Death Note 2 is about to come and fans worry it may suffer the same fate as the first live-action film after fans and critics criticize the adaptation. Now, Mortal Kombat writer Greg Russo assures the franchise's avid followers they will be faithful to the original story this time.
The screenwriter swears he will bring Death Note 2 "back to its roots." Can he redeem their names in the sequel after the backlash?
In an interview with Comicbook, Russo revealed he's now excited to do the follow-up project, clearing he was not part of the first film. As he is a massive fan of the manga itself, calling it the greatest written ever, he promises to "get back to its roots."
He calls his upcoming entry a "simple job," which fans hope to be far different from the first installment. The first live-action film was reportedly "hard to approach" with its flat-out different tale.
Though it seems to go well with some audience, the faithful manga fans dislike it. So, if there is one thing that Russo wants to do, it is to please these fans.
He vows to bring Death Note 2 to the "chess match" between Light and L, which is the heart of the story. He wants to be "cerebral," making the next movie as intense, featuring the psychological warfare that makes the manga superb.
CBR noted part of what Russo wanted to do with the sequel was to "go back to the source material." He also teased it would be "impeccable" this time.
Russo assures to do something exciting with the second film, taking it differently using the first movie's template. Will fans like it this time?
Fans and critics questioned the first Death Note movie for "whitewashing," like turning Light Yagami to Light Turner. Many said it was far different from the anime and manga, though it still featured some notable elements from the source material.
The story beats, characters, and motivations were changed, per Screenrant. Mia Sutton's move to manipulate Light to use the Death Note instead of going down to the rabbit hole dramatically altered everything.
These changes left fans disappointed, suggesting it had nothing to do with Death Note aside from using its name. Despite negative reviews, Death Note 2 is about to come.
The original film's director, Adam Wingard, earlier said Netflix originally planned to make two films, judging the first one would be a success. Though the streaming giant didn't reveal the numbers, its CCO Ted Sarandos said its "success was sizeable."
This might be the reason why there would be Death Note 2 despite the reception. So far, there are only little details about the sequel and there may be more to come in the coming days.
What do you expect to see in Death Note 2? Share your comments below.
