One of the most striking advertisements aired during the fortieth Super Bowl broadcast was a new trailer for V for Vendetta, the movie adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel about revolutionaries fighting against a militaristic, totalitarian British government of the future.  The spot begins with footage of the government leader (John Hurt) intoning an Orwellian mantra to the effect that 'the people need a clear message,' which is intercut with shots of soldiers marching and people being tortured.  The focus shifts to the mask wearing revolutionary leader V (Hugo Weaving), who counters: 'People shouldn't be afraid of their government, governments should be afraid of the people.' 

 

Throw in a shot of Natalie Portman with her head shaved and the Houses of Parliament exploding and the result is a very intriguing teaser for the film, which opens across the U.S. on March 17, and is sure to cause some controversy in the current political climate created by the war on terrorism.  Given the film's growing positive buzz, the quality of the V for Vendetta graphic novel, and Alan Moore's track record and growing reputation outside the comic book community, the V for Vendetta film could well become one of 2006's best opportunities for pop culture retailers to reach a new audience and sell them lots of graphic novels.