V for Vendetta/Trivia

Worth noting is that the graphic novel was written at a time in which the openly fascist and borderline Neo-Nazi National Front were a highly visible, if minor, force in British politics. Then again, there's the BNP now, so it's not like that much has changed.


 * Actor Allusion:
 * Stephen Fry plays an erudite gay man in the entertainment industry, which he is.
 * John Hurt in a movie about a totalitarian London?
 * Notably, Hurt's presence is a sort of inversion. In the 1984 version of...well, 1984, John was portraying the protagonist, Winston Smith, and thus was a victim of the totalitarian government. In the film version of V For Vendetta, meanwhile, he portrays High Chancellor Adam Sutler, and thus became the leader of such a government.
 * Awesome, Dear Boy: Stephen Fry on being in it, specifically the idea of being beaten up on camera.
 * Defictionalization: Anonymous has adopted the Guy Fawkes motif for its protests, which apparently tickles Moore enough that he doesn't mind that this is inspired by the movie, rather than the book.
 * Disowned Adaptation: Moore specifically requested that his name be removed from the film's production after Joel Silver (the producer) lied about Moore's enthusiasm for the shooting script.
 * Dyeing for Your Art: Natalie Portman's head is really being shaved in that scene.
 * Executive Meddling: It apparently spawned the title itself. While the movie was being made someone thought it would be a good idea to outright lie and say that Alan Moore completely supported the movie. He didn't, and made that fact known by refusing any payment what-so-ever on every movie adaptation of his work afterwards. Good job!
 * Fake Brit: Both Portman (Israeli-American) and Weaving (Australian). However, given V's cloudy backstory and the xenophobia of the government, V may not have been a native Brit himself. Considering Weaving actually spent a good portion of his childhood and teens living in the UK, his Fake Brit status is debatable.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!:
 * Peter Mannion has a nightly slot on BTN!
 * D.I. Lestrade is a policeman!
 * The other Inspector Lestrade is the head of the Ear!
 * Pius Thicknesse is the head of the Eye!
 * Queen Amidala is an anarchist!
 * Stephen Fry is......well, Stephen Fry.
 * Meaningful Release Date: It was originally scheduled to open on November 4, 2005 (the day before Guy Fawkes Night/the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot) but was delayed four months due to Warner Bros. being unsure about its box office prospects.
 * The Other Marty: James Purefoy was originally cast as V before quitting due to the difficulty of acting an entire film behind a mask. Some of his six weeks worth of filming remains intact, dubbed over by Hugo Weaving.
 * What Could Have Been: James Purefoy was originally cast as V, but reportedly he wasn't coming across with the right performance and wasn't acting effectively through the mask, so Hugo Weaving replaced him. Some scenes of V in the film are actually Purefoy in the suit and not Weaving, but with Weaving's voice dubbed over Purefoy's.