A “V for Vendetta” TV series is currently in development at HBO, Variety has learned exclusively.
According to sources, Pete Jackson is attached to write the series adaptation. James Gunn and Peter Safran of DC Studios will executive produce, as will Ben Stephenson via Poison Pen and Leanne Klein of Wall to Wall Media, which is part of Warner Bros. Television Studios UK. Warner Bros. Television will produce.
HBO and DC Studios declined to comment. Reps for Jackson did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
“V for Vendetta” began as a comic serial written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd. It debuted in 1982 in the British anthology “Warrior,” with DC taking over publishing it in 1988.
The story is set in Britain in a dystopian, not-too-distant future in which the country is controlled by the fascistic Norsefire party. An anarchist named V, known for his distinctive Guy Fawkes mask, seeks to topple the government with the help of Evey Hammond, a young woman V rescued from the country’s secret police.
Should the “V for Vendetta” series move forward, it would be the latest DC Studios live-action show to find a home at HBO. Most famously, the premium cabler aired the drama “The Penguin” starring Colin Farrel and Cristin Milioti. That show served as a direct followup to Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” and went on to win nine Emmy Awards, including outstanding lead actress in a limited series for Milioti.
Up next, HBO will air the drama series “Lanterns” 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 has also aired the critically-acclaimed drama “Watchmen,” which served as a sequel to the original graphic novel created by Moore and Dave Gibbons. That show aired in 2019, however, three years prior to Gunn and Safran’s appointment as the heads of DC’s film and TV business.
Jackson previously wrote the Channel 4 series “Somewhere Boy,” which aired in 2022. He was nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for writing for a drama series for that show, while he also shared in its nomination for best drama series. He is also the writer behind the upcoming Sky Atlantic series “The Death of Bunny Munro” starring Matt Smith, which is based on the book of the same name by Nick Cave.
He is repped by UTA.
“V for Vendetta” was adapted into a feature film in 2005, with Hugo Weaving as V and Natalie Portman as Evey. James McTeigue directed, with the Wachowskis writing the screenplay. The film received positive reviews from critics upon its release and went on to gross over $130 million worldwide. It has remained popular ever since, with Warner Bros. set to bring the film back to theaters in November 2026 in honor of its 20th anniversary.
Channel 4 had attempted to develop a “V for Vendetta” TV series, but it ultimately did not move forward. The HBO Max/Epix DC series “Pennyworth,” which followed Bruce Wayne’s famous butler Alfred during his life in 1960s London, was also meant to serve as a prequel to “V for Vendetta,” though it was canceled after three seasons before that storyline could be fully fleshed out.
