" the studios initially wanted to give the main character Light Yagami a new background story to explain his downward spiral as a villain. The new background would have had a friend of Light murdered when he was young. When Light obtains the Death Note - a notebook with which he can put people to death by writing their names - he uses it to seek vengeance"

This really makes me cringe. This is precisely the sort of thinking that gave us so many mediocre/bad movies. Only someone who has no idea of what the story is about could suggest such a crude alteration of the story. And for what? Do they really think the movie would be better because of it? Or at least draw more audience?

Anyway it's great that the director managed to hold off these changes, I saw Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and it was absolutely great so I'm anxious to see what he'll make of it :)