Kubo and the Two Strings Page #7

MONKEY *

Kubo...You were talking in your *

sleep. You were dreaming...calling *

out to your father. *

(MORE)

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MONKEY (CONT'D)

And then the paper flew out of your *

bag and folded itself into... him. *

She is pointing at a figure, standing smartly to attention at

Kubo’s feet. It is LITTLE HANZO, only bigger, fashioned out

of several sheets of paper folded together.

Still a bit puzzled, Kubo steps over to inspect the origami.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

He’s been standing there for hours.

Quietly judging us. I’m not even

sure this counts as origami. I

could swear scissors were involved.

Kubo reaches out to touch the origami, but Little Hanzo

parries his hand, blocking it with his paper sword before *

marching away somewhat huffily.

KUBO:

Ow! Back home in the cave, it was *

my mother’s dreams that did this.

And the paper always unfolded

itself by morning.

They both look over as Little Hanzo climbs on top of Kubo’s

bag and strikes a regal pose, pointing his sword in the

direction of the blow hole.

MONKEY:

What’s that about?

Struck by an impulse, Kubo suddenly reaches forward and turns

the bag that Little Hanzo is standing on slightly, so that *

the figure is now pointing his sword in a different

direction. Little Hanzo immediately moves back into his *

previous position, pointing his sword in the direction of the *

blow hole. *

Kubo moves the origami again, so he’s pointing away from the *

blow hole. And again, Little Hanzo immediately moves back *

into his previous position, pointing his sword in the *

direction of the blow hole. *

KUBO *

What are you doing? *

Little Hanzo gives Kubo the origami equivalent of an

exasperated glance, then points his sword at Kubo, and then *

towards the blow hole again. He then GESTURES impatiently *

with his sword, as if to say, “Come on already, let’s go!” *

Kubo and Monkey share a glance, realizing what this means.

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KUBO (CONT’D)

I guess this is how my father

answered me.

Monkey takes a breath.

MONKEY:

I’m tempted to say that entrusting

our fate to the guidance of a small

paper man seems like a bad idea.

(shrugs)

But it’s the best bad idea we have. *

Their diminutive guide climbs up and out of the blow hole *

first, followed closely by Kubo and Monkey. *

(1700 PMP) PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT *

EXT. FOOTHILLS - DAY

Little Hanzo remains perched on Kubo’s shamisen, pointing the

way beyond the glacier’s broken edge. The ground rises and

rolls through a series of foothills stepping up to a

mountainous wall of cliffs, upon which snow blazes bright in

the midday sun.

Kubo looks up at the sound of melodic CHIRPING above him and

spies a bird, fluttering overhead. *

Kubo has never seen anything quite like it and lags behind,

taking up his shamisen.

As Kubo plucks the strings, a few sheets of paper spring up

out of his bag, folding themselves into a paper duplicate of

the live bird, which soars up to greet its twin. *

Kubo gives a joyous LAUGH that makes Monkey stop in her

tracks. She turns, scowling, only to see the boy skipping and

GIGGLING through the snow as he plays his shamisen. A

contented child, concerns momentarily forgotten.

She sits down to watch, allowing him this moment of relief.

Exhilarated, Kubo plays faster on his instrument, and more

paper shoots out of his bag, spiraling up and forming a

glorious cloud of paper birds in the sky. Startled, the bird

darts away into the clouds.

Kubo’s birds fly and frolic at his command, glittering in the

sunlight, pirouetting through the air in a dazzling dance of

paper wings.

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Kubo is thrilled, and from her perch across the way, Monkey

is also mesmerized.

Kubo falls on his back, CACKLING, facing up into the bright

blue sky as his magnificent flock flutters overhead.

And then Monkey’s face is looking down on him. Serious, of

course, but also a little curious.

MONKEY:

You’re growing stronger.

Kubo LAUGHS. He feels it.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

You might not want to look quite so

pleased about that.

She sits him up, ushering him onto his feet and brushing down

his robe.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

We grow stronger. The world grows

more dangerous. Life has a way of

keeping things balanced.

Kubo reacts to this cynical wisdom by making a face.

KUBO:

Monkey, do you ever say anything

encouraging?

MONKEY:

I encourage you not to die.

Monkey licks her hand, smooths down Kubo’s hair and walks

away.

KUBO:

(Mocking under his breath)

I encourage you not to die.

As Kubo follows Monkey, something spies on them from behind a

nearby rock. Something big and spiky with freakish claws. Its

gaze seems to be fixed on Hanzo Origami.

Unaware, Kubo is hatching a mischievous idea. As he walks

behind Monkey he delicately PLUCKS the strings on his

shamisen, and one of his paper birds stealthily breaks away

from the flock and dives down from the sky, nipping Monkey

playfully on her backside.

Monkey whirls around, searching for the culprit. But the bird

has already soared up and into the clouds again.

*

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*

*

*

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Monkey gives Kubo a suspicious look. Kubo stares back

innocently. Swats his neck as if killing a bug.

KUBO (CONT’D)

Mosquitos. Annoying.

With no evidence to convict, Monkey turns back around.

But now Kubo notices that, unbidden by him, more birds are

swooping down for a second assault on Monkey, and as they

dive down they reform into three huge paper mosquitos.

They’re already circling Monkey, but just as they get close

enough to strike, Monkey springs into action. Without turning

around, she shoots out an arm and snatches the first

mosquito, grabs the second with her foot and launches into an

amazing back flip to finish off the third.

She approaches Kubo, smoothing out the crumpled paper.

KUBO (CONT’D)

Wasn’t me. I swear.

She returns the paper to Kubo’s bag.

MONKEY:

Paper runs out. As does patience.

KUBO:

I didn’t ask them to do that.

(mutters)

The second time.

Monkey gives Kubo a skeptical look.

KUBO (CONT’D)

I didn’t. At least, not exactly. I

mean, I felt it, but...

MONKEY:

Magic is not meant to be easy. You

need to learn control. Concentrate

on what you’re doing. And always

remember...

She leans in real close.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

Don’t mess with the Monkey.

She raises her eyebrows by way of punctuation but remains

staunchly straight-faced.

A beat, and then she nonchalantly turns and resumes walking.

*

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EXT. CLIFFSIDE - DAY

Fragmented remnants of colossal statues that once guarded the

cliffs litter the landscape, dwarfing Monkey and Kubo as they

approach, Monkey endlessly lecturing. Enormous heads peek out

of snowdrifts. Ancient broken limbs reach among the rocks.

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