This was smart. Really fucking smart.

After Alan Moore pissed all over the script they sent him, after the fans followed in his footsteps, after the lead actor quit two weeks into production, the guys making the V for Vendetta movie needed something–anything–to save their picture.

You see, Hollywood is convinced of the viral thing. They know people like me–who love and adore the book–will tell you “DO NOT SEE THIS MOVIE; READ THE BOOK INSTEAD.”

So, what did they do? They made a trailer that is constructed from scenes lifted exactly from the book.

The torture scenes.
The V-invades-the-TV-scenes.
The Mr. Finch meets V for the first time scene.
The “I’m the Man from Room Five” scene.

They’re all in there.

A trailer constructed for us: the fans who know that this apple will fall very far from the bitter, angry tree that spawned it.

Or, maybe not. Maybe, just maybe, they realized they were fucking up and changed everything at the last moment. Changed it to keep the theme of the book. Changed it so we wouldn’t be so pissed off.

I had 0% interest in seeing this movie before I saw the trailer. Right now, I’m at about 25%.

“There is no flesh behind this mask, Mr. Finch. Only an idea…
… and ideas are bullet proof.”

Ideas may be bullet proof, Mr. Moore, but we have yet to see how Hollywood proof they are.

Here’s the trailer.