Death Note ( 2017 film ) - Wikipedia Death Note ( 2017 film ) Death Note Promotional poster Directed by Adam Wingard Produced by Roy Lee Dan Lin Masi Oka Jason Hoffs Ted Sarandos Screenplay by Charles Parlapanides Vlas Parlapanides Jeremy Slater Based on Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba Takeshi Obata Starring Nat Wolff Lakeith Stanfield Margaret Qualley Shea Whigham Paul Nakauchi Jason Liles Willem Dafoe Music by Atticus Ross Leopold Ross Cinematography David Tattersall Edited by Louis Cioffi Production companies LP Entertainment Vertigo Entertainment Lin Pictures Distributed by Netflix Release date August 25, 2017 ( 2017 - 08 - 25 ) Running time 100 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $40 million Death Note is a 2017 American neo-noir supernatural horror - thriller film loosely adapted from the Japanese manga of the same name created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The film is directed by Adam Wingard and written by Charles Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides and Jeremy Slater. The film stars Nat Wolff, Lakeith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley, Shea Whigham, Paul Nakauchi, Jason Liles and Willem Dafoe, and follows the story of an American high school student named Light Turner, who finds a mysterious supernatural notebook known as the `` Death Note ''. After being visited by a demonic Japanese god of death named Ryuk, who tells him that the book causes the death of anyone whose name is written within it 's pages, Light eventually begins to kill people whom he deems to be morally unworthy of life, under the alias of a serial - killer named `` Kira '', in a bid to change the world into a utopian society without crime, while a small task - force of law enforcement officials, including the FBI 's top profiler, attempt to find and apprehend Light. The film was released on Netflix on August 25, 2017. Upon release, Death Note received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, but received a fairly high viewership, with producer : Ted Sarandos, declaring the film to be a `` sizable '' success. Much of the criticism was directed towards the incoherent writing, pacing, numerous changes from the source material as well as omissions of many of its crucial elements ; however, critics praised Wingard 's direction, the production design, soundtrack, cinematography and the cast, with Dafoe and Stanfield 's performances as Ryuk and L receiving most of the praise. A sequel is currently in the works, with Greg Russo attached to write the screenplay. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Casting 4 Release 4.1 Marketing 4.2 Critical reception 5 Sequel 6 References 7 External links Plot This film 's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. ( June 2018 ) In Seattle, Washington, high school student Light Turner encounters a notebook entitled `` Death Note '', which allows the user to kill anyone by writing their name whilst picturing their face. Coaxed by the book 's original owner, the death god Ryuk, Light murders two people, a school bully and his mother 's killer, in apparent freak accidents. Ryuk also explains the Death Note 's various rules, including the ability to control a victim 's actions prior to their prescribed death. After demonstrating its power to classmate Mia Sutton, Light begins a relationship with her and they begin eliminating criminals under the pseudonym `` Kira ''. This draws the attention of a mysterious consulting detective called `` L '', who quickly deduces that Kira is in Seattle. Allying himself with the head of the local investigation - Light 's father, James - he gives a televised speech with his face concealed, taunting Kira to kill him ; when this fails to happen, L concludes that Kira must know a person 's name and face to kill. L has FBI agents follow Light and other suspects ; Mia suggests killing the agents, but Light refuses. The FBI agents thereafter commit mass suicide, and Light accuses Ryuk of killing them. When James appears on television and vows to apprehend Kira, Mia insists on killing him for the greater good, but Light refuses. When James is not killed, L concludes that Light must be Kira, confronting him and revealing his face. In retaliation, Light uses the Death Note on L 's handler, Watari, forcing him into uncovering L 's real name ; he departs for the abandoned New York orphanage where he found L years before. As Ryuk explains, Light can save Watari by burning the page with his name before he dies ; however, this method can only be used once to save a victim of the Death Note. Watari 's sudden disappearance enrages L, who orders Light 's house to be searched ; he finds nothing, as Mia is able to sneak the Death Note out. Knowing that Light is still being followed, Mia helps him to sneak away at the school dance, allowing him to collect the Death Note and contact Watari via phone. However, Light finds Watari 's page is missing, and the latter is killed before he can reveal L 's name. Mia then explains that she killed the FBI agents, took Watari 's page, and has also written Light 's name in the book, giving him until midnight before his heart stops. She offers to burn Light 's page if he gives the Death Note to her, believing him incapable of making the right decisions for the good of society. Meanwhile, L is devastated by Watari 's death and goes on his own manhunt for Light. Light agrees to turn over the book at the Seattle Great Wheel, and then flees from police. L catches up to him and prepares to kill him, but is knocked out by a passerby who overhears that Light is Kira. Light meets Mia and takes her to the top of the Ferris wheel, trying to convince her that they will be happier without the Death Note. Seemingly persuaded at first, Mia tries to steal the Death Note, much to Light 's intense dismay. Initially confused, she realises that Light has written her name in the book, her death being contingent on her taking the Death Note from him. The Ferris wheel collapses, causing Mia to fall to her death whilst Light and the Death Note land safely in the water ; L watches as the page with Light 's name drifts into a burning barrel. Having orchestrated Mia 's death and his own survival, Light also manipulates criminals so he is medically induced into a coma, whilst the Death Note is used to continue the Kira killings before being left at his bedside. With Kira continuing to kill whilst Light is hospitalised, L is taken off the case ; however, James later deduces that his son is Kira and confronts him after he wakes from his coma. Meanwhile, L realises Mia 's involvement from a comment Light made during their standoff, racing to her home to search her possessions. He finds the Death Note page with the names of the FBI agents and contemplates writing on it in a hysterical fit. Back in the hospital, Light tries to convince his father that his actions were `` the lesser of two evils '', prompting Ryuk to laugh and remark, `` You humans are so interesting. '' Cast Nat Wolff as Light Turner / Kira : A bright yet isolated high - school student who discovers the titular `` Death Note '' and uses it to kill criminals by writing their names and causes of death, in a bid to change the world into a utopia without crime, and thus, alongside Mia Sutton, becoming the world - famous serial killer known as `` Kira '', while being both praised and feared by law enforcement agencies and the worldwide media and public. Lakeith Stanfield as L : A near - mythical, highly - intelligent and well - skilled -- but also arrogant and slightly unhinged -- FBI profiler with a past shrouded in mystery and who is determined to capture `` Kira '' and end his reign of terror. Margaret Qualley as Mia Sutton / Kira : Light 's classmate and love interest, who becomes an ally in his mission to rid the world of criminals, jointly becoming the world - famous serial killer known as `` Kira '' alongside Light, eventually seeking to kill those who seek to stop them and becoming dangerously obsessed with the book 's power. In an interview with io9, Adam Wingard revealed that rather than being based on original manga character Misa Amane, Sutton as a character is based on the sociopathic qualities of Light Yagami. Shea Whigham as James Turner : Light 's father and a veteran Seattle detective, who aids L in finding the mysterious `` Kira '', unaware that he is his own son. Paul Nakauchi as Watari : L 's assistant and foster - father. Jason Liles and Willem Dafoe as Ryuk : A demonic god of death and the original owner of the Death Note, who begins communicating with Light when he receives the book and inquistively observes Light 's activities as `` Kira ''. Liles played the character in costume, while Dafoe provided voice work and performance capture for the facial elements. Production In 2007, the Malaysian newspaper The Star 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 rights for an American remake, with the original screenwriters and producers still attached. In 2009, Zac Efron responded to rumors that he would be playing the film 's lead role by stating that the project was `` not on the front burner ''. On January 13, 2011, it was announced that Shane Black had been hired to direct the film, with the script being written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry. Warner 's studios planned to change the background story of Light Yagami into one of vengeance instead of justice and to remove Shinigami from the story. Black opposed this change, and it had not been green - lit. Black confirmed in a 2013 interview with Bleeding Cool that he was still working on the film. In July 2014, it was rumored that Gus Van Sant would replace Black as the film 's new director, with Dan Lin, Doug Davison, Roy Lee and Brian Witten producing through Vertigo Entertainment, Witten Pictures and Lin Pictures. On April 27, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Adam Wingard would direct the film, that Lin, Lee, Jason Hoffs and Masi Oka would produce, and that Niija Kuykendall and Nik Mavinkurve would oversee the studio. Producers stated the film would receive an R rating. In April 2016, TheWrap reported that because Warner Bros. had decided to make fewer films, the studio put the film into turnaround but allowed Wingard to take the project elsewhere. Within 48 hours, Wingard was reportedly approached by nearly every major film studio. On April 6, 2016, it was confirmed that Netflix had bought the film from Warner Bros. with a budget of $40 -- 50 million and a recent draft of the script being written by Jeremy Slater. Production officially began in British Columbia on June 30, 2016, overseen by DN ( Canada ) Productions, Inc. Atticus Ross and Leopold Ross composed the score for the film. Casting The cast and crew of Death Note at the 2017 San Diego Comic - Con On September 29, 2015, Nat Wolff was cast in the lead role. On November 12, 2015, Margaret Qualley joined the film as the female lead. In June 2016, Lakeith Stanfield joined the cast. On June 30, 2016, it was announced that Paul Nakauchi and Shea Whigham had joined the cast. On August 2, 2016, Willem Dafoe was announced to voice the Shinigami Ryuk. In the wake of Dafoe 's casting, Brian Drummond, who voiced Ryuk in the English dub of the anime, voiced his approval citing the casting of Ryuk. Oka, one of the film 's producers, announced that he also has a role in the film. Early casting announcements, similar to other Hollywood productions based on Japanese manga such as Dragonball Evolution and Ghost in the Shell, resulted in accusations of whitewashing. In response, producers Roy Lee and Dan Lin stated that `` Our vision for Death Note has always been to... introduce the world to this dark and mysterious masterpiece. The talent and diversity represented in our cast, writing, and producing teams reflect our belief in staying true to the story 's concept of moral relevance -- a universal theme that knows no racial boundaries. '' Wingard addressed the concerns over the film, explaining that the film is an American take on the Death Note story, stating, `` It 's one of those things where the harder I tried to stay 100 percent true to the source material, the more it just kind of fell apart... You 're in a different country, you 're in a different kind of environment, and you 're trying to also summarize a sprawling series into a two - hour - long film. For me, it became about ; what do these themes mean to modern day America, and how does that affect how we tell the story. '' Release The film was released on Netflix on August 25, 2017. On July 20, 2017, the film was screened early for audiences at San Diego Comic - Con International 2017. Marketing On March 22, 2017, Netflix released a teaser of the film on YouTube. An additional trailer was released on June 29, 2017. Critical reception Death Note received mixed reviews, with critics calling it `` a bad decision on top of a festering pile of bad decisions '', `` a lazy, unambitious, forgettable movie '' and `` boring '', though the direction and the cast ( particularly Dafoe and Stanfield ) received praise. On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 41 % based on 59 reviews, and an average rating of 4.7 / 10. The site 's critical consensus reads, `` Death Note benefits from director Adam Wingard 's distinctive eye and a talented cast, but they are n't enough to overcome a fatally overcrowded canvas. '' On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a score of 43 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating `` mixed or average reviews ''. Jeanette Catsoulis for The New York Times wrote that the film `` feels rushed and constricted '' compared to the volume of the source material, but praised how Wingard 's direction focused on `` mood over mayhem '' to make the adaptation his own. Peter Debruge for Variety said that he felt that Wingard took the film adaptation towards a Donnie Darko - styled work that would capture the interest of more Western audiences compared to the original work, but made the work capture the feel of a theatrical film rather than a work confined to its original medium. Debruge also wrote that despite the philosophical concepts of murdering via the Death Note, `` the movie never quite reckons with just how twisted a concept it 's peddling, and that 's easily the scariest thing about it ''. Brian Tallerico for Rogerebert.com gave the film one of four stars, stating that the changes that Wingard had made from the original work did not serve any artistic or thematic purpose, nor captured the cat - and - mouse game between Light and L that was core to the original work, and because the producers `` refused to make Light the antihero he needed to be '', the addition of Mia as a love interest `` ( left ) the project hollow at its center '', but mainly praised the performances of Stanfield and Dafoe. Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, the original creators of Death Note, have praised the film, with the former stating, `` In a good way, it both followed and diverged from the original work so the film can be enjoyed, of course by not only the fans, but also by a much larger and wider audience ''. Sequel In an interview with Heat Vision, director Adam Wingard stated that Netflix has wanted to make at least two films, if enough people watch the first one. He said : `` There are definitely lots of places to go, and we know generally where we would take it. Hopefully people will watch it and Netflix will order a sequel. They definitely are ready to. They just need people to watch it. '' On August 22, 2018, it was announced through a THR report that a sequel was in the works, with Greg Russo reportedly writing the script, after the Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos called the film a `` sizable '' success. References Jump up ^ `` Death Note -- PowerGrind ''. The Wrap. Retrieved August 29, 2017. Jump up ^ Trendacosta, Katharine ( August 28, 2017 ). `` Why Netflix 's Death Note Is Really an Origin Story and Where a Sequel Could Go ''. io9. Retrieved September 10, 2017. Jump up ^ Kitty Sensei ( January 14, 2007 ). `` Here 're a few hints of the second and concluding part of Death Note the movie, The Last Name ''. The Star. Archived from the original on August 2, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Warner Brothers Acquire Live - Action Death Note Rights ''. Anime News Network. May 1, 2009. Retrieved May 1, 2009. Jump up ^ Fleming, Michael ( April 30, 2009 ). `` Warner brings ' Death ' to bigscreen ''. Variety. Retrieved May 1, 2009. Jump up ^ Weintraub, Steve ( November 22, 2009 ). `` Exclusive Interview : Zac Efron and Richard Linklater on ME AND ORSON WELLES ; Plus Zac Addresses DEATH NOTE Rumors ''. Collider. Retrieved April 10, 2016. Jump up ^ Fleming, Mike Jr ( January 13, 2011 ). `` Warner Bros Taps Shane Black For Japanese Manga ' Death Note ' ''. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 14, 2011. Jump up ^ Loo, Egan ( November 2, 2011 ). `` Shane Black Describes Changes He Opposed to Warner 's Death Note ''. Anime News Network. Retrieved April 10, 2016. Jump up ^ Connelly, Brendon ( April 24, 2013 ). `` Shane Black On His Death Note And Doc Savage Movies ''. Bleeding Cool. Retrieved April 10, 2016. Jump up ^ Whitehead, Donna ( July 10, 2014 ). `` ( TB EXCLUSIVE ) Gus Van Sant Takes Over `` Death Note '' ``. The Tracking Board. Retrieved July 10, 2014. Jump up ^ Kit, Borys ( April 27, 2015 ). `` ' Guest ' Director Adam Wingard Signs On for ' Death Note ' ( Exclusive ) ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 10, 2016. Jump up ^ Goldberg, Matt ( February 22, 2015 ). `` Exclusive : ' Death Note ' Movie Rating and Tone Revealed ''. Collider.com. Retrieved April 10, 2016. Jump up ^ Sneider, Jeff ( April 6, 2016 ). `` Adam Wingard 's ' Death Note ' Jumps From Warner Bros. to Netflix ( Exclusive ) ''. TheWrap. Retrieved April 10, 2016. Jump up ^ Kroll, Justin ( April 6, 2016 ). `` Netflix Lands Adam Wingard 's ' Death Note ' Starring Nat Wolff ''. Variety. Retrieved April 8, 2016. Jump up ^ `` In Production ''. Creative BC. May 10, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2016. Jump up ^ Mirchandani, Amar ( June 3, 2016 ). `` Live - Action Manga Movie ' Death Note ' Filming in Vancouver ''. 604 Now. Retrieved June 3, 2016. Jump up ^ Idea, Nimfa ( June 8, 2016 ). `` ' Death Note ' Live Action Pic : Netflix Set to Kick Off Production in Metro Vancouver This Summer ''. Movie News Guide. Retrieved June 8, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Trumbore, Dave ( June 30, 2016 ). `` Adam Wingard Shares His Notes on ' Death Note ' as Production Begins ''. Collider.com. Retrieved June 30, 2016. Jump up ^ White, James ( September 29, 2015 ). `` Nat Wolff Finds Death Note News Empire ''. Empire. Retrieved September 29, 2015. Jump up ^ Fleming, Mike Jr ; Hipes, Patrick ( November 12, 2015 ). `` ' Death Note ' Movie Sets Margaret Qualley As Female Lead -- Update ''. Deadline.com. Retrieved November 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Kroll, Justin ( June 10, 2016 ). `` ' Short Term 12 's ' Keith Stanfield to Star With Nat Wolff in Netflix 's ' Death Note ' ''. Variety. Retrieved June 11, 2016. Jump up ^ Barkan, Jonathan ( June 30, 2016 ). `` Adam Wingard Starts Writing His ' Death Note ' ''. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 30 June 2016. Jump up ^ Sneider, Jeff ( August 2, 2016 ). `` Willem Dafoe to voice the Shinigami in Netflix 's ' Death Note ' ( Exclusive ) ''. Mashable. Retrieved August 2, 2016. Jump up ^ Brian Drummond ( @ BrianDrummondVO ) ( August 3, 2016 ). `` Sorry to not be playing that apple lovin ' Shinigami again, but what a great choice ! @ WillemDafoe '' ( Tweet ) -- via Twitter. Jump up ^ Abrams, Natalie ( November 17, 2016 ). `` Hawaii Five - 0 : Masi Oka exiting after seven seasons -- exclusive ''. Entertainment Weekly. Jump up ^ Leon, Melissa ( September 30, 2015 ). `` Hollywood 's Anime Whitewashing Epidemic : Nat Wolff to Star in ' Death Note ' ''. The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 10, 2016. Jump up ^ Jaworski, Michelle ( November 13, 2015 ). `` ' Death Note ' whitewashing accusations grow as it casts female lead ''. The Daily Dot. Retrieved April 10, 2016. Jump up ^ Sanchez, Miranda ( June 29, 2017 ). `` How Netflix 's Death Note Alters the Original Story With Its American Setting ''. IGN. Jump up ^ Opam, Kwame ( March 22, 2017 ). `` Watch the first trailer for Netflix 's live - action Death Note movie ''. The Verge. Jump up ^ `` ' Death Note ' Reviews Are in, and They 're Not Great ''. Inverse. Retrieved August 26, 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Death Note - Movie Reviews ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Death Note ( 2017 ) ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 20, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Death Note reviews ''. Metacritic. Retrieved September 6, 2017. Jump up ^ Catsoulis, Jeanette ( August 24, 2017 ). `` Review : In ' Death Note, ' When Danger Calls, Reach for a Notebook ''. The New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2017. Jump up ^ Debruge, Peter ( August 24, 2017 ). `` Film Review : Nat Wolff in ' Death Note ' on Netflix ''. Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2017. Jump up ^ Tallerico, Brian ( August 25, 2017 ). `` Death Note ''. Rogerebert.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017. Jump up ^ O'Connell, Sean ( August 17, 2017 ). `` What The Original Death Note Creators Really Think About The Netflix Remake ''. Cinema Blend. Retrieved August 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Couch, Aaron ( August 25, 2017 ). `` ' Death Note 2 ' : Netflix Sequel Will Happen If People Watch First Movie ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 26, 2017. Jump up ^ Outlaw, Kofi ( August 22, 2018 ). `` ' Death Note 2 ' Confirmed for Netflix Release ''. ComicBook.com. Retrieved August 24, 2018. External links Death Note on IMDb Death Note on Netflix Death Note at Rotten Tomatoes Films directed by Adam Wingard Home Sick ( 2007 ) Pop Skull ( 2007 ) A Horrible Way to Die ( 2010 ) Autoerotic ( 2011 ) You 're Next ( 2011 ) 60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero ( 2011 ) What Fun We Were Having ( 2011 ) V / H / S ( 2012 ) The ABCs of Death ( 2012 ) V / H / S / 2 ( 2013 ) The Guest ( 2014 ) Blair Witch ( 2016 ) Death Note ( 2017 ) Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata Media Chapters Anime episodes Death Note ( 2006 film ) Another Note : The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases 2 : The Last Name L : Change the World The Musical Death Note ( 2015 TV drama ) New Generation Light Up the New World Death Note ( 2017 film ) Soundtracks Characters Light Yagami Ryuk Misa Amane Near Mello Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_Note_(2017_film)&oldid=856465935 '' Categories : 2017 films English - language films 2017 horror films 2010s horror thriller films American films American thriller films American horror thriller films American supernatural horror films American supernatural thriller films Death Note Films directed by Adam Wingard Films produced by Dan Lin Films produced by Roy Lee Films scored by Atticus Ross Films set in Seattle Live - action films based on manga Netflix original films Films set in Washington ( state ) Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from April 2016 Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention from June 2018 All Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Deutsch Español فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Basa Jawa 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Suomi Türkçe Українська 中文 11 more Edit links This page was last edited on 25 August 2018, at 12 : 15 ( UTC ). 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Question: who plays light's dad in death note
Answer: Shea Whigham