'V For Vendetta' Starts Filming

Joel Silver produces and Natalie Portman stars in what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest films of the year.

Mar  7 2005

The long-awaited adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel 'V For Vendetta' started filming in Berlin today, and is being fast-tracked for a November release by Warner Brothers.

The film is being produced by 'Matrix' creators the Wachowski brothers and Joel Silver and directed by first-timer James McTeigue, who knows his was round big-budget, special effects-laden extravaganzas, having worked as assistant director on the recent 'Star Wars' films as well as 'The Matrix' trilogy.

The cast, meanwhile, includes Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea and James Purefoy as the mysterious 'V', while the plot synopsis on the film's official website goes something like this:

'Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, 'V For Vendetta' tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Portman) who is rescued from a life-or-death situation by a masked vigilante (Purefoy) known only as 'V'. Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he detonates two London landmarks and takes over the government-controlled airwaves, urging his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about V's mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself – and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plot to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.'

Speaking at a Berlin press conference, McTeigue said the script (which was written by the Wachowski brothers) remains true to the themes of the original graphic novel.

At the same press conference, actor Purefoy said he'll be wearing V's famous mask throughout the movie, while Portman revealed she'll be shaving her head for the role of Evey.

Filming takes place at Germany's Babelsberg Studios before moving to London later in the year.

For more info, and to read the press conference transcript in full, check out the film's official website here.