A Death Note character poster for Margaret Qualley's Mia has dropped courtesy of the Netflix adaptation's director, Adam Wingard. Based on the anime and manga series of the same name, Death Note tells the story of Light, a young man who happens across a notebook that will kill anyone whose name is written inside. As Light begins to put his new power to use, the authorities - led by the enigmatic L - begin to investigate the sudden spate of unexplained deaths occurring in the city.
Ahead of its release next month, promotional material for Death Note is coming thick and fast, with character posters for Light (Nat Wolff), L (Lakeith Stanfield) and Ryuk (Willem Dafoe) already being revealed previously. The Death Note trailer has also set off heated debates, due to the significant alterations the Western adaptation has made, especially the decision to change the setting and characters from Japanese to North American.
Director Adam Wingard has now unveiled the fourth character poster in the movie's marketing campaign, this time focusing on Mia (Margaret Qualley). Mia is based on the original character of Misa Amane, a pop idol who becomes infatuated with Light and eventually turns into a key part of his self-appointed mission to eradicate crime.
The poster is stylistically similar to the others released thus far and is likely the final in the series, with the central characters now more or less covered. The graffiti-like scrawls of "Justice" and "Kira" are a clear indication of her affiliation in the movie and the image also includes a few other possible hints towards Mia's story in the film - which won't be revealed here to avoid spoilers.
In terms of the controversy the Netflix adaptation of Death Note has attracted, it should perhaps be noted that Mia is a particular bone of contention among fans of the anime and manga. The original character of Misa was deeply rooted in Japanese culture and therefore, it appears as if the young girl will be one of the most drastically-altered figures in the new movie. Some would argue that such changes take away from the original intentions and spirit of the story.
On the other hand, it is somewhat unrealistic to expect a Western adaptation of a Japanese story to stick rigidly to the source material - and judging from the footage seen in the trailer, the new Death Note will at least be an improvement upon other anime to live-action adaptations such as Dragon Ball: Evolution and Avatar: The Last Airbender.
NEXT: Why Netflix's Death Note Trailer Disappointed Fans
Source: Adam Wingard
