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Warners' Live-Action Death Note Film Casts Nat Wolff

Entertainment news source Variety reported on Tuesday that Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns) is in final negotiations to star in Warner Brother's planned Death Note film.

Wolff's character's name has not yet been revealed, but Variety describes him as "a student who discovers a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone simply by writing the victim's name." Variety also mentions that he will compete with a "reclusive police officer."

Production is slated to begin spring 2016.

Adam Wingard (The Guest, You're Next) has signed on to direct the film and Jeremy Slater (Fantastic Four) penned the most recent draft of the script.

Vertigo Entertainment's Roy Lee (Dark Water, The Lake House, Shutter), Lin Pictures' Dan Lin (This Side of the Truth, Sherlock Holmes, The Lego Movie), Viz Productions' Jason Hoffs (Edge of Tomorrow), and actor Masi Oka (Heroes, Hawaii Five-0) are producers. Doug Davison (Dark Water, The Grudge, The Lake House) and Brian Witten (Dark City, American History X, Final Destination) are executive producers, and Niija Kuykendall and Nik Mavinkurve are overseeing the project for Warner.

In the original suspense manga, teenager Light Yagami finds a notebook with which he can put people to death by writing their names and the dictated manners of death. The manga already inspired three live-action films in Japan with a fourth slated for 2016, a television anime with specials, and a stage musical by Broadway veterans. Viz released the manga, live-action films, anime, and other tie-in projects in North America.

Warner Bros. had acquired the rights to the series from previous rights-holder Vertigo Entertainment in 2009. At the time, screenwriter brothers Vlas and Charles Parlapanides were attached to the project. Shane Black (Iron Man 3) and Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk) were previously linked as directors to the project.