GOD OF DEATH ARRIVES IN JAPAN

Variety reports that the Nippon TV network and Warner Bros. Japan, the companies that teamed on the Shusuke Kaneko DEATH NOTE duo playing this weekend at the New York Asian Film Festival, are reteaming on the similarly themed SHINIGAMI NO SEIDO (ACCURACY OF THE GOD OF DEATH), which begins rolling soon for a spring 2008 release. Asian star Takeshi (HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS) Kaneshiro (pictured) stars in the title role of a Grim Reaper type who follows his targets for a week in order to decide whether they should die. (In the DEATH NOTE films, notebooks used by similar characters to end people’s lives fall into the hands of humans.) Masaya Kakehi is directing GOD OF DEATH, which is based on the novel of the same title by Kotaro Isaka; Manami (RETRIBUTION) Konishi also stars.

Nippon TV is also producing a DEATH NOTE spinoff called “L,” with Kenichi Matsuyama starring and RINGU veteran Hideo Nakata at the helm; shooting starts next month for release in the first half of next year.