Beowulf (28 page)

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Authors: Neil Gaiman

BOOK: Beowulf

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BLUE Rev. 2005-09-11 102.

COMMANDER (O.C.)

Archer's ready!!!!

BEOWULF'S army of ARCHERS rise-up from the tall grassâ¦their bows chargedâ¦aimed at the dragon!!!

COMMANDER (O.C.) (CONT'D)

â¦NOW!!!!!

THE ARCHERS release a volley of arrowsâ¦

THE DRAGON SCREAMS, then SPITS a line of fire into the arrowsâ¦incinerating most of themâ¦

THE ARCHERS let-go with another hailâ¦but this timeâ¦

THE DRAGON climbsâ¦just above the arc of the WHIZZING arrowsâ¦lifting the suspended Beowulf directly into the line of fireâ¦

81 EXT. GORGE - GREAT WOOD BRIDGE

Having no choice, Beowulf lets go and drops into the gorge, right inside its ledgeâ¦he miraculously grabs hold of a protruding rootâ¦breaking his fall. His sword CLATTERS onto the rocks belowâ¦

HUGE CROSS-BOWS, mounted on wagons, are rolled out from behind hay-stacksâ¦they unleash their giant spearsâ¦

THE DRAGON ROARS an angry bellow as it dives into the gorgeâ¦right over Beowulf, almost slicing him with it's tailâ¦

82 EXT. OLD KING'S ROAD

OLD WIGLAF gallops full out, down the king's roadâ¦

83 EXT. GORGE - GREAT WOOD BRIDGE

BEOWULF claws himself out of the gorge and runs toward the massive wooden bridgeâ¦

GIANT CATAPULTS are triggered, throwing huge nets over the gorge in an attempt to ensnare the dragonâ¦the huge net lands on top of Beowulf, knocking him to the groundâ¦he curses.

BLUE Rev. 2005-09-11 103.

THE DRAGON, really pissed now, lets out a tremendous BELLOW, as it flames the hemp nettingâ¦however, the burning nets continue to force the dragon down into the gorgeâ¦

BEOWULF makes it to the bridge and runs to the center of the spanâ¦he seesâ¦

THE DRAGON barrels down the gorge, toward the bridgeâ¦spitting fire at the attacking warriors, raking the troops and setting them ablazeâ¦

BEOWULF pulls his dagger and leaps up on the bridge railingâ¦

THE DRAGON swoops beneath the bridgeâ¦headed for the seaâ¦

84 EXT. ABOVE GORGE - GREAT WOOD BRIDGE

BEOWULF JUMPS and lands on the dragon's back, stabbing his dagger into it for traction.

THE DRAGON growls and looks back with its golden eyes at the man on its back -- BEOWULF.

BEOWULF

(screams maniacally)

ARE YOU READY TO DIE?! YOU FILTHY PIECE OFâ¦

THE DRAGON SCREECHES A HELLISH WAIL as it swoops down in a great arcâ¦picking up speedâ¦breathing a heavy plume of burning hydrogen, the dragon sprays the timber bridge with liquid fire, igniting it like it was made of matchsticks.

MEN ARE ON FIRE and runningâ¦some drop and flop around in the snowâ¦some die where they standâ¦

A RETREATING SQUAD OF THANES running along the cliff ledge, suddenly find themselves in the path of the Dragon's shadowâ¦

THE DRAGON dives down and drops on top of RUNNING THANES, CRUSHING some with its belly, IMPALING others in its talons, and RAMMING the rest off the cliffs like rag dollsâ¦knocking them into the sea and rocks below.

THE DRAGON turns back to Beowulf, giving him a “howd'ya like them apples” smileâ¦

BLUE Rev. 2005-09-11 104.

BEOWULF (CONT'D)

Damn you!! I'll have your lizard head on a spike!!!

THE DRAGON pitches and rollsâ¦then it flies inverted, attempting to knock Beowulf off its backâ¦

But Beowulf still holds.

85 EXT. KING'S ROAD

OLD WIGLAF, on his horse, THUNDERS for the burning bridgeâ¦

86 EXT. ABOVE KING BEOWULF'S CASTLE

BEOWULF AND THE DRAGON soar up alongside Castel Herotâ¦

URSULA runs out onto the arch-bridgeâ¦she gasps in horror at the sight of the monstrous dragonâ¦

BEOWULF is now climbing behind the dragon's head. It twists madly trying to spit fire at him, but Beowulf is just out of reachâ¦

THE DRAGON arches around and plummets downâ¦down toward the seaâ¦It tucks its wings and hits the waterâ¦

87 EXT. UNDER THE SEA

BEOWULF is dragged deep into the dark waterâ¦his face twisted into a grimace, he holds on to the Dragon's braided scales by sheer strength of willâ¦the force of the rushing water tears off his armor and his tunic, leaving him wearing only his chain-mail.

THE DRAGON dives deeper and deeper, all the way down to the sea-floorâ¦the dragon continues to SPIT FIRE underwater, causing large plumes of noxious gas and steam to lash Beowulf's faceâ¦suddenly, the dragon's fire-breath LIGHTS-UPâ¦

88 EXT. UNDER THE SEA - A SHIP WRECK

A Viking vessel manned by skeletons. One side of it is a mass of broken and sharpened SPARSâ¦. the Dragon twists in the water and heads right for itâ¦

BLUE Rev. 2005-09-11 105.

BEOWULF is about to slam into the Spars!! Holding his breath with full cheeks, Beowulf pulls his dagger out of the dragon's back and PUSHES OFFâ¦

THE DRAGON smashes into the ship wreck, destroying itâ¦sending debris and flotsam swirlingâ¦

BEOWULF, now in his element, clamps his dagger between his teeth and dives into the roiling wreckage and comes up with an IRON CHAIN, twenty feet long with a primitive ANCHOR-HOOK on one endâ¦

THE DRAGON thrashes around in the wreckageâ¦

89 EXT. UNDER THE SEA

BEOWULF swims for the surfaceâ¦

THE DRAGON spots Beowulf, then with a mighty thrust of its wings, rockets toward himâ¦

BEOWULF PUMPS and strokes like the hero that he is, but the dragon is closing inâ¦

THE DRAGON bullets through the waterâ¦hatred glowing in its eyesâ¦

BEOWULF nears the surface, swimming with all he's gotâ¦

THE DRAGON opens its massive jaws.. fire and bubbles of heated hydrogen streaming from the corners of its mouthâ¦now, right on Beowulf's heels, THE DRAGON chomps-downâ¦but BEOWULF lunges to the side and swings the anchor into the demon's mouthâ¦hooking the anchor in its jaw!!!

SEAWATER EXPLODES as the Dragon breaks the surface and risesâ¦

INTO THE AIR ABOVE THE SEA

90 EXT. ABOVE SEA

BEOWULF, dangling from the chain attached to the anchor, sucks in oxygen.

THE DRAGON keeps climbingâ¦BEOWULF wraps the bottom length of chain around his lower left armâ¦

THE DRAGON sees Ursula on the castle bridge-wayâ¦its eyes narrow.

BLUE Rev. 2005-09-11 106.

91 EXT. GREAT WOOD BRIDGE

WIGLAF gallops up to the burning bridgeâ¦just as its chard timbers give wayâ¦and an entire side of the bridge collapses into the gorgeâ¦

92 EXT. ABOVE KING BEOWULF'S CASTLE

BEOWULF, the chain wrapped around his left wrist, clambers along the Dragon's spineâ¦like a dark-age's wing-walkerâ¦

THE DRAGON AND BEOWULF soar high above the Castle Herotâ¦

URSULA stands in the center of the bridge, stunned by the scene of carnage below.

THE DRAGON reaches the apex of its climb, for what seems like an eternal second, then dives toward Ursula!!!

BEOWULF holds on to the chain with all his strength, his cheeks and beard blown back by the windâ¦

Below us, Castle Herotâ¦growing fast as we drop toward it at astonishing speed!! THE WIND SCREAMING through the dragon's wingsâ¦

URSULA is still on the bridge, paralyzed with fear, helplessly watching the dragon dive toward herâ¦

THE DRAGON dives at Ursulaâ¦its mouth opens wideâ¦deep in its throat the dragon's igniters (formed from precious metal) start sparking, andâ¦

THE DRAGON VOMITS AN ENORMOUS FIRE-BALL AS IT ROARS toward Ursulaâ¦

BEOWULF, barely holding on, ripped by the wind, watches helplesslyâ¦

BEOWULF

(screams)

Noooooo!!!!!

THE DRAGON reacts: Is that son-of-a-bitch still on my back?

Just as the wall of flame is about to hit Ursulaâ¦she's knocked down, out of harms wayâ¦BY QUEEN WEALTHOW!!!!

BLUE Rev. 2005-09-11 107.

The fire splatters across the stone bridge like Napalmâ¦Wealthow quickly helps Ursula upâ¦they run toward the opposite side of the bridge.

93 EXT. GREAT WOOD BRIDGE

WIGLAF

Reacts to the fire in the distanceâ¦and as the dragon swoops around to take another shot at the women, he sees BEOWULF, HEROICALLY RIDING THE DRAGON'S BACK!!!

Wiglaf looks at the remains of the burning bridgeâ¦a section of path, maybe three feet wide, and a railing are still standingâ¦but on fire!!

Wiglaf spurs his horse and gallops across the burning ledge, as timbers and planks fall away behind him!

Then, suddenly, with only a few yards to go, the section in front of him collapses!! leaving a gaping hole!!!

Wiglaf drives his heels into the horseâ¦his mighty steed jumps for the far edge of the gorgeâ¦but isn't going to make itâ¦

So, Wiglaf leaps from the stirrups, flips over the horse's headâ¦and lands on the cliff ledgeâ¦the horse bellies into the ledge, kicking and flailingâ¦

Using all his strength, Wiglaf pulls the horse by the reins, up over the ledge to safety. He leaps into the saddle and speeds awayâ¦

94 EXT. KING BEOWULF'S CASTLE ARCH-BRIDGE

WEALTHOW runs with URSULA toward the opposite towerâ¦

THE DRAGON snarls, barring its teethâ¦setting its wings to slowâ¦it draws a bead on the two womenâ¦

BEOWULF cinches the chain around his wrist, pushes off, and jumps onto the dragon's wingâ¦he draws his dagger and stabs the creature's webbed wingâ¦suddenly he's sliding down the wing, like Captain Blood cutting the sail of the ship.

The tear in its wing causes the Dragon to spiral out of controlâ¦looping Beowulf (and the chain) around its neckâ¦creating a choke-chain LEASH!!

BLUE Rev. 2005-09-11 108.

THE DRAGON recovers from the spin, lurching Beowulf to an abrupt stopâ¦inches above the pointed tip of a castle flag standard.

The creature seems to LAUGH, now climbing straight upâ¦to the bridgeâ¦and the two fleeing women.

WEALTHOW sees the Dragon taking aimâ¦she and Ursula cling to each otherâ¦both terrified!!

THE DRAGON rears back to spitâ¦

BEOWULF swings on the chain as his body slaps against the dragon's scaly breast-boneâ¦

THE DRAGON SPEWS its deadly fire. The flame ROARS through its gullet causes the thin skin at the center of its neck to GLOW!!!

BEOWULF sees thisâ¦THE SOFT SPOT! Under the dragon's neck!! Beowulf draws his daggerâ¦

THE DEMON'S FIRE-BALL surges toward the bridgeâ¦

WEALTHOW AND URSULA dive out of the way, in the opposite directionâ¦THE FIRE-BALL HITS THE BRIDGEâ¦missing the women, but cutting off their escapeâ¦the flame singeing their gowns.

At that momentâ¦

BEOWULF SLICES OPEN THE DRAGON'S THROATâ¦right at the SOFT SPOT! He looks inside the woundâ¦just beyond the trachea, behind a transparent membraneâ¦sits THE DRAGON'S BLACK HEARTâ¦it's the exact same shape and size as a human heart, pumping the demon's black blood!!!

BEOWULF thrusts his dagger at the heartâ¦but the dragon vomits another stream of fireâ¦

BEOWULF

(screams in pain)

AAAaahhh!!!!!

THE FIRE SEARS BEOWULF'S HAND and the dagger is belched out with the fireâ¦

THE FIRE-BALL SPLATTERS in front of the fleeing womenâ¦

WEALTHOW AND URSULA ARE TRAPPED between two pillars of fireâ¦there's no way to escape!!

BLUE Rev. 2005-09-11 109.

THE DRAGON narrows its eyes, its mouth forming a malevolent smirkâ¦moving in for the killâ¦

BEOWULF dangles helplessly from the chainâ¦

THE TWO WOMEN hold each other tightlyâ¦

THE DRAGON cocks its head to spit, butâ¦

COUGHS AND CHOKESâ¦AND SPITTLES OUT a weak, limp flameâ¦the bulk of demon's hydrogen gas blowing though the wound in its neck.

THE DRAGON SCREAMS IN RAGE and STRIKES AT THE WOMENâ¦its jaws wide open, bearing its fangsâ¦

THE WOMEN dive to the ground and squeeze against the inside wallâ¦

THE DRAGON SNAPSâ¦missing themâ¦but taking a hug bite out of the stone railing behind themâ¦

BEOWULF thrusts his charred hand into the dragon's wound in a desperate attempt to grab the creatures heartâ¦but it's more than a foot out of reachâ¦the chain wrapped around his wrist like a hand-cuffâ¦he can't reach any further.

THE WOMEN tuck against the wallâ¦

THE DRAGON snaps at them againâ¦

BEOWULF CRIES OUT in frustration.

BEOWULF (CONT'D)

NOOOOooo!!!!!

But thenâ¦

OLD WIGLAF (O.S.)

MY LORD!!!

BEOWULF seesâ¦

95 EXT. KING BEOWULF'S CASTLE

OLD WIGLAFâ¦riding up under the dragon, holding a charged bow, with a long dagger lashed to its arrow.

WIGLAF lets the arrow flyâ¦a perfect shot, straight at the dragon's woundâ¦butâ¦