V for Vendetta, the 2006 dystopian thriller starring Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving, is returning to theaters for its 20th anniversary. Fathom Entertainment debuted a new anniversary trailer on September 18, 2026, and tickets for the November 1 and November 5 screenings are already on sale. Here's everything you need to know about the trailer, the screening dates and the bonus content that comes with your ticket.
Things to Know
- Dates: The 2006 film returns to theaters nationwide on Sunday, November 1, and Thursday, November 5, through Fathom Entertainment.
- Tickets: Tickets are on sale now through Fathom Entertainment and at participating theater box offices, with locations subject to change.
- Bonus content: Screenings include Freedom Forever, a new featurette with director James McTeigue on the film's influences and legacy.
- Trailer music: The trailer features a new take on Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture by Jonathan Snipes of the experimental hip-hop group clipping.
- Rating: The film is rated R for strong violence and some language, according to Fathom.
What the New Trailer Shows
The new anniversary trailer draws on the film's themes of freedom and resistance and urges audiences to stand with V on the big screen, according to Fathom Entertainment. It also debuts a reimagined version of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture by Snipes — the same piece that accompanied one of the original film's signature sequences. Fathom says the new arrangement transforms one of the movie's most iconic musical moments.
Photo caption: Hugo Weaving stars as the masked revolutionary V in V for Vendetta, which returns to theaters for two nights in November for its 20th anniversary. Warner Bros. Pictures
You can watch the full anniversary trailer on YouTube. Keep reading for the screening details, the bonus featurette and a look back at the cast.
Where and When to Watch
Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, Saga Arts and Fathom Entertainment are teaming up for the two-night event, which lands on Sunday, November 1, and Thursday, November 5. The second date is Guy Fawkes Day — a fitting choice for a film built around the fifth of November. Tickets are on sale now online and at participating box offices, though Fathom says theater locations are subject to change.
Before the film, audiences will see Freedom Forever, an exclusive featurette with McTeigue. Per Fathom, the director reflects on the films and art that shaped the movie, the mythology surrounding V and why its ideas about freedom, identity and resistance still resonate today.
"V for Vendetta still asks the questions that matter," Fathom Entertainment Vice President of Marketing Shannah Miller said in a September 2026 statement. She added that the event is meant to introduce the movie to a new generation of moviegoers. It's a pointed pitch for a film that has never been shy about its politics (scroll down for more on that).
The Story Behind the Film
V for Vendetta opened in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2006 — the first movie Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski had a hand in after finishing The Matrix trilogy. The duo wrote the screenplay and produced the film. McTeigue, who had served as their assistant director on the Matrix movies, made his feature directorial debut.
The story adapts Alan Moore and David Lloyd's graphic novel, which began in the British magazine Warrior before DC's Vertigo imprint completed it. It imagines a near-future Britain ruled by a fascist government, where a masked revolutionary and a young woman swept into his plan take on the regime. But the film's changes to the source material divided some comic fans — and Moore famously removed his name from the credits.
Who Stars in the Film
The 45-year-old Oscar winner Portman stars as Evey Hammond, a young woman rescued from a life-and-death situation by V. She famously shaved her head on camera for the part. The 66-year-old Weaving plays V, delivering his entire performance behind an unmoving Guy Fawkes mask, and he joined late in production after taking over from James Purefoy, per Den of Geek.
The ensemble also includes Stephen Rea as the detective hunting V, Stephen Fry and the late John Hurt as the regime's leader. Tim Pigott-Smith, Rupert Graves and Roger Allam round out the cast. Behind the camera, Adrian Biddle served as director of photography and Dario Marianelli composed the score, according to Fathom's press release.
Why the Film Still Resonates
Few movie props have traveled as far as V's mask, which has turned up at protests around the world. McTeigue sees that staying power as a big part of the film's legacy.
"It has cultural legs beyond the film," McTeigue said of the mask in a March 2026 interview with Den of Geek. He added that the mask stands for the right to protest in a free society, and for the idea that a crowd holds more power than one person.
"We just keep falling into the same political cycles," McTeigue told The Hollywood Reporter in March 2026. He noted that the graphic novel emerged during the Thatcher era while the film came together during the Bush administration, and he argued that pattern keeps the story timeless.
Its politics have sparked debate for two decades, and viewers still split on the message. That, arguably, is part of why people keep coming back.
Meanwhile, V's future beyond the big screen looks less certain.
What's Next for V on Screen
Late last year, HBO was reportedly developing a new take on V's story, with Somewhere Boy writer Pete Jackson attached to write. DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran were set to executive produce. But according to ComicBookMovie, which cited a July report from journalist Jeff Sneider, HBO has passed on Jackson's script.
Looking for more to watch this fall? Check out the HBO War trailer, the news that Evil Dead returns to Regal Cinemas for one night on October 20 and the latest on Zach Cregger's Resident Evil box office tracking.
Twenty years after V first asked audiences to remember the fifth of November, the film gets another turn on the big screen — two nights, in fact. Grab your tickets through Fathom Entertainment, and stay tuned to Bigwritehook for more on the re-release and V's next chapter.
