Given that November 5th is integral to the plot and the movie has retained a loyal cult following for over a decade now, it isn’t a surprise that V for Vendetta tends to find itself trending on an annual basis right around this time of the year, with fans remarking that 2020 in particular has made the themes at the center of the narrative more timely and prescient than ever.
The dystopian graphic novel adaptation marked the first big screen project for the Wachowski siblings after the conclusion of The Matrix trilogy, with the duo producing alongside Joel Silver and also writing the script. Their protege James McTeigue, who was the first assistant director on Reloaded and Revolutions, stepped up to make his feature-length debut on the R-rated effort and V for Vendetta turned out to be a decent-sized hit if not exactly a blockbuster, raking in over $130 million at the box office.
James Purefoy was initially cast as the titular vigilante but dropped out six weeks into shooting and was replaced by Hugo Weaving, while Natalie Portman’s questionable accent as Evey can be overlooked given her dedication and commitment to the rest of her performance, which included the actress having her head shaved on camera.
V for Vendetta became one of the most-watched VOD movies a few days ago, but those who didn’t want to shell out the cash are in luck, because it returns to the Netflix library this coming week, on November 15th. And if you’ve never experienced what’s perhaps one of the best R-rated comic book films out there, you’ll certainly want to find some time to sit down with it and see what all the fuss is about.