Remember, remember—HBO is bringing “V for Vendetta” back to screens.
The premium cable network is developing a television adaptation of Alan Moore’s legendary dystopian graphic novel, Variety was first to report, with DC Studios’ James Gunn and Peter Safran attached as executive producers.
Pete Jackson has been tapped to write the series adaptation, while Ben Stephenson will executive produce via Poison Pen and Leanne Klein through Wall to Wall Media, part of Warner Bros. Television Studios UK. Warner Bros. Television will handle production.
From Comic Serial to Cultural Phenomenon
“V for Vendetta” began life as a comic serial penned by Alan Moore with illustrations by David Lloyd, debuting in 1982 in the British anthology “Warrior.” When the magazine folded, DC Comics took over publishing duties in 1988, allowing Moore and Lloyd to complete their vision.
The story unfolds in a dystopian near-future Britain controlled by the fascistic Norsefire party. An anarchist revolutionary known only as V—instantly recognizable by his distinctive Guy Fawkes mask—seeks to topple the totalitarian government with help from Evey Hammond, a young woman he rescues from the country’s secret police. The narrative explores themes of authoritarianism, resistance, individual freedom, and the power of ideas to survive persecution.
Moore’s work has only grown more culturally relevant since its creation, with the Guy Fawkes mask becoming a symbol of protest movements worldwide.
HBO’s Growing DC Studios Partnership
Should “V for Vendetta” move forward, it would join an expanding roster of DC Studios live-action projects finding their home at HBO. The partnership has already proven tremendously successful.
Most notably, the network aired “The Penguin” starring Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti, a drama serving as a direct sequel to Matt Reeves’ “The Batman.” The series became a critical and awards juggernaut, winning nine Emmy Awards including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for Milioti’s chilling performance.
Up next, HBO will premiere “Lanterns,” starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart. While no premiere date has been set, the series is expected to arrive in early 2026.
Interestingly, HBO also aired the critically acclaimed “Watchmen” in 2019—another Alan Moore adaptation, this one serving as a sequel to the original graphic novel Moore created with Dave Gibbons. However, that series predated Gunn and Safran’s 2022 appointment as heads of DC’s film and television operations.
The Writer Behind the Adaptation
Pete Jackson brings impressive credentials to “V for Vendetta.” He previously wrote Channel 4’s “Somewhere Boy,” which aired in 2022 and earned him a BAFTA TV Award nomination for writing for a drama series, while the show itself received a nomination for best drama series.
Jackson is also the creative force behind the upcoming Sky Atlantic series “The Death of Bunny Munro” starring Matt Smith, based on Nick Cave’s novel of the same name. His track record suggests he’s capable of handling complex, character-driven narratives with political undertones—precisely what “V for Vendetta” demands.
The 2005 Film’s Enduring Legacy
“V for Vendetta” was previously adapted as a 2005 feature film starring Hugo Weaving as the masked anarchist and Natalie Portman as Evey. James McTeigue directed from a screenplay by the Wachowskis, who were coming off the massive success of “The Matrix” trilogy.
The film received positive reviews and grossed over $130 million worldwide—solid numbers that understated its cultural impact. Nearly two decades later, it remains a touchstone of political cinema, regularly referenced during periods of social unrest and government overreach.
Warner Bros. clearly recognizes the property’s enduring appeal: the studio plans to bring the film back to theaters in November 2026 to commemorate its 20th anniversary. The theatrical re-release will arrive just as HBO’s series potentially enters production, creating a synergistic moment for the franchise.
Previous Attempts to Bring V to Television
This isn’t the first time “V for Vendetta” has been eyed for the small screen. Channel 4 previously attempted to develop a television adaptation, though that project ultimately failed to materialize.
More intriguingly, the HBO Max/Epix series “Pennyworth”—which followed Bruce Wayne’s famous butler Alfred during his youth in 1960s London—was originally intended to serve as a prequel to “V for Vendetta.” The show’s alternate-history Britain was meant to eventually connect to the dystopian fascist state depicted in Moore’s work. However, “Pennyworth” was canceled after three seasons before that ambitious narrative thread could be fully explored.
With DC Studios now directly involved and HBO’s resources behind the project, “V for Vendetta” has perhaps its best chance yet at a successful television adaptation.
Why Now? The Political Resonance
While no official statements have addressed the timing, it’s impossible to ignore how Moore’s 1980s cautionary tale about fascism, surveillance states, and the erosion of civil liberties resonates powerfully in 2025. The themes Moore explored—government overreach, the manipulation of fear for political control, the power of propaganda, and the moral complexities of violent resistance—feel unnervingly contemporary.
The Guy Fawkes mask has transcended its fictional origins to become a real-world symbol of protest, worn by activists from Occupy Wall Street to Anonymous to demonstrations against authoritarian regimes worldwide. A television adaptation arriving now would inevitably engage with these connections between fiction and reality.
The Challenge Ahead
Adapting Alan Moore’s work for screen has always been controversial. The notoriously curmudgeonly writer has disowned virtually every adaptation of his creations, including both the “V for Vendetta” and “Watchmen” films, as well as the “Watchmen” series despite its critical acclaim.
Moore’s dense, layered storytelling and philosophical depth don’t always translate smoothly to visual media. The 2005 film, while successful, necessarily simplified and altered aspects of the source material—changes that drew criticism from purists even as the movie found mainstream success.
A television format offers advantages the film couldn’t: time to develop characters, explore thematic complexity, and build the oppressive world of Norsefire Britain in detail. But it also raises the stakes. With potentially multiple seasons to work with, expectations will be higher for fidelity to Moore’s vision while making the material accessible to contemporary audiences unfamiliar with the source material.
What to Expect
Details remain scarce at this early development stage. We don’t know if the series will maintain the story’s British setting, whether it will modernize elements for contemporary viewers, or how closely Jackson’s adaptation will hew to Moore’s original narrative versus creating something inspired by but distinct from the source.
What seems certain is that HBO, DC Studios, and the creative team recognize they’re handling a cultural touchstone. The Guy Fawkes mask is iconic. The story’s themes are timeless. The pressure to deliver something worthy of the property’s legacy will be immense.
With James Gunn and Peter Safran’s track record at DC Studios—which has included both critical hits like “The Penguin” and the upcoming “Lanterns”—and Pete Jackson’s demonstrated ability to handle complex drama, “V for Vendetta” is in capable hands.
Whether this latest attempt to bring V’s revolution to television succeeds where previous efforts failed remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: remember, remember, HBO is betting big that audiences are ready to return to the world of Guy Fawkes masks, authoritarian Britain, and the timeless battle between freedom and control.
The question now isn’t whether the story remains relevant—it clearly does. The question is whether this adaptation can capture what makes Moore’s original work so powerful while finding something new to say for the world we’re living in now.
