Into the Woods Page #13

The BIRDS enter the picture frame, more and more, their

CAWING rising to a crescendo until their flapping wings are

all we see.

EXT. MARSHLAND - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

RAPUNZEL is alone in a mossy bower on an isolated island in

the middle of swamp waters filled with POISONOUS SNAKES. She

hums a sad refrain.

BAKER (V.O.)

As for Rapunzel, the Witch had

banished her to a swamp in the darkest

depths of the forest.

ANOTHER ANGLE. The R-PRINCE with a ragged scarf wrapped

around his now blinded eyes, sits slumped over on his horse

as the animal navigates its way through the marshy expanse.

The R-PRINCE lifts his head as he hears RAPUNZEL’S singing.

Could it be? The horse, seemingly knowing the way, follows

the sound as the R-PRINCE calls her name.

R’S PRINCE

Rapunzel? Rapunzel?

ANGLE ON RAPUNZEL

She looks up and cries with delight when she sees her PRINCE

across the water.

RAPUNZEL:

My darling!

She jumps into the swamp, fearlessly ignoring the SNAKES,

until she reaches terra firma and her man.

R-PRINCE falls from his horse onto the ground.

R’S PRINCE

Rapunzel? Is it you?

RAPUNZEL reaches him and rips off his scarf. She kneels to

cradle his face, weeping.

RAPUNZEL:

How could she do this to you?

EXTREME CLOSE-UP: RAPUNZEL’S TEAR falls into the R-PRINCE’S

blind eye.

The PRINCE’S vision is restored.

R’S PRINCE

(astonished)

Rapunzel!

RAPUNZEL:

What?

R’S PRINCE

I can see you!

The two of them embrace. At the same time, we hear MOOING.

EXT. WOODS - TALL TREES - NIGHT

The BAKER is pulling a very obstinate WHITE COW through the

woods. He looks up at the MOON which is almost completely

covered in SHADOW.

BAKER:

(to the COW)

Come on! We don’t have any time...

Then the WIFE rushes in from another direction, carrying the

SLIPPER.

WIFE:

I’ve found you!

(sees the cow)

You’ve got the cow!

BAKER:

You’ve got the slipper!

WIFE:

We’ve all four!

They hug with delight but are quickly startled by the WITCH

who appears in the hollow of a tree.

WITCH:

I see a cow. I see a slipper.

BAKER:

And the cape as red as blood.

WIFE:

And the hair as yellow as corn.

BAKER:

We’ve done it!

WIFE:

We’ve got them all.

But suddenly the WITCH is suspicious.

WITCH:

Wait a minute!

(beat)

That cow doesn’t look as white as milk

to me.

WIFE:

Of course she is.

A desperate glance at the BAKER. He couldn’t have screwed

this up -- could he?

WIFE (CONT’D)

She has to be!

The WITCH walks over and smacks the animal. Flour puffs off

its back.

WITCH:

This cow has been covered with flour!

WIFE:

(To the BAKER)

What? You didn’t get a real white cow?

The BAKER turns to the WITCH.

BAKER:

We had a cow as white as milk.

Honestly we did.

WITCH:

Then where is she?

WIFE:

She’s dead.

BAKER:

And we thought you’d prefer a live

cow.

WITCH:

Of course I’d prefer a live cow! So

show me the dead cow and I’ll bring

her back to life!

EXT. WOODS - COW’S GRAVE - NIGHT

JACK’S MOTHER is madly hurrying through the woods, searching

for JACK. She hears HARP MUSIC -- and that carries her to

JACK, sitting with his harp next to the mound where

MILKY-WHITE has been covered with LEAVES.

JACK’S MOTHER

Jack! There you are! I’ve been worried

sick about you! There’s a dead giant

in our backyard!

JACK:

There is?

JACK’S MOTHER

You know there is. You could have been

crushed!

JACK:

But Mother, look. The most beautiful

harp.

JACK’S MOTHER

(conflicted)

You’ve stolen too much.

She cuffs the back of his head... then hugs him.

JACK’S MOTHER (CONT’D)

You could have been killed coming down

that plant.

The WITCH, the BAKER and the WIFE hurry towards the leafy

mound.

WIFE:

We’re running out of time!

BAKER:

It’s here...

JACK:

What’s happening?

BAKER:

She’s going to bring Milky-White back

to life.

JACK:

(amazed)

She can do that?

BAKER:

She’s a witch! She can do anything!

JACK:

Wow!

WITCH:

Stand back!

They quickly move away, and the WITCH invokes some

unintelligible incantation, and with the wave of her cape,

the DEAD COW comes back to life, shaking off the leaves.

JACK races over to her.

JACK:

Milky-White. You’re back! I missed you

so much!

The BAKER looks up at the MOON...only a slither left, the

rest covered by SHADOW.

BAKER:

It’s almost midnight!

WITCH:

Quiet! Feed the objects to the cow.

WIFE:

What?

WITCH:

You heard me! Feed them to the cow!

The WIFE and BAKER walk towards the COW and begin feeding it

a portion of the ingredients. Not an easy chew for the

animal.

The WITCH hands them a silver chalice.

WITCH (CONT’D)

Fill this!

JACK:

I’ll do it. She’ll only milk for me.

JACK begins milking the cow, the others watching intently,

but alas, nothing is coming out.

JACK (CONT’D)

Squeeze, pal! You can do it.

He tries harder to no avail. The WITCH goes over and looks

into the goblet. Nothing.

WITCH:

Wrong ingredients. Forget about a

child!

WIFE:

Wait! We followed your instructions.

One, the cow is as white as milk.

Correct?

WITCH:

Yes.

WIFE:

And two, the cape was certainly as red

as blood.

WITCH:

Yes.

WIFE:

And three, the slipper-

WITCH:

Yes.

BAKER:

And four, I compared the hair with

this ear of corn.

WIFE:

I pulled it from a maiden in a tower

and-

WITCH:

You what?! What were you doing there?

WIFE:

Well, nothing. I happened to be

passing by-

WITCH:

I touched that hair! I told you! I

cannot have touched the ingredients!

BAKER/WIFE

(Moaning)

Nooooo...

JACK:

The corn! The corn!

BAKER:

What?

JACK grabs the ear of corn out of the BAKER’S hand.

JACK:

You can use the silky hair of the corn-

71

WITCH:

Yes! Pull it from the ear and feed it

to the cow. Quickly!

The BAKER grabs the ear of corn from JACK, pulls the hair

from the corn and feeds it to the cow.

JACK begins milking the cow again. We hear the distant CHIMES

OF MIDNIGHT begin.

Light pours from above bathing them in a growing haze of BLUE

LIGHT as the SHADOW finally eclipses the MOON. The COW lets

out a BLOODCURDLING MOAN.

WIFE:

It’s working!

JACK:

She’s milking!

The WITCH grabs the chalice.

WITCH:

At last!

The WITCH drinks the potion. She begins to shake. Blue smoke

begins to pour from her and swirl about as if she is trapped

inside a cloud. The WIFE lets out a shriek..

The BAKER looks at his WIFE, her belly begins to grow to nine

months-full of pregnancy.

BAKER:

That was quick!

The cloud that has surrounded the WITCH now engulfs the area

until a brisk wind blows it away, revealing a beautiful woman

standing in the BLUE LIGHT of the FULL MOON. The WITCH has

been restored to her former self, and she likes what she

sees.

The final CHIME OF MIDNIGHT is joined by every other BELL IN

THE KINGDOM -- a joyous cacophony as we:

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