V for Vendetta is a 2005 dystopian thriller film directed by James McTeigue in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by the Wachowskis.[a] It is based on the 1988–89 DC Vertigo Comics limited series graphic novel by Alan Moore, David Lloyd, and Tony Weare. The film, set in a future where a fascist totalitarian regime has subjugated the UK, centres on V (portrayed by Hugo Weaving), an anarchist and masked freedom fighter who attempts to ignite a revolution through elaborate terrorist acts, and Evey Hammond (portrayed by Natalie Portman), a young woman caught up in V's mission. Stephen Rea portrays a detective leading a desperate quest to stop V.