V for Vendetta director cashes in

Australian director James McTeigue has every reason to be happy.

The debut director's $US50 million ($A71 million) blockbuster, V for Vendetta, has covered its production costs just a week after opening in North America.

Covering costs pretty much guarantees McTeigue another stint in the director's chair.

"I just got the figures sent to me and the film has made its money back domestically in the US so we are pretty happy," said McTeigue in Sydney.

"Hopefully it has got longevity, that would be good."

V for Vendetta was the top box office earner when it opened in United States and Canadian cinemas last week, making $US26.1 million ($A37 million) in its first weekend alone.

"Now that the film has made money, that makes you a more attractive business proposition in Hollywood," said McTeigue, 42, who has been living in New York for the past four years.

The film, starring Natalie Portman and Australian Hugo Weaving, is based on the popular DC comic of the same name.

V for Vendetta, to be released nationally on March 30, is set in London of the future and involves V (Weaving) leading a revolution against a totalitarian government that has taken control of Britain after World War III.

The film is a career breakthrough for McTeigue who has worked on many films but never before as director.

McTeigue was the first assistant director on the three Matrix films, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and the 2000 Australian drama, Looking for Alibrandi.

He impressed Matrix directors, Andy and Larry Wachowski, and its producer Joel Silver, while working on the hugely successful science fiction films.

The Wachowski brothers wrote V for Vendetta but opted not to direct it, instead asking McTeigue to be the director.

"I'm always luckily enough to seem to be going another step forward," said McTeigue.

"To direct a film felt like a progressive step rather than some quantum leap."

McTeigue was reluctant to talk about other possible film commitments but said he had been talking with Silver.

He may also direct another project for the Wachowski brothers, and Oscar-winning Brit Rachel Weisz is top of his wish list of actors to work with.