Death Note is one of the most critically acclaimed animes out there. It's unique, it has a cool cast of characters, and it mixes the real world with this dark, supernatural world. When word hit that Netflix was developing a live action movie based on the property, fans got really excited. The trailers for the film have split the fanbase into two different camps, some think it looks great and some think it does a disservice to the source material.
The film looks to adapt the series by taking bits and pieces and putting a new spin on them while keeping other things relatively similar to the anime. One instance of this is shown in a brand new clip released at San Diego Comic-Con. In this scene, we're introduced the incredibly creepy Ryuk who is played by Willem Dafoe, Ryuk actively encourages the main character, Light, to write down the name of a fellow student in the book which will lead to said student dying in a horrific way. In the series, Ryuk is portrayed as more of a neutral character who doesn't directly encourage these acts but also doesn't make much of an attempt to prevent it.
However you may feel about the adaptation, it looks like Willem Dafoe is going to bring a memorable performance which channels some of the sinister traits of his version of the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. You can view the trailer below.
Death Note premieres exclusively on Netflix on August 25th.
