V For Very Soon to Film

"as the Wachowski Brothers' (or are they just the Wachowski Siblings at this point?) plans to adapt the comic have gotten a new burst of life."

I was excited until I read that line now I feel like drinking some whiskey.

The wachowskis should not be allowed any where near this project and I will volunteer myself to poke them with a big stick (or a documentary film crew) until they relent in their plans to adapt this classic graphic novel.

V for Vendette is an almost shakespearean piece of drama using subtle set pieces and wonderful dialouge to portary their message. I can gurantee the wachowski's would change the setting to america, filmed in australia, and make it an all action blockbuster with pieces of social commentary mashed in wherever they damn please.

eg.

V storms a government building killing everyone he can find, using the conceit that they work for the government so they are expendable, before rescuing the girl taking her back to his (or should i say her) house and engaging in a debate about practical communism and marxism

"All social rules and all relations between individuals are eroded by a cash economy, avarice drags Pluto himself out of the bowels of the earth. "

Only just found out today and it makes me want to sob.

They could have gone and messed up Conan all they want but they start messing with Alan Moore and things get personal.

The Wachowski's DID make Bound, which last I checked, had NO action sequences in it at all. And was a pretty damn good little crime thriller to boot. It seems they can jump genres pretty decently. It doesnt' begin and end with "The Matrix"

Besides, they're not actually DIRECTING.

Bound may be a good movie in a straight to video lesbian prisoners break out of jail way but come on V for Vendetta is a classic which needs a director who will respect the source material and can actually create likeable and humna characters (something Bound and the Matrilogy show they can not do).

If I could choose anyone for this picture I would kidnap Chris Nolan from the Batman Beyond set and have him direct this.

I think you're way overreacting, and making assumptions that don't seem to be based on anything really solid, that's all. I don't think there's anything in their filmographies that show they'd "disrespect" the source material at all, and before Reloaded hit, I'm pretty sure you'd find more than a few people who thought both Bound AND the Matrix had it's fair share of human characters. I agree that I thought the two matrix sequels were pretty iffy, but I don't think that means the Wachowski's are all of a sudden untalented Uwe Boll style hacks. Besides which, they're just helping write and produce, they're not directing the thing.

Also, there's a Batman Beyond movie?

I think you misunderstand me. I don't think the Wachowski's are hacks persay I just think that they operate in their own little world and I have series doubts that this little world would have given the ability to direct a film of V for Vendetta which at is core will be a challenging task for anyone.

I feel the wachowski's will try and make an action movie when it is not appropriate I also have serious doubts about Hollywood legitimatley funding a big movie about someone trying to bring down the government, the only thing which could be more anti-hollywood would be an Anarky movie.

I have to agree with certain points Raiftel is making here, and I'm someone who thinks The Matrix Trilogy is the greatest sci-fi/philisophical film series ever to grace the screen . The sequels are not what most people expected (or even wanted) them to be. The first film is an action movie with brains while the sequels are brainy films with action. I love them, I understand them, and I admire the bros for having the balls to make them their way. And therein lay the reasons why I don't want to see them touch V for Vendetta.

Do the Wachowskis operate in their own little world? Hell yes. So far that's all they've really done. They are aware of the world around them, but they decide to do things their way. In The Matrix Trilogy, every frame has Wachowski written all over it. With Spider-Man 1 and 2, you don't see Raimi's hand over every frame. He gives both the comic and himself just desserts. My point is that, given the Wachowski's record, they'll want to change EVERYTHING.

I've never read V for Vendetta, and I can't say I'm excited that the bros are involved. I'd rather see them do more of their own material. To keep pushing that envelope. What I don't want is to see them help adapt an Alan Moore comic. I've seen enough Alan Moore film abortions. I don't want to see another one with the bro's name on it. Also, V for Vendetta isn't Blade. No one gave a flying fuck about Blade before the first film came out. Not so with V for Vendetta. And with that said any filmmaker should watch their step.

Script Review

Well, at least that's a good sign.

The thing is, I almost WANT them to change it to America--with a few changes to reflect the current political situation, this could be frighteningly relevant. I especially like V's little monologue to the statue of Justice before he leaves his "gift". The problem, of course, is that it's all based on British idioms--no one in America knows who Guy Fawkes is, or why a freedom fighting anarchist would be dressed as him.

I don't understand the people who are committing suicide over the Wachowski's attachment. No action? It's an action comic. It opens with an action sequence. There are tons of explosions throughout (they're actually a motif). Except for the fact that it's political instead of philosophical, it's totally suited to the Wachowski's sensibility of action movies-as-commentary.

And the Matrix sequels are overhated. Especially Reloaded.

actually, V for Vendetta is one of the few Alan Moore books that I can see being transferred to the big screen kinda faithfully. I still find it funny that the best adaptation of any Alan Moore material right now is that Justice League animated series adaptation of "For the Man Who Has Everything." (though they screwed up the ending - I realize they could have never got it by the censors, but it really needed to show Mongul ruling the universe).

anyway, it could work. maybe.

I agree with the wanting to change the location to America thing.
I think the story would echo with much more resonance if it was taken to the shores of the US.

For the record, a looong time ago, Boaz Yakin was attached to direct a live action BATMAN BEYOND movie for WB. When that fell through he eventually found himself behind the camera for UPTOWN GIRLS.

Just a neat bit of Bat-trivia about Yakin, the screenwriter for the 1989 PUNISHER film.

Look at the political climate today, they HAVE to change the setting to a near future dystopian America. Have you read the comic? These guys are the PERFECT choice to bring Moore's vision to the big screen. I believe that this can be great.

PS. Today's a big news day for classic 80s comic adaptations. What's next, Takashi Miike's RONIN?

Wish to explain how you can guarantee such a thing, kind sir?
Not that I doubt your word. Let's just say I'm... curious.

That movie can NEVER be overhated.

Yes, it's such a massive failure, just like Return of the Jedi and A. I. and Gangs of New York.

RETURN OF THE JEDI is a failure, to a degree. But I'll happily defend half of the movie along with A.I. and GONY.

Mostly because none of them are close to being as shit as both RELOADED and REVOLUTIONS. Hell, I'll even go so far as to say all of them are better than THE MATRIX.

It's not overhating, it's opinion. I love A.I. and most people don't, but I don't spend all my time saying it's overhated. I just accept that people don't like it and move on. Maybe some of the Matrix geeks should think about that.

After all, if you like it, what do you care what others think?

That's the most fair and balanced thing I've heard anyone say on the matter in months.

Well that was my point. Those movies are ambitious and interesting, and they don't *quite* succeed at what they were trying to do, but they're still way better than a lot of "successful" movies. (Hmmm...maybe there's a Chewer column in this.)

AI et. al. might be met with mixed reviews, but I feel that the Matrix sequels get way, way too much flack these days. People are dismissing them as total crap after initially liking them, or simply calling them "disappointing". But it's become a bandwagon. People are using the Wachowskis as a synonym for bad filmmakers, which is ridiculous. George Lucas deserves it more than these guys do, and that's still pretty ridiculous.

Plus, people lump Reloaded and Revolutions in together as if they were interchangeable, when it seems to me the two films are quite different (and the former is far better than the latter, IMHO).

So yes, I do think the sequels can be "overhated". Surely there's nothing wrong with talking about this?

If they're going to do it, stick to the original plot. This talk of a "dystopian near future America" is so hackneyed and entirely too timely to have any sort of serious impact. If you're going to do a movie about the horrors of fascism, don't turn into a RARA AMERICA IS FASCIST circle jerk, the setting of V was/is perfect.

While I admit that dystopian fascist America is becoming a cliche, the original was very much a response to the Thatcherite 80s in Britain. It's supposed to be timely. And the actual plot wouldn't really be affected by changing the setting.

The main problem, like I say, is the elements of British culture embodied in the basic concept.

Oh please Charlie. I like you and everything but that's really more than a tad hypocritical coming from you because you slam The Matrix and its sequels EVERY time the topic is brought up.

While it's an interesting idea to shift the setting to America, aren't we just running into the Hellblazer problem? Having an American running around in a Guy Fawkes getup makes no sense, so the look has to change. Then there's the fact that England is a much smaller country so London standing in for the whole country makes a lot more sense than Washington or New York representing the U.S.

Not to mention, I think it's possible that someone in Hollywood would make a film showing English landmarks being blown up. I don't think we've reached the point of Hollywood allowing U.S. landmarks to be blown up by a terrorist.

Well I'm saddened by the vitriol spilled in the direction of the Wachowskis, the guys who attempted to insert some fucking intelligence into Hollywood, only to be bashed and ripped off in equal measure.

V For Vendetta is basically an English version of the Matrix anyway (or Matrix is American version of it, whatever). Its almost like a prequel, Morpheus freeing Trinity, know what I mean?

"You're in a prison, Evey. You were born in a prison. You've been in a prison so long, you no longer believe there's a world outside." - V For Vendetta

^sound familiar?

Anyway, as was mentioned earlier, they're only producing it, their 2nd (or 1st, blahblah) unit director is actually directing it.

My only reservations towards the whole thing is the Americafying of it all, as has also been mentioned. The graphic novel is definitely geared towards England and its class conflict, with the iconic Guy Fawkes as a template.

uh, can I swear in this forum? I'm new, heh...

Fuck cock cunt hoar bitch shit...

Yes.

I dont think the world needs another badly adapted Alan Moore book.

Uh...?

COG! Welcome!

uhhh don't you mean the guys who ripped off a woman who attempted to insert some fucking intelligence into Hollywood?

Didn't that story turn out to be fake?

For the last time, yes the woman is an uber scammer who doesnt know a Plato from a Kant, but she does know dollar signs from cash receipts. Dude, after watching all three Revisited's and the Burlyman Chronicles, how can anyone seriously doubt the Wachowskis came up with the trilogy?

What the uber scammer is up to

*breathes*

Hey Vanexel711, nice to see you here.

Starlet:

http://chud.com/news/1078

That looks as fake as it could possibly look to me.

This can't be real.

For starters, it's way too early for a teaser poster.

Secondly, it's crap. It looks like American McGee's Baron Munchausen. It looks like a bad video game character close up and communicates nothing about the film.

As far as the tag line is concerned, it makes absolutely no sense outside the UK and would be laughable even there. Unless it's a movie about getting pissed and watching bonfires.

And I highly doubt that the Wachowskis would hijack Moore's work in such a blatant way.

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...



I like the teaser. Looks like the newest cover for the GN.

From the upper left corner:

THIS IS WHAT VENDETTA LOOKS LIKE
01.05.05
By Devin Faracid
Contributing sources: Cinema Confidential


Devin "Blood" Faracid.

I'd like to start seeing more taglines that make you ask questions about what it means; and less generic and/or obvious taglines like, "The countdown has begun..." or "Ice Cold, Hot Wired." or my favorite, "On their own, they're invicible, together they're unstoppable!". If the movie is for adults (or at least adult sensibilities), why not aim a bit higher?

This seems too similar to The Matrix thematically. Couldn't the Wachowskis have picked something more fresh to do next?

Their draft I have is from April of 1997, so it's actually been kicking around with them for a while...

Anyway, as was mentioned earlier, they're only producing it, their 2nd (or 1st, blahblah) unit director is actually directing it.

Actually, cog, it's their First AD which is a completely different position then 1st Unit Director. Which also brings the nitpick to the other chud report that says he was "framing" Portman on the new Star Wars Episode. 1st AD has nothing to do with framing. He (or she) is the one that controls the set for the director. They are also a confidant for the director and occasionally asked for their opinion but they are not in charge of "framing" anyone. And while some ADs may go on to careers as director's themselves some have no desire to do so and are quite happy to be ADs.

(Sorry for the geek but it's something close to me personally because I want to be a an AD someday)

Yeah, whatever.

lol, I know I realised that later but couldnt be bothered to edit my post. I think he's the dude that handled most of the freeway chase in Reloaded among other things, he's a competant fella.

And I'm not sure what I think about Portman involved in this, I really havent been impressed with her since Leon and that was bloody years ago.

How big a star is Portman? If they're faithful to the book, Evey is the only part that can essentially sell the movie. Really, although V is the title character the main character arc is about Evey.

I'd like to think that between Watchmen and V for Vendetta at least one will do justice to Alan Moore. Then again, in theory, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell are much more readily translatable and neither one of those worked out. Still, even if V is completely fumbled, the Fox News controversy should be entertaining.