L: Change the World

VIZ Media is building on the psychological suspense of the popular Death Note series with the release of Death Note: L, Change the World, a new novel featuring the master detective from the hit animated and manga series. In this updated storyline detective L's name has been placed in a Death Note. He has twenty-three days to bring a terrorist group to justice, or they will use a deadly new virus to change the world...by killing off most of humanity.

When it comes to DVD releases, August 18th marks a week of threes. We get the third chapter in the Death Note series, the third season of "Dexter", a re-release of the first three Final Destination flicks, three Icons of Sci-Fi, and a trio of zombies.

Viz Pictures announced today that the final chapter in its popular Death Note live action series, L, Change the World, directed by the legendary Hideo Nakata, will be hitting DVD on August 18th.

Still on the fence as to whether or not you want to attend the two-night only theatrical event for Death Note: L, Change the World? Well, how about if you can watch the first 10 minutes and then snag a pair of tickets for Wednesday, April 29th's subtitled screening?

As a reminder to keep next week's two-night only theatrical event for Death Note: L, Change the World in the forefront of everyone's mind, Viz Pictures has prepared a trailer and is offering Dread Central readers a chance to win tickets.

As you may remember, Death Note: L, Change the World will be shown theatrically during a limited two-night, multi-city run on April 29th and 30th, 2009. Thanks to VIZ Pictures and Trans World Entertainment, you can take part in a special giveaway campaign at participating F.Y.E. and Suncoast stores to receive a free ticket to attend the English-dubbed screening on April 30th (while supplies last).

As they did with the first two Death Note live action films, Viz Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC, that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced that it will team with NCM Fathom to present Death Note: L, Change the World in a limited two-night, multi-city event on April 29th and 30th.

Someday, when I’m finally as rich as I deserve to be, I won’t have to make these decisions about what to focus my energy on during the month of July. This year it was a toss up between San Diego Comic Con and Fantasia and, sadly, it looks like Comic Con’s winning.

In a story over on Twitch about the English-subtitled DVD release of L: Change the World in Hong Kong, my ocular organs ran across a full plot synopsis for the film, which I realized I had never read before. We’ve been reporting on the Death Note sequel/spin-off for months now, but never actually knew what it was about. Strange.

The New York Asian Film Festival just announced this year’s lineup, and for horror fans there’s quite a bit to choose from, as usual. The fest will go down this June 20th–July 3rd at the IFC Center, then carry over from July 3rd–6th at the Japan Society.

I know most of you reading this who want to see Hideo Nakata’s L: Change the World, the sequel to the Death Note movies, will want to kick me for this, but what can you do? It’s Asian, damnit; I can't help where it chooses to play next...

It’s too bad U.S. audiences haven’t gotten a chance to see the Death Note movies yet; while they’re certainly not straightforward horror movies, they are very cool manga adaptations and offer an alternative to those who are sick to death of typical “J-horror”.

Since the project was announced we’ve been referring to L as a prequel to the Death Note films; this was inaccurate and for that we apologize. The person who supplied us with that information will be thoroughly punished, don’t worry.

Still waiting for release news on the Death Note movies here in the States? So are we ... Now we’re closer to another Death Note movie we’ll have to wait for info on, the Hideo Nakata-helmed prequel L, which has been silent for a while, too ("Death Note Prequel Helmer Named!" – April 2007)

We're still anxiously awaiting news regarding a U.S. release of Shusuke Kaneko's two amazing Death Note (review) films, which pumped some much needed life back into the J-horror scene last year.