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EXT.
HILLSIDE – DAY
An idyllic
scene. From behind, we see a man (HE) and a woman (SHE) sitting in comfortable wicker chairs
on a hillside, under the spreading branches of a great oak tree. They are only visible to us at first in silhouette. There is a table between the two chairs. Below the figures, we
can see a large farm – there is a big red barn and a farmhouse.
WNF PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
HE
You have a very nice life here. A quiet life. It would be
a shame if anything happened to... disrupt that.
SHE (dangerous)
Your bodyguard is twenty-five meters away. Even with the
best neural upgrades money can buy, it would take him longer to draw his
sidearm than it would take for me to put my index finger through your forebrain
and turn you into a vegetable. Threatening me and mine is about the dumbest
thing you could do.
A BILL TEMPLETON GAME
SHE (cont’d)
...so I’ll ask you again: What do you want?
HE (icy calm)
You misunderstand me. I came here as a friend.
TABLE –
CLOSE
We see a
hand (HE) reach into the frame and place a photograph on the table. Another
hand (SHE) reaches out to pick it up.
HE
The photograph was taken in Paris yesterday.
THE
PHOTOGRAPH – CLOSE
We see a
black-and-white still from a security camera that shows a crowd of people in
Paris’s Gare du Nord. The figure at the center of the frame is clearly MICHAEL
DANE (Liam Neeson), dressed in a suit and a long black coat.
HE (cont’d)
Your friend, Ms. Connelly, arrived in Paris a week ago.
But I’m sure this is just a coincidence.
REVERSE
ANGLE
To show
KARYAN ARONYAN (Tulip Joshi) holding the photograph. She is seated opposite
SHERMAN HUANG (Ken Wattanabe), the President of Renraku America. DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. SEATAC
– NIGHT
We see
Karyan, in full ninja gear – a jet black bodysuit under a black leather jacket
with two katanas strapped to her back and wraparound mirrorshades – striding in
slow-motion across the tarmac.
KARYAN (voice-over)
...You’re not coming.
LEAH (V/O)
The hell I’m not. If you think you can run away to Europe
every time we have an argument, think again. If we’re going to make this work,
we’ve got to stick together.
We see LEAH
(??) is waiting next to an ebony black private jet with the Renraku logo on its
tail. She is carrying a small suitcase, and she looks worried.
INT. JET –
NIGHT
We see
Karyan and Leah sitting across the aisle from each other. As the camera pulls
back down the aisle, it seems like there is an enormous space between them.
EXT. SKY –
NIGHT
We see the
Renraku jet flash past the camera, quickly disappearing in the night sky except
for the blinking tail light. FADEOUT.
THIS Summer
EXT. PARIS
SKYLINE – NIGHT
The camera drifts over a futuristic Paris skyline.
Although there are a few more modern buildings visible, airships with corporate
logos drifting over the city, and holograms playing over some of the buildings,
the Paris of 2051 looks remarkably untouched by time. The Eiffel Tower is
visible along the Champ de Mars.
THE EIFFEL
TOWER - CLOSER
As the
camera drifts in toward the Eiffel Tower, we can see flashing lights from
inside the platform at the top of the tower, and hear POUNDING DANCE MUSIC from
within.
INT.
NIGHTCLUB – NIGHT
THE MUSIC
IS MUCH LOUDER NOW. The camera drifts across the dance floor of La Tour,
through a sea of blazing lights, clouds of dry ice vapour, trideo holograms,
and beautiful people dancing. We see macho orks, sleek elves in decadent
Eurostyle fashion, tattooed dwarves in leather and drag, cyborgs wearing next
to nothing to show off their chrome-plated limbs, even a few humans. As the
camera moves through the crowd, the music begins to recede. We follow a YOUNG
WOMAN in a short gown as she breaks from the crowd and steps through a pair of
glass doors to a balcony outside.
EXT.
BALCONY - NIGHT
The camera
moves to her side and we see that it is MUIRIN CONNELLY (Andrea Corr), alive
and well, glamourously dressed and styled, but clearly lonely. We see the City
of Lights spread out below her. She lifts a glass of champagne to her lips and
drinks. As she does, a WIND picks up around her, blowing her new hairdo back
wildly. She lifts a hand to her face just as we see a HELICOPTER rise into the
shot, training a bright SPOTLIGHT on Muirin.
THE
HELICOPTER – CLOSE
We see a
MERCENARY in sleek body armor lift a tricked-out sniper rifle to his eye and
take aim—
MUIRIN –
MEDIUM
We see
Muirin kick off her (expensive-looking) shoes in a quick motion, and DIVE OVER
THE EDGE of the railing!
GET READY
EXT. TOWER
BASE / LOOKING UP – NIGHT
We see the
DARK SILHOUETTE of Muirin as she drops away from the balcony, still caught in
the light from the helicopter’s spotlight. The camera zooms up to meet her as
she falls, and as we get close enough to see her face, we see that she is
beginning to CHANGE SHAPE. Shining, irredescent scales are beginning to bloom
all over her face, shoulders, and arms, and we catch a glimpse of a SMILE on
her face and YELLOW, REPTILLIAN EYES as she falls, filling the camera’s frame,
and we WIPE TO BLACK.
TO RUN
EXT. CHAMPS
DE MARS – NIGHT
From ground level, we see A DRAGON, perhaps five meters
long from nose to tail, swoop overhead, causing the crowd looking on to scream
and scatter for cover. The helicopter spins, then dives and follows Muirin at
high speed.
EXT. HELICOPTER – NIGHT
The camera follows along with the helicopter as it comes
up to speed and follows Muirin over the roof of the Ecole Militaire. Muirin
stays low, executing a series of high-speed turns that keep her just out of
line-of-sight for the helicopter, dropping below roof level to shoot through an
alley or cut from one street to the next, just barely above the level of cars
and pedestrians.
HELICOPTER / STARBOARD DOORGUN – MEDIUM
We see the MERCENARY, strapped into a harness, bring a
MACHINEGUN to bear and fire a burst.
EXT. RUE DE VAUGIRARD – NIGHT
At ground level, we see the dragon and helicopter swing
overhead, and we can hear the sound of MACHINEGUN FIRE. The camera swings left
as the dragon plummets from the sky on the Boul. Pasteur with an INHUMAN SHRIEK
as the machinegun strikes its target. In the foreground
of the shot, we see a figure in red
motorcycle leathers astride a sleek, futuristic motorcycle.
EXT.
INTERSECTION – NIGHT
We see
MUIRIN, back in her humanoid form, getting up from the pavement. She clearly
has a wound in her side that is bleeding, soaking her dress and running down
one leg. She looks shocky and panicked, and stumbles as she gets to her feet.
Overhead, we see the helicopter swing around and change its orientation,
preparing to land. Muirin clutches at her side and stumbles into the foreground
of the shot when we see the MOTORCYCLE RIDER from the last shot arrive in the
foreground with the roar of a high-powered engine.
REVERSE
ANGLE
and PAN UP
the body of the rider – now clearly female – to her helmet. It is a custom unit
with an elaborate paint-job that turns the visor into an elaborate CHESHIRE CAT
GRIN with two small green eyes above it. The helmet’s front unfolds like a
flower – a memory metal alloy – and we see that inside the helmet it is CAT
COTE (Jennifer Connelly).
CAT (holding out a hand)
Allons-y!
Grateful,
Muirin jumps on the back of the motorcycle and they take off at high speed,
directly toward the HELICOPTER. We can see the inside of the custom visor light
up – like a computer display – and lines of code scroll across Cat’s
line-of-sight.
MUIRIN
Cat---!
As the
motorcycle streaks toward the helicopter, it pivots to turn the DOORGUNNER
toward Muirin and Cat. Suddenly, there is a FLASH OF LIGHT inside the
helicopter and all the internal lights go out. The ENGINE lets out a WHINE and
we see the helicopter start to list to one side, careening down, as the
motorcycle zooms down the street, threading through traffic at high speed.
EXT. PARIS
STREET - NIGHT
We see the
motorcycle with Cat and Muirin pass. A figure in a long coat and broad-brimmed
hat steps into the frame – we can’t make out any features, but the person is
feminine, slim, and dressed stylishly. She reaches out and places a GLOVED HAND
on the wrought-iron light pole next to her, and we see a BLUE GLOW from between
her fingers. As she takes her hand away, we can see a GLOWING BLUE RUNE on the
metal.
EXT.
INTERSECTION – NIGHT
We see the motorcycle screech to a halt as traffic stops
at an intersection. Muirin, exhausted and bloodied, clings to Cat’s back. Cat’s
face is invisible except for her eyes inside the visor of the “Cheshire grin”
helmet, but we suddenly see them WIDEN IN SURPRISE.
REARVIEW
MIRROR – CLOSE
Behind
them, beyond the stopped vehicles nearby, we see a group of THREE ENORMOUS HUMANOIDS
– FROST GIANTS! – racing along the street toward them.
CAT (V/O)
Tabarnac.
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
MUIRIN (V/O)
What?
THE
MOTORCYCLE – CLOSE
Cat guns
the engine, and we can see the phosphor letters and number of a computer
display light up inside her helmet, scrolling down the inside of the visor.
CAT
Just hold on tight.
THE
INTERSECTION - MEDIUM
We see the
TRIDEO traffic light – a hologram floating above the intersection – suddenly
change, and Cat’s motorcycle races forward with the vehicles in front of her.
As they pass through the intersection, zipping around cars on the edge of the
street and bumping up over the sidewalk, the lights go RED again, blocking both
lanes of traffic. Vehicles come to a screeching stop and several crash,
creating a great tangle in the middle of the intersection.
THE FROST GIANTS charge into the intersection and knock
cars out of their way like they were toys.
EXT. BOUL.
DE LA TOUR MAUBOURG – NIGHT
Cat and
Muirin are really red-lining it now, changing lanes of traffic, leaping the
curb on to the sidewalk, threading between pedestrians and vehicles so quickly
we can barely follow the movements. But it’s no good. The giants just plow
through everything in their path. They’re catching up. We see the fear on
Muirin’s face as she looks back at the hulking giants, as they swat people
aside with weapons the size of telephone poles.
As the bike
crosses the Pont Alexandre Bridge, we see the word NITROUS appear on the
control column and we cut into SLOW-MO for a moment as Cat pulls the
bike up into a wheelie, turning into the path of an oncoming, sleek Euro-style
sports car with a smooth, streamlined shape to its hood.
NITROUS
BOOSTERS kick in as the bike bounces off the front off the sports car, sending
it airborne—
We see the
bike fly through the air, OFF THE BRIDGE, dropping thirty feet to the VOIE
EXPRESSE RIVE GAUCHE – a high-speed highway that runs along the banks of the
Seine. We see in Cat’s eyes that she wasn’t quite sure she’d make it, but no
luck – we see the FROST GIANTS leap from the bridge behind them to land on the
expressway!
EXT.
EXPRESSWAY – NIGHT
(Normal
speed) We can see the motorcycle and the FROST GIANTS approaching in the
distance. As they do, A SHADOWY FORM steps from the side of the highway and
walks straight out into the middle of the expressway. Several (civilian) cars
miss the figure narrowly.
As the
MOTORCYCLE comes into the center of frame, the person in the middle of the road
is directly in Cat’s path! She swerves wildly, and we catch a quick glimpse of
a beautiful dark-skinned woman with long braids wearing a long leather coat.
She has her face painted with white makeup to resemble a SKULL.
Behind her,
we can see the motorcycle slam on its brakes as Cat fights for control. She
manages to stop a few feet short of plunging into the river.
THE WOMAN (French-Carribean accent)
Sparky, git down.
BEHIND THE
WOMAN – CLOSE
The Frost
Giants are almost on top of the Woman. They raise their weapons—
THE WOMAN –
CLOSE
--As the
Woman seems to DRAW IN A BREATH. She EXHALES A STREAM OF WHITE FLAME.
THE GIANTS
Are
immediately engulfed and consumed by the fire, letting out a dull roar as they
collapse to the pavement.
MUIRIN –
CLOSE
MUIRIN (breathless)
...Egan?
CUT TO
BLACK.
EXT. SKY –
NIGHT
We see the
black Renraku jet streak across a starlit sky. Below, we can see a bullet
train, the TGV, coming up to speed as it crosses the French countryside. As the
camera moves in on the jet, we can see that CAT COTE is sitting in the cabin. Green
phosphor computer displays are projectedon the window in front of her. The
camera DISSOLVES through the skin of the jet to
INT. CABIN
– NIGHT
We see
Karyan and Leah standing next to the exterior hatch. Karyan is securing her
combat gear, strapping down her swords. Leah looks frantic.
CAT(over intercom)
Okay, we’re level at a thousand meters, leading the
train... matching speed at 500 kmph.
LEAH
This is insane.
KARYAN
This could be our only shot at Dane.
LEAH
You’re dropping out of a jet on to a train going almost
three hundred miles per hour without a
parachute!
KARYAN (cocky)
The earth will catch me.
She punches
a button, opening the hatch. There is a sudden rush of air from the cabin as
the door cycles open. Karyan leans in and kisses Leah, hard, then throws
herself from the plane. THE CAMERA FOLLOWS HER IMPOSSIBLY CLOSELY, hanging just
a few feet away from her shoulder and tracking her movements.
EXT. SKY –
NIGHT
Karyan
tumbles through the sky, and as she rolls,
we see the JET moving away above and ahead of her. She rolls again,
catching herself by spreading her arms like wings to bring herself into stable
flight. We can see the line of the railroad tracks below her. As the TGV comes
into view below her, she folds her arms and begins to drop toward the train at
high speed!
KARYAN –
CLOSE
Karyan’s
hair snaps around her head in the wind, and we get the sense of the tremendous speed she is dropping at. We
see her close her eyes.
THE TRAIN –
MEDIUM
The camera
tracks with the TRAIN as it streaks through the countryside. Again, the sense
of incredible SPEED as the trees and farmhouses whip by. Above the train we can
see a tiny dot – KARYAN – dropping from the sky toward the train, which is
beginning to pass her by. The tiny dot begins to FLARE with golden CHI ENERGY,
like a falling star.
KARYAN –
CLOSE
We see
Karyan, eyes still closed, surrounded by the golden glow. We go into SLOW
MOTION as the following unfolds: Her eyes snap open and the camera begins to
PULL BACK as she spreads her arms and goes into a roll, bringing her legs
around so that she is feet-down, and she somehow seems to slow her momentum
just as she drops the last thirty feet to the top of the TGV, landing in a
CROUCH. CUT TO BLACK.
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