Years after Netflix completely flubbed the live-action adaptation of Death Note in 2017, the streaming giant just confirmed that it’s giving the hit psychological thriller series another go. This time around, Netflix has asked for the help of Stranger Things’ Duffer brothers. In a public statement, Matt and Ross’ production company, Upside Down Pictures, shared news about its upcoming projects for the streaming platform, including the aforementioned live-action series. In addition to Death Note, Upside Down Pictures is also working on the following:
An original series by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews A serialized adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub’s The Talisman A new Stranger Things stage play A live-action Stranger Things spin-off
The manga and anime adaptations of Death Note are critically acclaimed. In particular, the latter holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Many consider it one of the best anime shows of all time and it’s stood the test of time very well. The three live-action film adaptations and one TV drama in Japan all did fairly well too. The only black sheep is Netflix’s live-action adaptation, which got so much backlash that the film’s director, Adam Wingard, had to delete his Twitter account. It is unknown if the planned sequel to the 2017 film by Netflix is no longer happening or if the Duffer Brothers’ adaptation is a different take. Speaking of no longer happening, Netflix hasn’t had the best track record with live-action adaptations of iconic anime and manga. Its animated shows have done well, for the most part, with the success of Castlevania leading to a spin-off, among others. However, we can’t say the same for the TV adaptations featuring real actors and actresses. The John Cho-led Cowboy Bebop was canned after just one season. If nothing else, Netflix insists that it will get things right eventually. On top of Death Note, Netflix is also working on movies and TV shows based on One Piece, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Pokémon, and Horizon.
