Let’s be real for a second. Mentioning the 2017 Netflix adaptation of Death Note usually triggers one of two reactions: a frustrated sigh from anime purists or a shrug from casual viewers who thought it was a decent, if messy, supernatural thriller. Yet, despite the massive backlash from the core fanbase over "whitewashing" and major changes to Light Turner’s character, the movie was a massive viewership hit for Netflix. Ted Sarandos even called it a "sizeable" success. That’s exactly why the Death Note 2 film became an inevitability rather than a possibility.
But where is it?
We’ve been hearing whispers about a follow-up for years. Fans have gone from excitement to skepticism and now, frankly, to exhaustion. If you're looking for a release date, you aren't going to find a solid one on a calendar yet. This project has been stuck in the gears of Hollywood development for a while, and the landscape has changed significantly since Ryuk first offered up that notebook in Seattle.
What’s actually happening with the Death Note 2 film?
The story of the sequel is really a story of shifting gears. Originally, the plan was simple. Greg Russo, the writer behind the Mortal Kombat reboot, was brought on to pen the script. He spent a good chunk of time reassuring fans on social media that he wanted to lean closer to the source material. He talked about "resetting" the tone. He wanted it to be a proper sequel that fixed the mistakes of the first one while keeping the story moving.
Then, things got quiet. Really quiet.
The silence broke in a way nobody expected. In 2022, Netflix announced a massive deal with Upside Down Pictures—the production company founded by the Duffer Brothers of Stranger Things fame. Part of that deal? A brand new, live-action Death Note series.
Wait. A series?
This is where things get muddy. For a long time, industry insiders wondered if the Death Note 2 film was being scrapped in favor of the Duffer Brothers' project. Honestly, it makes sense. The Duffers know how to handle "the upside down" and supernatural horror. But as of now, the film sequel and the series are technically being treated as separate entities. The movie sequel is still listed as "in development" at various production hubs, though the momentum has clearly shifted toward the Duffer Brothers' vision.
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Why the first movie failed the fans (and why the sequel matters)
To understand why the Death Note 2 film is taking so long, you have to look at the mess it’s trying to clean up. The 2017 film moved the setting from Tokyo to Seattle. It turned Light Yagami—a cold, calculating, god-complex genius—into Light Turner, a whiny teenager who seemed to be doing everything just to impress a girl.
L, played by Lakeith Stanfield, was probably the best part of the movie, but even he ended up in a weird emotional spiral that didn't fit the character's analytical roots.
The fans weren't just mad about the location. They were mad about the soul of the story. Death Note is supposed to be a high-stakes game of chess. The 2017 movie felt more like a game of checkers where someone occasionally flips the board. If the Death Note 2 film ever sees the light of day, it has a massive mountain to climb. It has to win back the trust of a demographic that feels burned.
Writers like Russo have hinted that the sequel would look at the "global" impact of the Note. It’s a big world. Maybe we see other notebooks? Maybe we see a version of Light that has finally lost his mind?
Who is actually involved at this point?
This is the part where we have to be careful with "confirmed" versus "likely."
Willem Dafoe is the soul of this franchise. His voice acting as Ryuk was the undisputed highlight of the first film. It’s hard to imagine Netflix moving forward with a Death Note 2 film without him. Dafoe has expressed interest in returning to the character because, well, he basically is Ryuk. The physical performance of the Shinigami in the first film was a mix of a suit-actor and CGI, but Dafoe’s rasp provided the life.
As for the human cast:
- Nat Wolff (Light): His return is a question mark. The ending of the first film left him in a hospital bed, outsmarting his father but still very much in the crosshairs.
- Lakeith Stanfield (L): He is a much bigger star now than he was in 2017. Getting him back might be expensive, but his version of L was the only one that felt like it had layers worth exploring.
- Margaret Qualley (Mia): Spoilers for a seven-year-old movie—she’s dead. Unless there’s a supernatural flashback or some Shinigami trickery, don't expect her back.
Director Adam Wingard has been busy. Very busy. Between Godzilla vs. Kong and its sequels, his schedule exploded. This is often the real reason movies die in development. It’s not that people don't want to make them; it’s that the people who can make them are busy making $500 million monster movies.
The Duffer Brothers Factor
You can't talk about the Death Note 2 film without talking about the Stranger Things creators. Their involvement changed the math. Usually, when a big-name creator takes over a "property," the old projects get cleared away.
However, Netflix loves franchises. They love "universes." It is entirely possible they want a cinematic world where a movie sequel wraps up the Light Turner story while a new series starts fresh with a more faithful adaptation of the manga. Think of it like how DC has multiple Batmans running around. It’s confusing, sure, but it keeps the content machine humming.
The core conflict: Faithful vs. Original
The biggest hurdle for the Death Note 2 film is deciding what it wants to be.
Does it try to adapt the second half of the manga? You know, the part with Near and Mello?
That’s a tough sell. Near and Mello are polarizing even among hardcore fans. Trying to jam them into a sequel to a movie that already moved away from the source material feels like a recipe for disaster.
The better move? Go entirely original.
The concept of a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it is a universal hook. It doesn't need to be tied to the specific plot beats of the anime anymore. The sequel could follow a completely different person who finds the book after Light Turner. It could be a psychological horror about the corruption of power in the social media age. Imagine a Kira who doesn't use TV broadcasts but uses viral leaks to judge people.
That’s the kind of direction that might actually get people excited.
What you should actually expect next
Don't hold your breath for a trailer this year.
The Death Note 2 film is currently in a "wait and see" mode. With the Duffer Brothers series being the priority for the brand, the film sequel is likely sitting on a shelf as a polished script waiting for a production window. If the series is a massive hit, Netflix might fast-track the movie to capitalize on the hype. If the series flops, they might bury the movie forever.
Here is the reality of the situation:
- The script exists. Greg Russo confirmed he finished a draft.
- The interest is there. Netflix's internal data shows that Death Note (2017) still gets consistent views.
- The delay is logistical. It’s about finding the right time to release it alongside the new series.
Actionable steps for fans of the franchise
If you are dying for more Death Note content and the wait for the Death Note 2 film is killing you, there are better ways to spend your time than refreshing IMDb.
- Watch the Japanese Live-Action Films: If you haven't seen the 2006 Japanese adaptations (Death Note and Death Note: The Last Name), go find them. They are much more faithful and, honestly, Tatsuya Fujiwara’s Light is terrifying.
- Read the "C-Kira" and "a-Kira" One-Shots: Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata released new manga chapters years after the series ended. They deal with a modern world where the Note exists, and they are brilliant.
- Keep an eye on Netflix Tudum: This is where the big announcements happen. If a teaser for the sequel or the Duffer series drops, it’ll be there first.
- Revisit the 2017 film with a different lens: Try watching it not as a Death Note adaptation, but as a standalone supernatural slasher. It actually works much better that way.
The Death Note 2 film remains one of those "zombie projects" in Hollywood. It isn't quite dead, but it isn't fully alive either. Until cameras start rolling, all we have is the hope that the next time Ryuk drops his notebook, the person who picks it up knows exactly what they're doing.