....
[July 27th, 2010]
....
Regal sat over his desk, surrounded by stacks of reference materials and scattered notes.
It had been over three weeks since he had returned from the UK.
His eyes were fixed on the two script drafts displayed on his laptop, the result of three grueling weeks of work.
His workspace was a ss, but it would have been worse if it weren't for soone's work - anyway he didn't like to be bothered with sothing like that now.
On the screen, the drafts sat side by side, demanding his attention.
One was labeled [Trash].
The other is [Decent].
The first was precisely what its na suggested - the exact copy version of the Netflix's [Death Note] movie script he had received from the system.
Other than the changed US setting and a few nas, it was an exact copy - not a period, not a comma out of place, and that was the problem.
For now, he moved on.
Instead, he clicked open the second file.
This version was different. It is written from the ground up, and also it resembled the ani version far more closely than the live-action script ever did.
He had to rely on his mory, his [Writer] skill, and no small amount of sheer creativity to reconstruct step by step as faithfully as possible.
Thus began the process of conceptualizing the scenes, characters, their relationships, background, and their motives, piecing them together sensibly, and ensuring every crucial mont hit just as it should.
It took him nearly two weeks and three days to get satisfied with the version.
He only stopped when everything felt right. Or at least, it would have - if not for one glaring issue.
Regal's eyes flicked to the page count at the bottom of the screen.
[Script Length: 312 Pages]
He exhaled sharply, rubbing his chin.
Three and a half hours. That's the estimated runti of the film if shot as it is.
Obviously, that was too long - for example [Following] final draft was exactly [115] pages. And, no feature film could afford that runti, not unless he wanted to gamble on a duology movie, which he wasn't very keen on options for him.
He needed to cut it down to [120] pages at the very least - and that ant making tough choices.
"Alright." Regal murmured, pulling up his notes. "What has to stay?"
The non-negotiables.
The plot and scenes made the story what it was.
....
And just like that, the real work began.
He trimd off any scenes that didn't leave any impact or help the plot move forward or the main characters' establishnts.
Similarly, his eyes flicked across the pages of his script, scanning for the monts that defined the story - the ones that couldn't be sacrificed.
Light's first kill - His rebirth as Kira.
There is sothing spellbinding about his breakdown mont - the tension, his mistrust of the power of the book and its claims, but clear intrigue to try it, and finally, the sheer gravity when he realized that it was indeed real.
In addition, the fact that there is an eerie creature - Ryuk, claiming to be Shinigami, following him around.
Regal believed it would be the final nail for the audience to be completely imrsed in the movie's dark and twisted the it set and will continue to follow - without these, the entire foundation of the story would deteriorate.
He tapped his fingers on the table as he even began to imagine the iconic background score as he suddenly jumped onto another iconic scene - the potato chip mont.
It had beco a , but beyond that, it was a masterclass in deception, a perfect showcase of Light's cunningness and his ability to notice the slightest changes in his surroundings while adapting to the most disadvantageous situation of being watched in his own room.
If done right, it could be one of the most gripping monts of the film.
Opps, I got carried away. Regal thought of checking himself back and returned to defining the plot of the whole film.
Light and L - their first encounter.
Kira vs. L - their first confrontation through the television.
Their battle of wits was the very heart of [Death Note]. At least one major showdown between them had to be kept intact, preferably one that captured their ever-escalating psychological warfare.
Then ca Naomi Misora's death - one of the tensest, most thrilling monts in the series, a testant to Light's ruthlessness and brilliance.
There were a few more key monts, but those were the ones he knew, without a doubt, had to stay.
His fingers did not hesitate as he started typing, shaping a version of the script that kept the essence of [Death Note] intact while cutting away the excess.
The focus would be sharp - Light and L's psychological chess match. The moral ambiguity of Light's actions would remain front and center, forcing the audience to constantly question where their sympathies should lie.
With that settled, he turned to what needed to be revised.
The subplots - few arcs involving secondary characters like Misa, Near, and llo - would have to be compressed or restructured.
The ani had the luxury of ti, but a film couldn't afford to stray too far from the central narrative. Filler interactions, no matter how charming or atmospheric, had to go. Anything that didn't push the plot forward would only slow things down.
The sa went for the extended investigations. While they added depth in the proceedings, the film demanded a much tighter pace.
As the process continued, Regal found himself growing more confident.
This version should work - of course, there is still a lot to do.
The reason most adaptations, not just ani, in general, and most any form of adaptations fail - he knew, not only due to poor execution -
It was the overwhelming shadow of their original counterparts.
Similarly, the [Death Note], even before it was released, received a negative response from a section of fans due to their streak of corrupting the original ...and unfortunately their fears ca true.
The original had already set the bar so impossibly high, it left the live-action version to struggle beneath the weight of expectation, marginally falling short of the vision fans held in their minds.
But in this world?
There was no [Death Note].
aning, no decades of nostalgia centing a definitive version in people's hearts or a towering standard Regal had to match.
That alone lifted half the weight from his shoulders. In fact, this drove him to make it even more of a masterpiece.
His eyes flicked to the clock, still a few hours until midnight.
He could feel the dull pull of the heaviness of his eyelids creeping in, but resting now or breaking his current streak wasn't an option.
There was too much left to do and for so reason he felt like he could do it now regardless of the exhaustion. Pressing his back against his chair, he stood, stretched, and chewed a chocolate bar to shake off the stiffness.
The city lights outside flickered against the window, a faint glow spilling into the dim room.
Not monts later, after trying out different postures, he sat down again, fingers hovering over the keyboard as he imrsed himself in the script.
He began fine-tuning the pacing, ensuring each scene transitioned seamlessly into the next.
Now, all that remained was ensuring the script fit a tight two-hour runti.
Every scene, every line had to serve a purpose. Nothing wasted. The pacing had to be relentless, tension building with each mont, driving the story forward without a single misstep.
In his mind, he could visually see all the scenes all unfolding .
Light's calm, calculating deanor.
L's unorthodox yet razor-sharp thods.
Ryuk's detached amusent as he watched everything spiral into chaos.
The world of [Death Note] was vivid in his mind, and as the hours passed in a blur, he worked tirelessly to bring it to life.
....
Regal was so focused that he didn't notice a new icon popping up on his [System] panel.
It lingered there for a second, blinking expectantly, before he brushed it off without a second thought. He wasn't in a state to check anything else.
Not now. His only priority was writing.
....
When he finally looked up, the first rays of dawn were breaking over the horizon.
The dim glow of his laptop screen paled against the soft golden light spilling into the room. His fingers slowed down, moving for a mont before completely halting, muscles stiff from hours of typing.
The script was coming together, and the rough edges were smoothing out, piece by piece.
It wasn't perfect yet, but it was beginning to take shape - not just as a story, but as an experience he wanted the audience to feel.
"...So, done?" A voice broke the silence.
?!..!!Regal snapped his head toward the sound.
Gwendolyn stood by the door, arms crossed, one brow slightly raised.
There was sothing in her hand... a script? Regal thought, but she closed the file and set it aside, her focus entirely on him.
"Wha–no, when did you even get here?" He was caught off guard by her sudden appearance, pushed back his chair and rubbed the drowsiness from his eyes as he stood up.
He saved the file with a slow breath before stepping away from his desk. His back ached from sitting too long, but the sight of her standing there made him forget the fatigue for a mont. With a small, tired smile, he walked over to the other side of the table - toward her.
As soon as he was within reach, she wrapped her arms around him in a warm, lingering hug.
Regal didn't hesitate to return the gesture.
"...you look a little worried?" After a mont, he murmured into her ear while studying her reaction.
.
....
[To be continued...]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
Author Note:
Visit Patreon to instantly access 1 Chapter for free, available to Free mbers as well.
For additional content, please do support and gain access to 10 more Chapters.
–> /OrgoWriters
User Comments
0 comments from readers