Shikao SugaShikao Sugais a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter from Tokyo. Though he uses katakana for his recording name, the kanji for his name are 菅 止戈男, but the romanization is the same. Suga is his family name and Shikao is his given name....
- "Dani CaliforniaDani California"Dani California" is a single from the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers's ninth studio album, Stadium Arcadium. The single was first made available at the iTunes Music Store and then was officially released on May 2, 2006...
" by Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
(Closing)
Death Note: The Last Name
- "Dani CaliforniaDani California"Dani California" is a single from the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers's ninth studio album, Stadium Arcadium. The single was first made available at the iTunes Music Store and then was officially released on May 2, 2006...
" by Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock... - "Snow, Hey OhSnow ((Hey Oh))"Snow " is a song from the Red Hot Chili Peppers Grammy–nominated 2006 double album, Stadium Arcadium. The song was released as the follow-up single to "Tell Me Baby" on November 20, 2006 and became the band's third straight number one hit on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, a spot it held for five...
" by Red Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili PeppersRed Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
(Closing)
L: Change the World
L: Change the WorLd
is a 2008 Japanese film that is a spin-off to the Death Note film series. Although the film is inspired by the manga Death Note that was written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, it follows an original storyline...
- "I'll Be WaitingI'll Be Waiting (Lenny Kravitz song)"I'll Be Waiting" is a rock song written by Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross for Kravitz's eighth studio album, It Is Time for a Love Revolution . It was released as the album's lead single on December 6, 2007...
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Death Note
The first film, simply titled as Death Note, premiered in Japan on June 17, 2006 and topped the Japanese box officeBox office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
for two weeks, pushing The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code (film)
The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 American mystery thriller film directed by Ron Howard. The screenplay was written by Akiva Goldsman and based on Dan Brown's worldwide bestselling 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code...
into second place.
Death Note (死亡筆記) was released in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on August 10, 2006, in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
on September 8, 2006, in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on October 19, 2006, and in Malaysia on November 9, 2006 with English and Chinese subtitles. The world premiere was in the UA Langham Place cinema in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on October 28, 2006, the first Japanese movie to premiere in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The film ended up earning US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
41 million in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, $1.9 million in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The film was released in the UK on April 25, 2008.
Death Note: The Last Name
The second movie, Death Note: The Last Name, premiered on November 3, 2006, and instantly topped the Japanese box office, remaining at number one for four straight weeks, and grossed 5.5 billion yen in Japan by the end of the year, making it one of the year's highest grossing Japanese films.The sequel was released in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on November 3, 2006, in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
on November 24, 2006, in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on December 28, 2006, and in Malaysia on January 25, 2007, with English and Chinese subtitles.
Christy Lee S.W. of The Star
The Star (Malaysia)
The Star is an English-language, tabloid-format newspaper in Malaysia. It is the largest in terms of circulation in Malaysia, according to the . It has a daily circulation of between 290,000 to 300,000...
, in her review of the second film, stated that Kaneko "did a good job" in pacing the film, adding that the increased pacing towards the end made some of the content difficult to understand. She also said that screenwriter Tetsuya Oishi made sure the characters were "well fleshed out" and easily empathized with.
North American release
The first movie briefly played in certain North American theaters on May 20–21, 2008 The theatrical version featured actors from the English dub of the anime voicing over their respective characters (with a few notable recasts, and the exception of John Murphy (Lind L. Tailor's English dub actor) due to Lind L. Tailor already being played by American actor Matt Lagan - in the dub, Tailor's voice is instead dubbed by Ted ColeTed Cole
- Anime Roles :* Beyblade - Lee, Spencer, Kane, Coach Barthez* Dokkoida!? - Pierre the Slave* Death Note - Reiji Namikawa, Yukito Shiraba, John McEnroe/Larry Conners, Jack Neylon/Kal Snydar* Dragon Ball - Yamcha...
). The film was broadcasted in Canadian theaters for one night only on September 15, 2008. The DVD was released on September 16, 2008, one day after the Canadian showing.
Death Note: The Last Name was given similar treatment. The film was dubbed into English and released in American theaters for two nights only, October 15 and 16. The film was released in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on December 3, the DVD was released on February 10, 2009.
L: Change the World
L: Change the WorLd
is a 2008 Japanese film that is a spin-off to the Death Note film series. Although the film is inspired by the manga Death Note that was written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, it follows an original storyline...
was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on April 29–30 of 2009.
UK release
Death Note, Death Note: The Last Name, and L: Change the World were all licensed for UK release by 4Digital Asia, a sublabel of 4Digital Media, formerly Ilc Entertainment. The first title was the inaugural release in this new sublabel, launched in 2008 to fill the gap in the UK for "Asia Extreme" titles created by the demise of Tartan. All have received limited theatrical screenings at arthouse venues around the UK, such as the ICA Cinema in central London. All three have received DVD releases in limited editions, featuring two discs in hardback-book-like packaging, mimicking the item of the title. Regular single-disc editions are replacing the limited ones for long-term release. A dedicated website focused on the franchise was also created for public use. Both films were also broadcast on Film4Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
.
Remake
In 2007, the Malaysian paper The StarThe Star (Malaysia)
The Star is an English-language, tabloid-format newspaper in Malaysia. It is the largest in terms of circulation in Malaysia, according to the . It has a daily circulation of between 290,000 to 300,000...
stated that more than ten film companies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had expressed interest in the Death Note franchise. The American production company Vertigo Entertainment was originally set to develop the remake, with Charley and Vlas Parlapanides as screenwriters and Roy Lee
Roy Lee
Roy Lee is an American film producer who regularly takes well known Asian films and remakes them for American audiences. Examples include The Ring, The Grudge and The Departed...
, Doug Davison, Dan Lin
Dan Lin
Dan Lin is an American film producer and CEO of Lin Pictures, a filmed entertainment production company that he formed in January 2008. In September 2008, he was honoured as one of Variety's "10 producers to watch."-Early Life:...
, and Brian Witten as producers. On April 30, 2009, Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reported that Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, the distributors for the original Japanese live-action films, had acquired the American rights for the remake, with the original screenwriters and producers still attached. On January 13, 2011, it was announced that Shane Black
Shane Black
Shane Black is an American actor, screenwriter and film director. He contributed to some of the biggest blockbuster action films of the late 1980s and early 1990s, including work on Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout...
has been hired to direct the film, with the script being written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry. There have also been rumours that Zac Efron
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
has been cast to play Light Yagami
Light Yagami
, also known as is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the manga and anime series Death Note. He is an extremely intelligent, athletic, popular, but bored young man who finds the Death Note dropped by the Shinigami Ryuk by sheer chance...
, though this has not been confirmed.
External links
- Death Note at Warner Brothers Japan
- Death Note DVD official website