King Kong Page #12

The NATIVES ROAR like spectators in a gladiator's arena.

KONG leans over ANN ... The strength suddenly drains out of her legs

and she SLUMPS between the pillars. KONG reaches forward and with an

almost delicate touch, he lifts her in his hand. She SCREAMS as she

rises into the air ... TOWARDS HIS MOUTH. He ROARS at her, and turns

abruptly back to the JUNGLE.

The NATIVES CHANT "KONG ... KONG ... KONG"

SUDDENLY! BAM! BAM! BAM! NATIVES topple in a BURST OF GUNFIRE!

EXT. NATIVE CITY - NIGHT

JACK is leading the charge into the RUINED CITY! 40 GUYS - most armed

with TOMMY GUNS - are blazing in all directions! The NATIVES flee in a

MAD PANIC as JACK runs straight for the GATE.

He rushes up to a small OBSERVATION GRILL ...

JACK'S POV KONG disappearing into the JUNGLE clutching ANN - she is

SCREAMING and KICKING.

JACK turns back to the SAILORS ...

JACK:

(urgent)

Ann's alive! Quick!

JACK backs away from the wall, and starts FIRING his TOMMY GUN at the

BOLT securing the WOODEN GATE. OTHER SAILORS join in, SPLINTERING the

TIMBERS in a HAIL OF LEAD.

Ail 40 SAILORS push the HUGE GATE and it slowly OPENS, exposing the

JUNGLE beyond. DENHAM runs up, SWEATING AND PANTING.

DENHAM:

Did you see her?

JACK:

Yeah, I saw her ... she was carried into the jungle by ... an animal.

DENHAM:

(worried)

What was it, Jack?

JACK HESITATES ...

JACK:

An ape ... some kind of ape.

DENHAM sighs with relief ... He turns to the SAILORS.

DENHAM:

(heroic)

Did you hear that, boys? We're looking for a monkey! Englehorn -stay

here with twenty men. Keep the natives at bay. The rest of you, follow

me!

(to HERB)

Cut! Was that great or what?

HERB has been FILMING DENHAM!

HERB:

GREAT, MR DENHAM'

JACK grabs DENHAM'S ARM.

JACK:

Listen buddy! Cut the crap! We're looking for Ann, not making a Goddamn

movie!

DENHAM:

Jack ... You get to save the girl and I get my third act! It's gonna be

good for you and good for me!

JACK:

You better not slow us down, Denham!

JACK hurries through the gates towards the JUNGLE, followed by DENHAM,

PEEK, HERB, KURT and 20 sailors.

JACK (CONT'D)

Single file - never lose sight of the man in front!

CUT TO:

EXT. SKULL ISLAND JUNGLE - NIGHT

Beyond the GREAT WALl., SKULL ISLAND is like no place you've ever seen

before ...

The VOLCANIC ROCKS form a JAGGED, TORTURED LANDSCAPE of DEEP ASSES and

TOWERING CLIFFS. The vegetation is THICK, the JUNGLE DARK. ANCIENT

KNARLED TREES twist out of the ground, thick LICHEN and long MOSSES

hang form branches and TANGLED VINES. STEAM RISES from festering

SWAMPS[PS ... DEEPER into the island, the steam is VOLCANIC - hissing

out of FISSURES and BUBBLING MUD POOLS. The way light and contrast

plays on the landscape is reminiscent of the etchings of 19th century

artist Gustave Dore.

It is into this "Jurassic Park from Hell" that JACK leads DENHAM and

the party of TWENTY SAILORS. HERB is limping along with the heavy

CAMERA & TRIPOD on his shoulder.

DENHAM suddenly looses his footing and SPRAWLS ON THE GROUND ... his

EYES WIDEN at the sight of the deep KONG FOOTPRINT he has just stepped

in.

DENHAM:

Holy sh*t! Look at the size of that!

JACK:

That's your monkey, Denham.

DENHAM:

Kong ...

DENHAM'S EYES meet JACK'S - he is scared. So are the SAILORS ...

everyone suddenly has their FINGERS ON THE TRIGGER, eyes nervously

scanning the THICK JUNGLE.

A NOISE! Cracking BRANCHES ... heavy FOOTSTEPS The SAILORS PANIC! The

start FIRING in ALL DIRECTIONS, the flashes from TOMMY GUNS and RIFLES,

blinding in the darkness.

JACK:

(yelling))

Hey! Stop! Cut it out!

SILENCE ... Smoke drifts away from the guns as the GROUP listens for

SOUNDS ...

Like a pair of mighty trees being felled, Two DEAD prehistoric

creatures - 30 foot tall LAMBEOSAURS -suddenly topple out of the gloomy

foliage and THUD TO THE GROUND in front of the startled SAILORS!!

They warily approach the DEAD DINOSAURS ...

DENHAM:

Hey! I thought these things were supposed to be extinct!

JACK:

(dryly))

They are now.

JACK and the SAILORS look in awe at the bodies of the HUGE BEASTS. JACK

pulls a LEAFY BRANCH out of a LAMBEOSAUR's MOUTH.

JACK (CONT'D)

They were just tasting the berries.

DENHAM:

(grunts)

Yeah? ... Well, I gave 'em a taste of American lead ... and I don't see

'em coming back for seconds!

CUT TO:

EXT. NATURAL AMPHITHEATER - NIGHT

KONG climbs down into a ROCKY HOLLOW - a vine-strewn natural

AMPHITHEATER. He DROPS ANN TO THE GROUND, and stands over her, poised

on his knuckles.

ANN Looks up at KONG ... She doesn't move ... He leans over her and

ROARS! ANN suddenly scrambles to her feet and RUNS! Within seconds KONG

has

OVERTAKEN HER and blocked her path ... ANN turns and runs in the other

direction. Again KONG blocks her path - it is clear that he is playing

CAT AND MOUSE.

ANN trips on something and falls over - A HUMAN RIB-CAGE juts out of

the MUDDY GROUND. ANN sobs as she SEES ALL AROUND HUMAN BONES, some

still encased in the remnants of BRIDAL DRESS and HEAD-WEAR ...

This place is KONG'S KILLING GROUND!

KONG scoops ANN up ... lifts her TOWARDS HIS MOUTH! She SCREAMS and

struggles in his grip. His MOUTH OPENS and she KICKS and BEATS HIS

FINGERS in a seemingly hopeless attempt to fight for her life.

Suddenly ... The NATIVE HEADDRESS FALLS OFF. Her LONG BLONDE HAIR falls

onto her shoulders.

KONG suddenly pauses ... ANN is frozen - she is looking into KONG'S

EYES, trying to anticipate his next move.

ANN:

(scarcely audible)

"Lullaby and good night, Go to bed and sleep tight ...

KONG TOUCHES HER HAIR, as if mesmerized ...

ANN (CONT'D)

Pleasant dreams until dawn."

KONG'S LIPS peel back, exposing HUGE TEETH and PINK GUMS.

KONG suddenly pulls ANN PROTECTIVELY to his breast, ROARS FieRCELY and

DISAPPEARS into the DARK JUNGLE.

CUT TO:

EXT. SKULL ISLAND VISTA - DAWN

The SUN rises over the ROCKY CRAGS of SKULL MOUNTAIN.

EXT. PINNACLE VALLEY - MORNING

CLOSE ON KONG'S FOOTPRINT ... in a SANDY dried-up stream bed. JACK

looks up at the direction KONG has taken ...

The tracks head towards a SHEER CLIFF on the side of a NARROW, DRY

VALLEY, an area deep in the heart of SKULL ISLAND, dominated by

spectacular PINNACLES of STONE, jutting out of the ground like giant

fingers. The VALLEY is less than 75 feet wide, flanked by sheer,

seemingly unscalable cliffs.

JACK wipes the sweat from his brow, looking for a possible route up the

cliff. Further down the valley, DENHAM and the SAILORS are grouped

around the camera ...

CLOSE ON An ANKYLOSAUR is being PELTED WITH STONES ...

HERB is filming, whilst DENHAM and the SAILORS try to coax some action

out of the slow-witted, cow-sized DINOSAUR ... It staggers around in

confusion.

DENHAM:

(frustrated)

People'il think it's a Goddamn guy in a suit!

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