Much like what they did with “Watchmen,” this was bound to happen.
Nearly twenty years after its film release, “V for Vendetta”—a film about political anxiety, surveillance, and polarization—is being developed into a series by HBO and DCU’s James Gunn, Peter Safran, and Chad King. They clearly see the relevance in rebooting this IP for TV (via Variety).
The series is currently being written by Pete Jackson, a BAFTA winner for “Somewhere Boy.” No word yet on the director(s) involved, and no casting announcements have been made. We also don’t know how faithful the story will be—or if HBO will be pulling another “Watchmen” on us, which took creative liberties with the source material to make it more relevant to modern audiences.
With “V For Vendetta,” there is no need to make it more relevant. If anything, the source material is as prescient as ever. Created by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, it tells the story of a masked revolutionary who challenges a dystopian, authoritarian Britain dominated by surveillance, propaganda, and political paranoia. Its imagery—most notably the Guy Fawkes mask—has moved beyond the comic to become a symbol for 21st-century protest movements.
Of course, it turned into a very good 2005 film, directed by James McTeigue and starring Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman. The Wachowskis wrote the script. The film earned strong reviews upon release, but its subsequent home release is what built its fanbase. The film has been a mainstay on the IMDb Top 250 for many years and currently holds an impressive 8.1 score among users of the site.
In fact, the impact “V for Vendetta” has had on the zeitgeist has been strong enough for Warner Bros. to re-release the film in theaters in November 2026 for its 20th anniversary.
By my count, there have been five Moore stories turned into movies — “V For Vendetta,” “Watchmen,” “From Hell,” “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” and “Constantine.” Moore has consistently refused to be involved with film adaptations of his work and often disavows them.
So, do we think HBO/DCU greenlighting “V for Vendetta” is a good idea? The 2005 film was 130 minutes long, and although Moore and Lloyd’s graphic novel felt more fully fleshed out, it was strong enough that I don’t necessarily think an eight- or ten-episode series is needed.