Wachowski Bros. / Joel Silver Launch 'V for Vendetta' Starring Natalie Portman, James Purefoy
Action Thriller Based on Groundbreaking Graphic Novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd

BERLIN, GERMANY, March 4, 2005—The Wachowski Brothers and Joel Silver, the creators and producer of the revolutionary, $1.6 billion-grossing Matrix trilogy, have launched production on the action thriller V for Vendetta, starring Natalie Portman (Star Wars: Episodes I-III, Closer, Garden State), James Purefoy (Vanity Fair, Resident Evil) and Stephen Rea (Interview with the Vampire, The Crying Game) in Berlin, Germany.

Produced by Joel Silver, Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski, V For Vendetta is directed by James McTeigue, who served as the First Assistant Director on the Matrix trilogy.

Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked vigilante (James 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.

The screenplay by Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski is based on the acclaimed graphic novel V For Vendetta by Alan Moore (The Watchmen, From Hell) and illustrator David Lloyd. Originally published by DC Comics as a ten-part series in 1988, V For Vendetta has been praised for its vision, potency and eloquence. Moore is widely considered to be one of the finest comic writers of all time, and has been credited with single-handedly expanding the potential of the comic book medium with his work.

A UK-German co-production between Warner Bros. Productions Ltd. and Fünfte Babelsberg Film GmbH, V For Vendetta will be filmed on location in Berlin and London. V For Vendetta is supported by the local subsidy fund Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.

V For Vendetta will be released on November 4, 2005 by Warner Bros. Pictures.