A beloved adaptation of one of Alan Moore‘s greatest works just made the move to a new streaming home. And it is just at the right time.
On Oct. 1, V for Vendetta became the latest comic book adaptation to join the Paramount+ streaming library. The fan-favorite action thriller made its way to the platform with numerous other genre hits, ranging from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street to Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.
What V for Vendetta Is All About — And Why Its Creator Won’t Watch It
V for Vendetta was directed by James McTeigue from a screenplay by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, which was itself adapted from Alan Moore, David Lloyd, and Tony Weare’s classic comic book series of the same name. Set in a dystopian Britain in the not-so-far-flung-future, V for Vendetta follows Evey Hammond, portrayed by Natalie Portman, an employee at the state-run television network BTN who is rescued from a police assault by the masked vigilante known only as V, played by Hugo Weaving.
Over the course of the film, V embarks upon a one-man-war against the Norsefire political party that has turned Britain into a fascist and totalitarian state. Apart from dismantling and striking back against the government-sanctioned propaganda machine that keeps the masses in check as much as it can, V makes literal strikes against the power structures that prop it up. V also shows Evey the extent of his efforts, which ultimately result in a mass uprising against the government.
Along with Weaving and Portman, V for Vendetta boasts a stacked cast including Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, Rupert Graves, Roger Allam, Ben Miles, Tim Pigott-Smith, and John Hurt. The film also features appearances by Guy Henry, Clive Ashborn, Eddie Marsan, John Standing, Natasha Wightman, Imogen Poots, and Sinéad Cusack.
Upon its release, V for Vendetta was met with generally favorable reviews from critics and widespread acclaim on the part of audiences. Unfortunately, Alan Moore was adamant that, after the disappointment he felt watching the adaptations of League of Extraordinary Gentleman and From Hell, he would never take the time to watch V for Vendetta for himself.
V for Vendetta Was Almost a Very Different Film
Back in March, during the 20th anniversary celebration of V for Vendetta‘s widespread theatrical release, director James McTeigue opened up about not just the film’s development, but the way its final sequence came into form. McTeigue noted that he has no desire to “go back and change anything,” and that he “made the best movie that I could make.”
“I filmed the whole thing. It was a long script. It was probably like 130, 138 pages, I think it was. I filmed it all,” McTeigue added. The director went on to recall, “We did have a bit of a different ending right up until we shot all the people in masks in the street that all converge on the Houses of Parliament. And it was a last-minute thing to bring back some of the people who had been killed in the story beforehand.”
V for Vendetta is currently available for streaming on Paramount+. V for Vendetta returns to select theaters on Nov. 1 and Nov. 5.
- Release Date
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February 23, 2006
- Runtime
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132 minutes
- Director
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James McTeigue
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Hugo Weaving
V / William Rookwood
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