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The anime Death Note will get a new live-action adaptation courtesy of the Duffer Brothers. The Stranger Things creators plan to bring the series to Netflix as part of an overall production deal with the streaming service.

'Death Note' live-action series creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer stand side by side and smile.
Ross Duffer (L) and Matt Duffer(Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)

The Duffer Brothers’ ‘Death Note’ live-action comes from their new company, Upside Down Pictures

The Death Note live-action series will be among the first projects from Upside Down Pictures, the Duffer Brothers’ newly established production company. The name pays homage to Ross and Matt Duffer’s wildly popular Netflix series Stranger Things.

According to Deadline, the company has partnered with Netflix for Death Note and several other upcoming film and television projects. These include a Stranger Things spinoff and stage play, an adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub‘s 1984 novel The Talisman, and a series from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews.

The Duffer Brothers announced that TV industry veteran Hilary Leavitt will oversee the Death Note live-action series and other projects from Upside Down Pictures. Leavitt previously held positions with BBC America, MRC, and Hulu. Leavitt is credited with helping develop several popular series, including Ozark, Orphan Black, and The Last Kingdom.

The Duffer Brothers’ ‘Death Note’ will not be connected to the 2017 Netflix film

The Japanese manga series Death Note debuted in 2003. Written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, the story follows Light Yagami after discovering a notebook granting him supernatural abilities. Learning he can kill anyone whose name he writes in the book, Light creates the vigilante persona “Kira.” The teen attempts to use the powers to rid the world of criminals, all while Detective L and his police task force try to capture him.

Death Note has inspired several adaptions, including a 2006 Japanese film and a 2017 American version released on Netflix. The American version starred Nat Wolff, Lakeith Stanfield, and Margaret Qualley and mainly received negative reviews. The live-action Death Note series from the Duffer Brothers will have no connection to the Netflix film.

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Netflix did not announce a start date for production on Death Note. Deadline reports the Duffer Brothers plan to begin writing the fifth and final season of Stranger Things in August. Leavitt will oversee project development while the Duffers finish the series.

‘Death Note’ joins Netflix’s growing list of live-action anime adaptations

The Death Note live-action series joins an expanding list of anime adaptations from Netflix. Cowboy Bebop debuted in 2021 but only lasted one season. One Piece will also get a live-action version. Actor Emily Rudd confirmed that filming began in January 2022. However, Netflix has yet to confirm a release date.

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