The man responsible for Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout is going to bring his Hollywood sensibilities to one of Japan's most popular and darkest manga.
Death Note follows the story of Kira, who acquires a "death note". Writing someone's name in the notebook causes that person to meet an untimely end. The manga is a smash hit in Japan, selling over 20 million copies.
Shane Black, the first Hollywood screenwriter to earn a million bucks for a single script, is going to helm the English-language version of the comic. Black, however, won't be writing the film.
The manga was already turned into a Japanese film back in 2006, and it got a brief U.S. theatrical release. Sequels followed as well as anime and several Nintendo DS games. While the manga got an English release, the DS titles were never localized for Western gamers.
They can look forward to this Hollywood take on Death Note, instead.
Shane Black Signs to Direct Manga Adaptation ‘Death Note' [/Film] [TokyoGetter's Flickr]