A Monster Calls Page #7

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83.

42B

ExT. first tale battlefield 3 - day - continuous 42B

A THIRD SON of the king is run through with a spear. The

screams are terrible. We return to...

84.

43 InT. first tale THRONE ROOM - day - conTINUOUS 43

The King sits forlorn on his throne again.

MonstER (V.O.)

The king’s sole remaining heir was

his orphaned grandson.

ANGLE ON:
the toddler PRINCE, playing with a wooden toy

dragon. The King watches him affectionately. Pan to reveal a

QUEEN, sitting to the King’s right.

MonSTER (v.O.) (cont’d)

The King had taken a wife in

peacetime, his first having died of

heartbreak at the loss of all her

sons.

The KING leaps from his throne to play with the PRINCE. The

QUEEN watches, detached.

MONSTER (v.O.) (cont’d) (CONT’D)

And if the new Queen’s tongue was a

bit sharp, she was at least young

and fair and made the King happy.

We pull back out the hallway we came in and into:

85.

44 Ext. first tale countryside - day - contINUOUS 44

The young prince runs playfully through the countryside, the

King in pursuit. These images continue as the Prince ages:

the Prince with a dog, the Prince hunting his first stag, the

Prince winning his first joust as a 17-year-old.

Monster (V.O.)

The Prince grew until he was nearly

a man, winning the love of the

kingdom for his gallantry and good

heart. But one day, the old king

fell ill.

In the audience for the joust, the king suddenly collapses.

86.

45 InT. first tale THRONE ROOM - day - contINUOUS 45

The King, now in a sickbed tended by the Queen.

MonSTER (V.O.)

Rumour began to spread that he was

being poisoned by his wife. That

she was an evil witch, bent on

taking the throne for herself.

The Queen gives the King medicine. Or is it poison?

MonSTER (v.O.) (cont’d)

But the King loved her and even

with his dying breath, he begged

his subjects not to blame her.

The King has his dying breath. We rush back out of the throne

room to...

87.

46 ExT. first tale COUNTRYSIDE - DAY - conTINUOUS 46

...the Kingdom, in mourning, shadowy rain coming down. We

find the Prince, looking up at the castle.

MonSTER (v.O.)

The Prince was too young to take

his place yet as King. The Queen

would rule as Regent for another

year. The future was uncertain.

The FARMER’S DAUGHTER approaches the Prince. He greets her

with a flower.

MonSTER (V.O.)

The Prince, meanwhile, had given

away his heart-

Conor (V.O.)

(groaning)

I knew it. There’s always some

stupid prince falling in stupid

love, ruining everything-

MONSTER (V.O.)

(louder)

The Prince, meanwhile, had given

away his heart-

The Prince sweeps the Farmer’s Daughter up in romance,

running flirtatiously through orchards, exchanging love

letters, parting with sweet sorrow...

Monster (v.O.) (cont’d)

She was beautiful and smart and

though only a farmer’s daughter,

the kingdom smiled on the match.

We rush back up to the castle, through the hallway and into:

88.

47 InT. first TALE THRONE ROOM - DAY - conTINUOUS 47

The Queen, sitting on her throne, dispensing queenliness.

MonstER (v.O.)

The Queen, however, had other

ideas. She was rather enjoying

being Queen. And what better way to

remain so than to marry the prince

herself?

ConOR (V.O.)

WHAT?! That’s disgusting! She was

his grandmother!

Queen on throne, offering this objectionable plan to Prince.

MONSTER (V.O.)

Step-grandmother, no relation, and

still a young, beautiful woman

herself, don’t forget. The Prince,

however, didn’t like the idea

either.

We rush out of the castle and into...

89.

48 ExT. first TALE COUNTRYSIDE - night - contINUOUS 48

...a stormy night. The Prince saddles a horse and helps up

the Farmer’s Daughter.

Monster (V.O.)

He took the farmer’s daughter and

they rode away into the night-

They ride through the storm, before taking shelter on...

90.

49 ExT. first TALE HILLTOP - night - conTINUOUS 49

...the hilltop where the yew tree stands. The Prince and the

Farmer’s Daughter shelter at the base, under blankets.

MonSTER (v.O.)

Stopping only to shelter themselves

under the branches of a yew tree.

They slept.

Sleeping is pretty clearly not what they’re doing under the

blanket.

ConOR

Yeah, I don’t think they’re

sleeping.

MonsteR (V.O.)

They slept. Eventually.

The Prince and the Farmer’s Daughter sleep. The image stills

as time passes and...

91.

50 ExT. first TALE HILLTOP - DAY - contINUOUS 50

...the sun comes up. The Prince wakes.

MonstER (V.O.)

The next morning, the Prince woke.

“Arise, my beloved,” he said.

The Prince mirrors the Monster’s words.

MonSTER (V.O.) (cont’d)

But the farmer’s daughter did not

stir.

The Farmer’s Daughter slumps. CLOSE ON: The Prince’s bloodied

hand.

MONSTER (V.O.) (CONT’D)

Which was when the Prince noticed

the blood.

ConOR (V.O.)

Blood?

The Prince stands. Blood everywhere.

MONSTER (V.O.)

Someone had killed his beloved in

the night and made him look like

the murderer. “The Queen!” he

cried. “The Queen is responsible

for this treachery!”

The Prince mirrors the Monster’s words. Men approach from a

distance.

MonSTER (v.O.) (cont’d)

He saw men approaching and knew

they’d been sent to arrest him.

Conor (v.O.)

And the queen would be able to rule

on her own! I hope this story ends

with you ripping her head off.

The Prince looks around in panic.

MONSTER (v.O.)

There was nowhere for the Prince to

run. His horse had been chased

away. He turned to the only place

he could look for help.

The Prince looks up at the yew tree.

ConOR (V.O.)

You?

92.

The Prince talks to the tree. We don’t hear what he says. The

tree remains a tree.

ConOR (v.O.) (cont’d)

What did he say?

MonSTER (v.O.)

He said enough to bring me walking.

We rush away from hilltop and down into...

93.

51 ExT. first TALE COUNTRYSIDE - DAY - conTINUOUS 51

...the Prince racing through the countryside.

MonsTER (V.O.)

He ran through the villages. “The

Queen has murdered my bride! The

Queen must be stopped!”

Behind the Prince, the Monster comes, terrifying, huge.

MonSTER (v.O.) (cont’d)

The people were quick to rally to

the Prince when they saw the great

Green Man behind him, high as the

hills, coming for vengeance.

The Prince leads the villagers to a storming of the castle,

the Monster behind them. It tears down the castle walls.

Flames rise, turrets tumble, until we ANGLE ON: the terrified

Queen screaming in the Monster’s upraised hand.

MonSTER (CONT’D)

The Queen was never seen again.

94.

52-52A ExT. conOR’S BACK GARDEN - niGHT - conTINUOUS 52-52A

Conor pushes away the leaves and looks up to the Monster.

ConOR

Good! She deserved it!

He turns to the upstairs bedroom where his Grandma sleeps.

ConoR (CONT’D)

I don’t suppose you can help me

with her? I mean, I don’t want you

to burn her at the stake or

anything-

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