Japanese Death Note Movie Releases Messages From Kira

When it comes to the United States, we've only recently embraced Death Note as a source of on-screen entertainment. The beloved manga and anime franchise will soon make its way to Netflix as a television series to the delight of fans. But, in Japan, there are already several successful Death Note live-action adaptations. The country's newest Death Note film is slated to hit theaters later this month, and a set of viral ads now scaring up interest for it.

Death Note: Light Up the NEW World recently uploaded a few teaser clips to its official website which hint that Kira's deadly acts of vengeance aren't over. One of the viral videos show a virus called the 'Kira Virus' taking over someone's phone. The hijacked mobile glitches for a moment before Kira can be seen on-screen, a sight that would scare most people. The late serial killer promises his work isn't over yet, and Kira's disconcerting smile leaves audiences to imagine what his legacy has in store for his unsuspecting victims.

Two teaser adverts were also released: "Panic" and "Justice." The two clips show Tokyo in total chaos as a hi-tech group of information brokers send the metropolis into chaos. Their cyber-terrorism schemes are worsened by the presence of six new Death Notes on Earth, prompting the 'biological successors' of Light Yagami and L to fight over the books.

The upcoming film is a direct sequel to Death Note 2: The Last Name and is set ten years after the film's events. Viewers are introduced to two new characters, Yūki Shien and Ryūzaki. Each are said to have inherited the DNA for Light and L, so the two assume their mentor's crusades and embark on a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to acquire the world's Death Notes. However, other journal seekers and new Shinigamis will certainly impede the pair as they clash in an increasingly chaotic world.

Directed by Shinsuke Sato, Death Note: Light Up The NEW World will see Tatsuya Fujiwara and Ken'ichi Matsuyama reprise their roles as Light and L. It's been nearly eight years since either have suited up as the beloved manga characters, and fans are eager to see their return

The new film, which is being marketed as a "forbidden sequel" to the earlier Death Note films, will explore society's greed and reliance on technology. The film will also rely heavily on the original Death Note manga as one of its crucial plot points revolves around the "Six-Note Rule." The principal states that only six Death Notes can exist on Earth at a time thus limiting the number of Shinigami's to six too. A prequel miniseries to the film debuted earlier last month and all three episodes are on Hulu now.

So, if you're interesting in seeing a live-action take on Death Note, it may be worth binging the Japanese series. The Western take on the franchise won't debut until 2017, but director Adam Wingard promises fans there will be plenty of nudity, swearing, and violence to make the fans' wait worth it.

[H/T] Anime News Network