Godzilla

FADE IN:

An iguana...

Crawling off its nest, leaving its eggs exposed.

1 EXT. MORUROA ATOLL ISLANDS, FRENCH POLYNESIA - PACIFIC1

Grainy, Kodak color, nineteen sixties documentary

footage of a beautiful Polynesian island. We SEE quick

shots of Kimono Dragons, Gila Monsters and Chameleons

all in their natural tropical environment.

Super:
Moruro Atoll Islands, French Polynesia - June

1968

Incongruously over this jungle environment we HEAR a

static ridden radio filtered VOICE, slowly counting down

in French. It is almost as through the reptiles of the

island are reacting to the countdown as they anxiously

move about.

Suddenly with a brilliant FLASH OF WHITE LIGHT, a

nuclear EXPLOSION mushrooms into the sky.

We SEE a SERIES of REAL shots of footage of some of the

over one hundred and sixty official nuclear tests the

French government held in this tropical region.

Explosion after explosion devastates the locale. One

building after the next, accelerating in momentum,

culminating in one final EXPLOSION.

The cloud-filled sky begins to drizzle. The ash-like

fallout drifts downward onto what's left of the islands

below.

We FOLLOW this ash as it settles next to a dead reptile,

unrecognizable now, and down onto what's left of the

lizard's eggs.

Suddenly the image clears from the grainy footage to

clean, modern high resolution. We ZOOM IN on one of the

eggs as it slowly gets buried in the falling ash. WE

continue to push in, getting closer...closer...

SMASH CUT TO:

2 EXT. PACIFIC OCEAN - OIL TANKER - RAINSTORM - NIGHT2

Smashing through the choppy waters, barely by the storm

we SEE the CORI AKIDO, a Japanese oil supertanker.

Super:
Pacific Ocean, present day

3 INT. CORI AKIDO - BRIDGE - NIGHT3

We TRACK across the complicated computerized

navigational console that is actually steering the

immense ship. In the b.g. we HEAR a Japanese t.v.

program playing.

At the end of the console is the ship's SKIPPER, an

overweight Japanese seaman sleepily watches a snowy

satellite broadcast of a Sumo wrestling match.

Suddenly the SONAR blares out a warning ALARM. Startled,

the Skipper awakes and stumbles out of his chair over to

the console.

The SONAR displays an enormous MASS heading quickly

toward the ship. The Skipper's eyes go wide. He hits a

KLAXON alarm, awaking the entire ship. He presses the

radio/intercom.

SKIPPER:

(in Japanese)

Captain. This is the bridge. We have

an emergency.

4 INT. SUPERTANKER'S HALLWAYS - SAME - NIGHT4

Alarms BLARING. The crew rushes out of their quarters

and into the hall. Quickly they race for the upper

decks.

5 INT. OTHER HALLWAY - BY KITCHEN5

The ship's elderly COOK pokes his head out of the

kitchen and yells at some of the crew as they pass by.

COOK:

(in Japanese)

What's going on? What's happening?

Before anyone can answer, the ship is ROCKED by an

enormous THUD as something hits the side of the immense

ship. The crew TUMBLES as the ship SWAYS VIOLENTLY.

The old Cook is thrown to the floor. He looks up

nervously.

6 INT. BRIDGE - SAME - NIGHT6

The CAPTAIN enters quickly, joining the Skipper at the

console.

CAPTAIN:

(in Japanese)

What was that!?

SKIPPER:

(in Japanese)

I can't tell...

Again, the ship is HIT. An enormous CRASHING SOUND is

HEARD as the ship ROCKS to one side, tossing the Captain

and Skipper to the floor.

Suddenly we HEAR the tell-tale, famous SCREAMING WAIL of

our creature from somewhere outside. Terror shines in

the Captain's eyes at the sound.

7 INT. HALLWAYS - CONTINUOUS - NIGHT7

The crew, getting back on their feet, reacts to the

horrible WAILING SOUND.

Suddenly the ship is HIT AGAIN. This time something

enormous RIPS THROUGH THE HULL, crushing one of the crew

members as it TEARS THROUGH THE WALLS.

Water RUSHES THROUGH the large gaping hole, quickly

filling the hallway. The Cook and what's left of the

crew scurry for the stairs, as the water level chases

them.

8 INT. BRIDGE - SAME - NIGHT8

The ship's computers are WHIRLING with warning lights

and alarms. As the Skipper tries to adjust the controls

in vain, the Captain grabs the ship's p.a. system.

CAPTAIN:

(in Japanese)

Abandon ship! Abandon ship! Man the

lifeboats...

But before he can say anything more, something WHIPS

across the bridge's enormous windshield, SHATTERING THE

GLASS. Was it a tail? No way, far too big.

9 EXT. SHIP'S DECK - SAME - NIGHT9

The doors BURST open as the crew and the Cook rush out

onto the deck. Again, the ship is HIT, ROCKING it

violently.

A TARP:

is ripped away, revealing a life boat. Two more life

boats are revealed behind it as the crew desperately

tries to hoist them up and over the side.

ANGLE - WATER BESIDE THE TANKER

Something ENORMOUS jolts out of the water towards the

ship. Through the rainstorm it is hard to make out what

it is, but it SLAMS into the side of the ship, RIPPING

INTO IT, pulling down the starboard side as it does.

Could that have been a CLAW?

THE CREW:

Are thrown backwards. The lifeboats swing WILDLY,

several of them SMASHING INTO BITS as they slam against

the ship.

THE CLAW:

Or whatever it is, RIPS INTO THE SIDE AGAIN. This time

the entire ship begins to FLIP OVER.

A LIFEBOAT:

Bounces off the deck and slides off the side. Following

it is the Cook.

Desperately, the Cook grabs onto the ship's side railing

to keep from falling off. He looks back and SEES

something so horrible that he SCREAMS IN TERROR and lets

go of the railing.

The old Cook slides over the side as the enormous tanker

FLIPS OVER.

CUT TO:

WINDSHIELD WIPERS

Clearing at their highest speed, we see through the rain

doused windshield, DR. NIKO "NICK" TATOPOULOS. Music

blares from the tiny headphones of his Walkman.

NICK:

(singing)

...I'm singing in the rain, just

singing in the rain...

CUT TO:

10 INT. RUSSIAN TOWN - RAIN - DAY10

The utility van races through this small Russian town

right past a roadblock marked with the international

signs for "no trespass" and "nuclear radiation."

NICK:

..."What a glorious feeling. I'm happy

again..."

As the van disappears down the road, we CRANE UP

revealing a city sign reading: CHERNOBYL, RUSSIA.

11 EXT. CHERNOBYL DIRT PARK - RAIN - DAY11

With the infamously crippled nuclear power plant in the

distance, the utility van slides to a muddy stop by this

field of dirt.

Nick hops out quickly and rushes to the back of the van.

He opens the back of the van and grabs several metallic

cases.

Walking a few yards away from the van, he dumps the

cases on the ground, opening them to REVEAL an

assortment of sophisticated scientific equipment.

Taped to the inside are several photos of a girl we'll

meet later. Some of the photos are of her looking young

and beautiful. Others are of the two of them happily

together.

With a switch he turns on the equipment which comes to

life. Inside one of the cases are several cables

attached to long SPIKES. He grabs them and dashes away.

NICK:

..."I'm laughing at clouds, so dark up

above..."

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