V for Vendetta (film)

V for Vendetta
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	James McTeigue
Screenplay by	The Wachowskis[a]
Based on	V for Vendetta by David Lloyd[b]
Produced by	Joel Silver Grant Hill The Wachowskis[c]
Starring	Natalie Portman Hugo Weaving Stephen Rea John Hurt
Cinematography	Adrian Biddle
Edited by	Martin Walsh
Music by	Dario Marianelli
Production companies	Silver Pictures Virtual Studios Studio Babelsberg Vertigo DC Comics Anarchos Productions, Inc.
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures[1]
Release dates	11 December 2005 (2005-12-11) (Butt-Numb-A-Thon) 17 March 2006 (2006-03-17) (United States)
Running time	133 minutes[2]
Countries	Germany[3][1] United Kingdom United States
Language	English
Budget	$50–54 million[4][5]
Box office	$134.7 million[4]

V for Vendetta is a 2005 dystopian political action film directed by James McTeigue (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by the Wachowskis.^[a] It is based on the 1988–89 DC Vertigo Comics limited series of the same title by Alan Moore, David Lloyd, and Tony Weare. The film, set in a future where a fascist totalitarian regime has subjugated the UK, centres on V (portrayed by Hugo Weaving), an anarchist and masked freedom fighter who attempts to ignite a revolution through elaborate terrorist acts, and on Evey Hammond (portrayed by Natalie Portman), a young woman caught up in V's mission. Stephen Rea portrays a detective leading a desperate quest to stop V.

Produced by Silver Pictures, Virtual Studios and Anarchos Productions, Inc., V for Vendetta was originally scheduled for release by Warner Bros. Pictures on 4 November 2005 (a day before the 400th Guy Fawkes Night), but was delayed; it instead opened in the United States on 17 March 2006, to mostly positive reviews from critics and became a box office success, grossing $134 million against a production budget between $50-54 million. Alan Moore, dissatisfied with the film adaptations of his other works, From Hell (2001) and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), declined to watch the film and asked to not be credited or paid royalties.

Some political groups have seen V for Vendetta as an allegory of oppression by government; anarchists have used it to promote their beliefs. The film is credited for popularizing the use of the Guy Fawkes mask by anti-establishment political groups and activities; David Lloyd stated: "The Guy Fawkes mask has now become a common brand and a convenient placard to use in protest against tyranny—and I'm happy with people using it, it seems quite unique, an icon of popular culture being used this way."^[6]

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