ShadowDance

Universal Pictures has revealed that Vertigo Entertainment is developing an American live action film adaptation of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s supernatural suspense manga story Death Note. The Death Note franchise has already spawned three live action films in Japan. Brothers Vlas and Charles Parlapanides have been hired to construct a screenplay for an American Death Note feature.

The production notes for the recent horror films Shutter and The Strangers both reveal that America's Vertigo Entertainment is developing a remake of the Death Note franchise and has hired Vlas and Charles Parlapanides to write the screenplay. In Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's hit Death Note manga, a teenager finds a notebook with which he can put people to death by writing their names. He begins a self-anointed crusade against the criminals of the world, and a cat-and-mouse game begins with the authorities and one idiosyncratic genius detective.

Vertigo Entertainment (no relation to DC Comics' Vertigo imprint or the United Kingdom's Vertigo Films) has developed or is developing remakes of Ju-on (The Grudge), Dark Water, Infernal Affairs (The Departed), Gin gwai (The Eye), Shutter, My Sassy Girl, Jungdok (Possession), and Janghwa, Hongryeon (The Uninvited). The Parlapanides brothers are writers and executive producers of Undercover, an update of the 21 Jump Street television series which is under development for The CW network.

The Death Note manga has already been adapted into two Japanese live-action films with one spinoff film, an animated television series, assorted television specials, and novels. Viz Media is releasing the manga, the anime series, and a novel, while Viz Pictures released the first Japanese live-action film in theaters in May.

The person they wish to play Light Yagami is none other than Disney's own: Zac Efron.

Rumoured director-- Bryan Bertino- is known for his film "The Strangers" Which only gained a 41% on Rotten Tomatoes, is said to be directing it. He is surely planning on making this a horror film, which any REAL Death Note fan knows that it is not.

Christopher Lee (Hammer’s DRACULA, LORD OF THE RINGS) and Alan Rickman (SWEENEY TODD, DIE HARD), two of the greatest and most profilic screen villains of all time have joined Tim Burton’s motion captured adaptation of ALICE IN WONDERLAND over at Disney.

Rickman will play the hookah-smoking Caterpillar but Lee’s role is undisclosed.
Neither casting is all that surprising.

Rickman brought his A-Game to SWEENEY TODD and of course has one of the most recognisable villain voices in the industry.

Lee who was worked with Burton on SLEEPY HOLLOW and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY was set to work with the director again on SWEENEY TODD, until Burton decided to cut the ghosts aspect from his tale. That was said to have pissed Lee off but it now looks like they have settled on their differences.

Also now confirmed for the movie is Danny Elfman, who will be scoring the film for his long time friend and partner. Elfman’s skills, understandably, weren’t need for TODD as the Stephen Sondheim music was already in place.

Elfman confirmed it last week…

Burton has put together an amazing cast…
Mia Wasikowska as Alice
Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter
Helena Bonham Carter as The Red Queen
Anne Hathaway as The White Queen
Alan Rickman as The Caterpillar
Michael Sheen as The Cheshire Cat
Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum
Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts
Eleanor Tomlinson as Fiona Chataway
and Christopher Lee in an unknown role.

I think it lost my interest from the start when the guy playing Richard Rahl is chopping wood with his shirt off...great! Show off your chiseled 100 pound 6th grade physique.