Released in 2005, V For Vendetta was a high concept thriller based on the legendary Alan Moore and David Lloyd's graphic novel series of the same name. Set in a near dystopian future where a neo-fascist British Parliament controls a totalitarian England, a masked freedom fighter named V (Hugo Weaving) tries to start a revol🌱ution by blowing up parts of London and eliminating political figures. A young woman named Evey (a fantastic Natalie Portman) gets caught up in V's plans as Scotland Yard Detective Eric Finch (Stephen Rea) tries to stop the masked hero from causing more chaos. The film was very much about rising up against oppressive governments and illustrated what it's like when the government rules the people and uses its power to help♋ only those who are wealthy or in high positions in life. Very similar to how things are at present.
Although it made a big impact during its first weekend on the big screen, V For Vendetta quic🎃kly fell away a🌺fter reviews were middling and writer Alan Moore refused to be associated with the project. Thankfully the film found an audience on DVD and has gone on to become a cult favorite.
As with any film of this nature and scale, the production of V For Vendetta was full of secrets and on-set antics many people are unaware of. Fro♔m the film's long and storied path from comic to script to film through to protests during the film,s releases, there are many hidden facts about the film that most fans aren't aware of. This article will look at 25 secrets about the film and hopefully enlighten you on some of the on-set going ons and mysteries surrounding the film.
25 A Totally Rad Ide𒐪a
After its release in 1988, V For Vendetta was highly praised by critics and comic book lovers, continuing Alan Moore's hot streak. As has become a regular thing with his work, Hollywood quickly came calling and wanted to produce a film based upon the series. For his part, Moore did his best to distance himself from any recreation of his work. The first crack at writing the screenplay surprisingly went to Hilary Henkin, whose biggest success to date was the Patrick Swayze classic Road House. Henkin's script was apparently a little too over the top for most studios. It was said to have ditched the majority of the major themes seen in the comic with a 1993 article by the describing the script as "Les Miserables meets A Clockwork Orange."
The script entered development heck for over 10 years as it went throไugh various changes from different writers as multiple studios passed. At one point, actor Kenneth Branagh was attached to direct but he soon fell by the wayside like so many others before him. Eventually, the Wachowski siblings got involved and the film finally went inܫto production in 2005 and was released the next year to a mixed reception.
24 ꦍ Before The Matrix 𒀰
As described above, V For Vendetta was lost in development darkness for a decade as multiple studios passed on the wacky script by Hilary Henkin. It wasn't until the script fell into the hands of the Wachowski siblings that the ball finally started to roll on turning the comic series into a film. Lana and Lily Wachowski acquired the rights to the film in the late 90s and set about writing their own version of the series. Ditching Henkin's script, the duo adapted V for a modern audience, writing a script that was much closer to the original source material while incorporating modern events. They were both big fans of Moore's work and the story and wanted to 🔯keep the film as close to his൲ original idea as possible.
With the script completed and ready to film the Wachowski's put it on the back burner when their passion project The Matrix got the green light. This film quickly consumed their every waking hour and V was pushed to the side as the siblings shot not only The Matrix but its sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Although they really wanted to make V after the time and energy spent on The Matrix trilogy the Wachowski's wanted a break from directing and decided to offer th🦩e script to little known Australian James McTeigue.
23 Not A Fan Of The Film ꧂
Alan Moore has been responsible for some of the best graphic novels and comic series of the past forty years but if there's one thing the bearded genius isn't keen on it's his work being adapted for the big screen. After adaptations of From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen turned out to be horrible and hard to watch, Moore made it clear to everyone he wasn't keen on his property being turned into large-scale film projects. When he discovered V For Vendetta was next in🌜 line for a makeover, Moore was extremely outspoken about his thoughts on the film and surrendered all the money he made from the film to illustrator David Lloyd, who was happy with the final results.
When V was finally released, Moore was quite vocal in his hatred for the film and the way the producers had "Americanized" his ideas.
Speaking with about the screenplay for V, Moore didn't hold back. "[The movie] has been turned into a Bush-era parable by people too timid to set a political satire in their own country. ... It's a thwarted and frustrated and largely impotent American liberal fantasy of someone with American liberal values standing up against a state run by neoconservatives – which is not what the comic V for Vendetta was about. It was about fascism, it was about anarchy, it was about England🍃." It's safe to say Moore wasn't a fan of the final ﷺproduct.
22 Character Changes Frꦰom The Comics To The Film
While Alan Moore's main problem with the film adaptation of V For Vendetta had to do with the themes of his story being dulled down and changed, he probably wasn't too happy about the changes the Wachowski siblings made to the characters in the script. V is the story's main protagonist and a numꦗber of changes were made to his character. In Moore's graphic novel series, V is a brutal anarchist willing to do anything to bring down the government, ending anyone who gets in his way and carrying out terrorist attacks without any remorse for those caught in the crossfire.
The film version of V is much more sympathetic and a romanticized version of the character, portrayed as a freedom fighter who struggles to deal with the moral dilemma of taking another human's life. Even though you can't see his face, Weaving manages to infuse V with a warmth and moral ambiguity, whereas the print version has no qualms about bombing locations and people. V's relationships with other characters also differs in the film, with Finch's begrudging acceptance of what V is doing and why not realized in the comic. Instead, he's a man at t😼he point of breaking who takes illicit substances to help get inside the mind of V so he can find him and stop him before it's too late. V's contact with Evey is also different with the revolutionary more humanized in his int✅eractions with Evey in the film.
21 🌳 Natalie Port൩man Not The First Choice For Evey
Despite having kicked off her film career with the one-two punch of Leon: The Professional and Heat, Natalie Portman was still a fairly small time actress when she secured the role of Evey Hammond in V For Vendetta. The role gave her top billing for the first time in her career and was a massive push towards her becoming a leading lady. Although she earned the role with a great audition she wasn't the initial choice for the role with a number of talented actresses trying out for the part. Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World, Gold, The Twilight Saga), Scarlett Johansson (Lost In Translation, Her, Don Jon), and Keira Knightly (Love Actually, Domino, Atonement) all auditioned to play E💦vey but ultimately Portman won out.
Director James McTeigue had previously worked with her on George Lucas' Star Wars prequel Attack Of The Clones. Recognizing her talents he was keen to work with her in the future, and when he got his chance to direct V she was one of a variety of actresses he was happy auditioned for t🉐he role. Although up against some fantastic talent Portman was eventually awarded the role, and re-watching the film now it's hard to think of anyone else who could have done such a wonderful job.
20 ❀ James Purefoy Replaced By Hugo Weaving
When it came to casting the title character, V, the man who got the nod was English actor James Purefoy. Best known for roles in films Solomon Kane and A Knight's Tale and television series The Following and Rome, Purefoy has been a mainstay in Hollywood for a number of years without ever transitioning to a big-time lead actor. Despite this, he's quite capable and has a screen presence, although this didn't help him when it came to V.
There are differing opinions as to why Purefoy left the production after only six weeks.
In an with Total Film, Purefoy put to bed rumors about him not wanting to wear the mask and explained it was "genuine creative differences" that led to him leaving. Another cited producer Joel Silver as the cause for Purefoy's absence, claiming the actor did not have a "dynamic enough presence" to play the masked anarchist. Whatever the reasons were for Purefoy leaving it enabled Aussie actor Hugo Weaving the chance to play V. After meeting Weaving during his time on The Matrix, McTeigue was more than happy to have him on board, and if you🔜🦂've seen the film you'll no doubt agree he does a bang-up job.
19 ♛ Natalieℱ Portman Studied Hard For The Role
Although she played a fictional character in the film, Natalie Portman's commitment to Evey Hammond went above and beyond the role. Portman did a heap of research on the themes present throughout the film, focusing on books and films about radicals, anarchic behavior, and fascist movements. She watched various films, including the documentary The Weather Underground (2002), about the late 1960s/1970s American radicals, and read a ton of books about the themes found in V For Vendetta.
The autobiography of former Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, who was shaped by his imprisonment by Soviets, Antonia Fraser’s Faith and Treason, a book on the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, and various other biographies on Guy Fawkes and his conspirators became part of her everyday reading. Not only did Portman s𒅌tudy in depth for the role but hired a vocal coach to help with her English accent she used during the film. Portman enlisted famed Hollywood linguist Barbara Berkery to school her on the English accent and I think she does a pretty good job capturing the sound of the English. This type of dedication to her craft is just one of many reasons why P𓆉ortman's so well respected in the industry amongst her peers and fans alike.
18 𝓡 Guy Fawkes Wasn't The Hero We Think He Was
Throughout history, Guy Faw🧜kes has been used as the symbol for post-modern anarchism, with his mask the sig🌟n representing the struggle of the downtrodden rising up against those who beat them down. In reality, Fawkes was just one of many involved in the plot to assassinate King James I and help restore a Catholic monarch to the throne who suffered terribly for his crimes.
Growing up as an English Catholic during the reign of Protestant Queen Elizabeth I, Fawkes left his homeland and traveled to Spain. Here he fought on the side of Catholic Spain against the Protestant Dutch during the Eighty Years War. During this time he met Thomas Wintour and the two made their way back to England. Once home, Wintour introduced Fawkes to Robert Catesby, the man who planned on eliminating King James I. The𒁃 conspirators stockpiled a large amount of gunpowder to use in the life-ending attempt and Fawkes was put in charge of guarding it. Unfortunately for him, he was caught and after three days of torment eventually confessed to the plan. He was to be hung on January 31, 1606, but fell from the scaffolding and perished of a broken neck. Fawkes was far from the mastermind of the plan and more of a pawn who failed at his one job but has become synonymous with the plot and forever remembered for his part in it.
17 James McTeigue's Directorial Debut ♚
When Aussie James McTeigue was given the chance to direct V For Vendetta, he wasn't overly well-known outside of Hollywood but had earned a reputation as an assistant director on a number of high profile films. Beginning his career as a production assistant, he graduated to the role of second assistant director on the Australian feature film The Girl Who Came Late. His big break came when he was chosen as the assistant director on the Ray Liotta prison escape flick No Escape (also known as Escape From Absolom) and big-budget video game adaptation Street Fighter. This led to work on science fiction film Dark City and The Matrix trilogy where he was given the first assistant director role after hiꦺs friend w🐓as forced to drop out.
Impressed with his work, the Wachowski's offered McTeigue the chance to direct V For Vendetta as his first film.
Since then, McTeigue has had a varied directorial career, being the man calling the shots on big-budget action film Ninja Assassin, fictional Edgar Allen Poe story The Raven, and spy flick Survivor. He's also dabbled with television, directing episodes of Sense8 and Marco Polo. At one time he was linked to th🐼e new Superman filmไ but lost out to Zack Snyder.
16 𓃲 Security Was Extra Tight During Filming
These days security is extremely important when it comes to filming but even a decade ago it was a big deal when a film the scale of V For Vendetta was being made. Everyone involved with the film, from the actors to the crew, where subject to background checks and daily security checks when they entered filming locations. As V used a variety of weapons and featured a number of explosive devices, the special effects team routinely checked all their materials to make sure nothing went wrong during filming. Add to this the locations in the film and planning security for V must have been a nightmare.
The crew shot a number of scenes in and around Parliament and Big Ben and these shots could onl✱y be done during the early hours of the morning. Even then the crew didn't have a great deal of control over traffic conditions and people trying to get a peek at what was going on, so security was beefed up to make sure there would be no trespasses or people interfering with the landmarks involved in the filming. With the world still recovering from the September 11 attacks just some five years before, everyone was on alert for any danger, but things went smoothly and no incidents were reported during the film shoot.