Warner Bros. has picked up the Japanese manga series Death Note and plans to develop into a live-action film.

According to Variety, the studio has set screenwriters Charley and Vlas Parlapanides to adapt.

The story centers on a college student who accidentally finds a misplaced "death note," infusing him with the power to kill merely by writing anyone's name on the page while picturing the person in his mind.

The 13-volume manga is a bestseller in Japan, and the film will be drawn from the first three installments, written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata for Shueisha Inc.

No production date has been set.