Hugo Weaving has replaced James Purefoy in Warner Bros. Pictures’ V For Vendetta, from the Wachowski brothers and Joel Silver. He will star opposite Natalie Portman as the the title vigilante character known as V.
Weaving replaces James Purefoy, who left the production for undisclosed reasons. The film, in production in Berlin with a November 4 release date, is based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore and illustrator David Lloyd.
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-and-death situation by a masked vigilante (Weaving) 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.
Stephen Rea and Stephen Fry also star in the James McTeigue-directed film. The Watchowskis wrote the script.
Weaving is best known as Agent Smith in the Wachowskis’ “The Matrix” trilogy and as Elrond in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
Source: Variety
