- Primary Subject: The HBO TV series adaptation of V for Vendetta
- Key Update: A new update on the development of the TV series adaptation of the graphic novel at HBO.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: July 10, 2026
- Quick Answer: HBO passed on Pete Jackson’s V for Vendetta script because they wanted a modern story, but the network remains interested in developing the IP later.
A new report revealed a disappointing update on the development of the TV series adaptation of V for Vendetta.
Last year, it was announced that DC Studios is developing a TV series version of the Alan Moore graphic novel for HBO, with James Gunn and Peter Safran attached as executive producers and Pete Jackson writing the pilot script. It would mark the second on-screen adaptation following the 2005 film that starred Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman.
Is HBO's V for Vendetta TV Series Still in the Works?
According to a recent newsletter from veteran journalist Jeff Sneider, HBO has passed on Jackson's script for the TV series adaptation of V for Vendetta.
He claimed that Jackson's take on the graphic novel is a period piece similar to the source material, but the network wanted the story to be modern and reflect the current political climate.
As a result, the network effectively killed the project and did not want to pursue the version that Jackson wanted to tell in his take on the classic graphic novel.
However, the report also noted that HBO might still develop a new iteration of the V for Vendetta TV series, as they are still interested in the IP, but it is unknown when they are planning to redevelop it.
While this is unfortunate for fans of the graphic novel, all hope is not lost, since we might still see an adaptation of V for Vendetta come to life again at some point, and it looks like DC Studios is keen on exploring this world.
For now, stay tuned for updates in the coming months to see whether V for Vendetta will be revisited someday.
What Is V for Vendetta About?
V for Vendetta is a landmark graphic novel created by writer Alan Moore and illustrator David Lloyd, with additional art by Tony Weare. The story first appeared as a black-and-white serial in the British anthology Warrior between 1982 and 1985. DC Comics published the completed story in the United States as a ten-issue, full-color limited series from 1988 to 1989.
Set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic version of the United Kingdom during the 1990s, the narrative takes place after a devastating 1980s nuclear war. In this bleak future, a neo-fascist, white supremacist, and violently homophobic political party called Norsefire has seized control. After wiping out its political opponents and minority groups in concentration camps, the regime rules the country as a totalitarian police state.
The plot follows "V," an enigmatic anarchist revolutionary who wears a Guy Fawkes mask. V launches a theatrical, calculated campaign to assassinate his former captors, dismantle the fascist government, and push the public to embrace anarchy over tyranny. Along the way, he takes a young woman named Evey Hammond under his wing, training her to become his protégée and successor.
The graphic novel achieved massive commercial success, selling over 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone by 2006. Its widespread popularity also inspired a major 2005 film adaptation of the same name, written and co-produced by the Wachowskis.
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