Kubo and the Two Strings Page #9

MONKEY (CONT’D)

Firing an arrow into a wall is

hardly what I’d call...

Beetle fires four more arrows rapidly, splitting the first

down the middle.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

...Impressive.

BEETLE:

Oh, look at that. Literally the *

first time I’ve ever done it.

He drops to his knee in front of Kubo, all earnest.

BEETLE (CONT’D)

Just tell me of our quest, and I

will quickly demonstrate my

numerous... “indispensabilities.”

KUBO:

Well, that’s kind of a long story.

BEETLE:

You’ve got my attention. I promise

I won’t even blink.

(MORE)

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BEETLE (CONT'D)

I actually don’t even think I can

blink. Do I have eyelids?

Monkey rolls her eyes and takes a breath, knowing she isn’t

going to win this one.

MONKEY:

Fine. Walk and talk. Hanzo has *

found a path.

She gestures at the little origami guide, who has positioned

himself further along the tunnel and is pointing the way with

his sword.

INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNELS, DEAD END

As they make their way through the labyrinthine tunnels, we

catch up on the end of Kubo’s story. Beetle is obviously

enjoying what he’s hearing. Monkey, less so.

BEETLE:

So you used to be a toy monkey?!

MONKEY:

Kubo, I really don’t see how this

part is important to the story.

KUBO:

Yes! I kept her in my pocket. She

was only, like, this big...

MONKEY:

Kubo, that’s enough.

KUBO:

Tiny. And she was called Mr.

Monkey.

MONKEY:

(sulky)

I wasn’t a toy, I was a charm.

Beetle barks out a LAUGH.

BEETLE:

Of course you were.

Suddenly, Little Hanzo leaps from Kubo’s shoulder, runs ahead

to a bend in the tunnel and slips through a crack in the

wall.

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Beetle breaks through the wall to follow him, but as they

round the corner a horrifying monument is revealed: a giant *

and grotesque relief carved into the rock wall. It’s a dead

end, but Hanzo continues to point steadfastly ahead.

BEETLE (CONT’D)

Well, that doesn’t look good.

Kubo approaches the wall, squinting his eye. Beetle is close

behind him, but Monkey holds back.

MONKEY:

Don’t touch anything!

But Beetle is already running his hand over the rock, and *

beside him Kubo is prodding his finger into the conspicuous

empty eyehole of one of the carved creatures.

There’s an ominous CLICK.

Beetle and Kubo turn to Monkey, guilt written all over their

faces. Beetle points at Kubo. *

BEETLE:

He did it.

And then the floor falls away beneath them and they plummet *

into darkness.

(2100 ODO) ODOKURO

INT. HALL OF BONES - CONTINUOUS

In a confusion of limbs and SCREAMS they hit solid ground.

A beat, and then Kubo and Monkey slowly begin to extricate

themselves from a heap on the ground.

Kubo hears a series of GRUNTS behind him. Beetle is lying on

his back, rocking back and forth on his carapace like a

stranded turtle in a futile effort to get back on his feet.

BEETLE *

Okay... *

Monkey SIGHS and walks away, leaving Kubo to offer a helping

hand. Beetle waves him away.

BEETLE (CONT’D)

No, no, no! *

He rocks back and forth a few more times. He’d be red in the

face if he wasn’t already.

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BEETLE (CONT’D)

Yes. *

Kubo reaches over and helps him up.

MONKEY *

Kubo, look! *

They catch up with Monkey and the three take in their

surroundings -

The chamber is vast, with a shadowy vaulted ceiling above and

a floor covered in a wall to wall carpet of enormous bleached

bones. Tibias, fibulas, ulnas, all piled on top of each other

in a tangled heap. Whatever creature they belonged to was

huge. In the center of the chamber, glowing balefully under a *

shaft of light, is a giant disembodied skeletal hand, and on *

its palm rests a beautiful golden sword.

KUBO:

The Sword Unbreakable!

Kubo steps forward towards the hand, but Monkey reaches out *

and holds him back. *

MONKEY:

It could be a trap.

BEETLE:

Allow me. *

Kubo backs away as Beetle scuttles toward the hand.

MONKEY:

(hisses)

What? It’s not a trap if you do

it?!

BEETLE:

Stealth is my middle name. *

MONKEY:

You don’t even have a first name!

BEETLE:

Don’t worry! I got this!

Reaching the hand he carefully reaches across the bony palm, *

and with an impressive amount of dexterity manages to grasp

the sword’s hilt.

He raises the sword triumphantly and turns to Kubo.

DRAFT:
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BEETLE (CONT’D)

Ha, ha, ha, HA! The mighty Beetle *

is victorious! *

Almost instantly, the fingers of the hand start to move and *

close. *

BEETLE (CONT’D)

AH! *

An eerie CLICKING sound echoes through the chamber as the

ground beneath Beetle’s feet begins to shake. The bones are

twisting and jittering of their own accord and rising up. *

Monkey and Kubo hop around trying to retain their balance as

the bones lurch and dance under them. *

Beetle hurries back to his companions, who are staring up

over his shoulder into the shadows of the ceiling. Two fires

are floating high above them... the burning eyes of a giant

skull, peering down as the other bones lock together and

begin to form a horrifying skeletal body, many storeys high.

BEETLE (CONT’D)

I don’t got this....I don’t got

this...

Fully formed, the Odokuro comes to life with a bloodcurdling

SHRIEK, and turns his attention to the three trespassers.

MONKEY:

Oh, for crying out loud. *

She snatches the sword from Beetle, and rushes forward.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

I INVOKE THE SWORD UNBREAKABLE!

Monkey leaps, bringing the sword down across the Odokuro’s

leg in an impressive slashing movement, but the blade of the

“unbreakable” sword shatters into a thousand pieces.

Monkey lands stunned, staring at the empty hilt.

MONKEY (CONT’D)

It broke. *

BEETLE:

So does it just mean the handle, *

or..? I’m a little disappointed *

with the magic sword... *

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MONKEY:

It’s not the right sword, you

idiot! *

Poking out of Kubo’s bag right beside his ear, Little Hanzo

points his sword up to the top of the Odokuro’s skull.

KUBO:

Look! *

Kubo points, as the Odokuro SCREAMS and the flames in his

eyes explode with fury, fully illuminating his head. For the

first time, everyone sees his ghoulish crown: dozens of

swords lodged Excalibur-style in his skull. *

BEETLE:

The Sword! It’s in his head. Hey! *

I’ve got a bone to pick with you!

(To Monkey)

You see, because he’s made of

bones.

MONKEY:

You’re an embarrassment. *

Beetle lets loose a stream of arrows, one after the other, *

but they bounce harmlessly off its bones or just fly straight

through the gaps.

BEETLE:

Uh. This is problematic. *

Odokuro’s outstretched hand reaches down and scoops Monkey up *

into the air.

Beetle unleashes another volley of arrows. They zip past *

Monkey’s head as she is lifted higher.

MONKEY *

Enough with the arrows!

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