Variety has learned exclusively that a “V for Vendetta” TV series is currently in development at HBO.
Sources say Pete Jackson will write the script for the series. DC Studios’ James Gunn and Peter Safran will serve as executive producers, with Poison Pen’s Ben Stephenson and Wall to Wall Media’s Leanne Klein, part of Warner Bros. Television Studios UK, also serving as executive producers. Produced by Warner Bros. Television.
HBO and DC Studios declined to comment. Representatives for Mr. Jackson did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.
V for Vendetta began as a comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd. It debuted in the British anthology Warrior in 1982, and DC took over publishing in 1988.
The story is set in a dystopian England in the not-too-distant future, where the country is ruled by the fascist party Northfire. V, an anarchist known for his distinctive Guy Fawkes mask, attempts to overthrow the government with the help of Evie Hammond, a young woman V rescued from the country’s secret police.
If the V for Vendetta series moves forward, it would be the latest DC Studios live-action show to find a home on HBO. Most famously, the premium cable station aired the drama “The Penguin” starring Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti. The show served as a direct sequel to Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which won nine Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for Milioti.
HBO will next air the drama series “The Lantern,” starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart. No premiere date has been set at this time, but it is expected to premiere in early 2026.
HBO also aired the critically acclaimed drama “Watchmen,” a sequel to the original graphic novel created by Moore and Dave Gibbons. However, the show aired in 2019, three years before Gunn and Safran were named heads of DC’s film and television operations.
Jackson previously wrote the Channel 4 series Somewhere Boy, which aired in 2022. The show was nominated for a BAFTA Television Award for writing a drama series, and was also nominated for Best Drama Series. He is also the screenwriter for the Sky Atlantic series The Death of Bunny Munro, starring Matt Smith, based on the book of the same name by Nick Cave.
Represented by UTA.
V for Vendetta was made into a feature film in 2005, starring Hugo Weaving as V and Natalie Portman as Evie. Directed by James McTeigue, written by the Wachowskis. Upon its release, the film received positive reviews from critics and grossed over $130 million worldwide. Its popularity has remained undiminished ever since, and Warner Bros. plans to re-release the film in theaters in November 2026 to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Channel 4 attempted to develop a ‘V for Vendetta’ TV series, but ultimately no progress was made. Pennyworth, the HBO Max/Epix DC series that followed the life of Bruce Wayne’s famous butler Alfred in 1960s London, was also intended to be a prequel to V for Vendetta, but was canceled after three seasons before the story was fully fleshed out.
