V for Vendetta, the iconic dystopian graphic novel, is reportedly making a significant return to the screen. While DC’s James Gunn and Peter Safran are currently developing the new DC Universe movie “Gods and Monsters.” Gunn and Safran’s next reported project will revive the classic character “V”. The character has not appeared on-screen since the 2005 film adaptation.
Variety reports that DC Studios is developing a “V for Vendetta” TV series for HBO, with James Gunn and Peter Safran set to executive produce. The series will be written by Pete Jackson, a BAFTA Award-nominated writer known for the British series “Somewhere Boy.“
The core narrative of “V for Vendetta “remains a timeless and politically resonant tale. Set in Britain, the story depicts a nation under the iron fist of the fascist Norsefire party. The Protagonist in the story is a mysterious anarchist known only as “V, who wears a Guy Fawkes mask and strives to ignite a revolution to collapse the totalitarian government. “V” is joined by Evey Hammond. She is a young woman whom he rescues from the country’s secret police force, known as The Fingermen.
The property is based on the seminal 1982 comic series by writer Alan Moore and illustrator David Lloyd. The executive production team for the new series includes Ben Stephenson of Poison Pen and Leanne Klein of Wall to Wall Media, which is part of Warner Bros. Television Studios UK. Warner Bros. Television is set to produce.
The last on-screen adaptation, the 2005 film starring Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman as “V” and Evey, was helmed by James McTeigue and written by the Wachowskis. The film was a critical success at the time, grossing $134.7 million worldwide.
This marks the second attempt to adapt “V for Vendetta” for television. An effort by Britain’s Channel 4 was reported in 2017 but never materialized.
Given the themes of authoritarianism and resistance, and its status as a stand-alone property, the new HBO series is likely to fall under DC Studios’ “Elseworlds” banner, separate from the continuity of Gunn’s main DC Universe. This aligns with HBO’s successful track record of producing bold, prestige adaptations of DC properties, such as the critically acclaimed 2019 series “Watchmen.”
Here’s a glimpse of the film’s trailer to give you an idea of what the series might look like. You can watch the movie now on Apple TV, Fandango, Prime Video, and Plex.
