The Croods

The Croods 12.12.2012 1.

SEQ. 75 - PROLOGUE

FADE IN:

A cave painting of the Dreamworks logo. Push past the

moon to the sun. Bright. Beautiful. The sun DISSOLVES

TO:

Cave paintings of a family of cavemen -- we will come to

know them as The Croods.

EEP (V.O.)

With every sun comes a new day. A new

beginning. A hope that things will be

better today than they were yesterday.

The Croods scurry out of their cave like mice looking forfood. Scared. Fast.

The Croods are chased by beasts across the desert. Theyescape from creatures up trees. They hide behind rocks.

EEP (V.O.)

But not for me. My name’s Eep. This, is

my family, the Croods. If you weren’t

clued in already by the animal skins and

sloping foreheads - we’re cavemen. Most

days we spend in our cave, in the dark.

Night after night, day after day. Yep.

Home sweet home. When we did go out, westruggled to find food in a harsh and

hostile world. And I struggled to

survive my family.

The Croods are chased by beasts across the desert. Theyescape from creatures up trees. They hide behind rocks.

EEP (V.O.)

We were the last ones around. There used

to be neighbors. The Gorts, smashed by a

mammoth. The Horks, swallowed by a sand

snake. The Erfs, mosquito bite. Throgs,

common cold. And, the Croods. That’s

us. The Croods made it...

Grug protects his family from a GIANT BEAR OWL.

EEP (V.O.)

Because of my Dad. He was strong... and

he followed the rules.

A shadow falls across their feet and Grug ushers his

family home.

The Croods 12.12.2012 2.

EEP (V.O.)

... the ones painted on the cave walls.

Anything new is bad, curiosity is bad,

going out at night is bad. Basically,

anything fun is bad. Welcome to my

world.

They all run back into the cave where Grug slams the rock

door closed.

SLOWLY LIGHT ON CAVE PAINTINGS COMES UP AGAIN. But this

time the light casts an ominous tone.

EEP (V.O.)

But this is a story about how all that

changed in an instant.

RAPID SHOTS OF THE GREAT SPLIT CUTTING THROUGH THE LAND.

HEADED TOWARDS CROOD VALLEY.

SHOTS OF CATACLYSM. CUT FASTER AND FASTER UNTIL...

EEP (V.O.)

Because what we didn’t know, was that our

world was about to come to an end. And

there were no rules on our cave walls to

prepare us for that.

CAVEMAN HANDS PRESS against the rock wall. They PUSH. A

BLINDING LIGHT FLOODS the screen.

CUT TO:

SEQ. 100 - MEET THE CROODS

A HUGE CAVEMAN, GRUG, RUSHES forward, screaming,

growling, and throwing handfuls of dirt in a THREAT

DISPLAY. He BLINKS in the bright morning light. He

LIFTS and HURLS a large boulder.

GRUG:

Raaaaar grooooOOOOoooowwwll ERF ERF

Glaaaaaabbbbllllllllthhhh!

As suddenly as he began, Grug stops. Panting, he waits

for the echoes of his outburst to fade.

Grug TURNS to the cave entrance, he prepares to BELLOW a

signal, but before any sound escapes his lips-

A CAVE GIRL, EEP, bursts from the cave.

The Croods 12.12.2012 3.

GRUG (CONT’D)

You’re supposed to wait for my signal

Eep. Eep?

Eep scares a pack of nearby Liyotes away. They pounce on

Grug briefly before scampering off. Eep spreads out on

an overhanging rock. She BASKS IN THE SUN.

EEP:

We’ve been in that cave forever.

GRUG:

Three days is not forever.

EEP:

It is with this family.

GRUG:

Eep would you come down here? You’re

being so dramatic.

A LITTLE GIRL, SANDY, charges out next. Her display is

more terrier-like.

GRUG (CONT’D)

No, no, no Sandy, come back here.

Remember the signal. Good girls wait for

the signal.

A CAVE WOMAN, UGGA, scrambles out next. She is mostlyfocused on catching Sandy, giving only cursory effort to

her display.

GRUG (CONT’D)

Ugga.

UGGA:

As soon as I get Sandy, I’ll go back in,

and you can give the signal.

GRUG:

No, I mean, you’re already out now.

THUNK (O.S.)

I am waiting for the signal, dad.

We HEAR the voice of Grug’s nine-year-old son from inside

the cave. THUNK is eager to please his dad and emulates

his every move.

GRUG:

Never mind, Thunk. Just, come out.

The Croods 12.12.2012 4.

THUNK:

(not so fast)

Uhh, but if you don’t give the signal,

how do I know you’re my dad?

GRUG:

The signal isn’t so you know it’s me,

it’s so you know I wasn’t eaten by an

animal.

Beat.

THUNK:

Then why is the signal an animal noise?

I mean, doesn’t that just confuse things?

Grug sighs.

THUNK (CONT’D)

I don’t know... I’m still waiting for the

signal.

GRUG:

Sigh. Hoo hooooo! Hoo hooooo!

Thunk comes out growling, and barrels into Grug. Thunk

picks up a boulder and throws it. It ricochets off the

cliff wall and careens into Grug. Grug gets plowed overby the boulder.

UGGA:

Mom, we’re ready to leave.

(beat)

Mom!

Grug sits up and smiles.

GRAN:

Still alive!

Grug’s face drops.

GRUG:

It’s still early.

GRAN:

And you’re still fat.

GRUG:

Breakfast formation!

The Croods form up in a flying wedge, with Grug in the

lead.

The Croods 12.12.2012 5.

GRUG (CONT’D)

I want to see some real caveman action

out there. We do this fast. We do this

loud, we do this as a family and never

not be afraid. Go!

THUNK:

YAY, BREAKFAST!!!!

COMPRESSED TIME - The Croods RUN out of Crood canyon,

across the wide expanses of desert.

CUT TO:

SEQ. 150 - SMASH & GRAB

EXT. MOUTH OF CROOD CANYON - MORNING

Grug and the Croods come to a stop at the HUNTINGGROUNDS. They are spent from a fifteen-mile run.

THUNK:

(huffing)

Yeah... breakfast...

We see a nest with a huge unguarded blue egg. The Croods

take shelter behind a rock. Grug PEERS over the top.

GRUG:

Who’s up?

Eep’s hand SHOOTS up. Thunk is less than enthusiastic.

GRUG (CONT’D)

We’ll flip for it.

Grug LIFTS Gran on his hand, and FLIPS her up in the air.

GRUG (CONT’D)

Call her in the air.

EEP:

Heads.

Gran FACE-PLANTS, her head buried in the sand. Only hertail is showing.

GRUG:

Tails. Thunk’s in.

GRUG (CONT’D)

Positions.

The Croods 12.12.2012 6.

The family fades back and splits up. They get into

fighting/running position.

GRUG (CONT’D)

Ok. Thunk. Go. Come on Thunk.

Thunk BREAKS COVER. He dashes into the open, SNATCHES

the egg.

GRUG (CONT’D)

Hah! Way to go. Take it to the cave!

Thunk PASSES Grug and makes a bee-line for Crood Canyon.

A Gerf bird smashes Thunk and steals the egg back.

GRUG (CONT’D)

Oooh!

GRUG (CONT’D)

Release the baby.

Eep and Sandy MOVE IN on the bird. Sandy NIPS at its

heels while UGGA CLIMBS up onto its head. She PULLS the

egg from its beak.

Down range, TRIP GERBILS SURFACE. They STRETCH their

shared tail across the Ramu’s path like an arresting

cable on a carrier.

Ugga RISES to THROW the egg to Grug - the gerbils WRAP

their tail around the Ramu like a bola. The Ramu GOES

DOWN hard. Ugga and the egg ROLL forward. The Trip

Gerbils SNATCH up the egg and make off with it.

UGGA:

Get um Mom! Do it for the Croods!

Gran’s cane HOOKS the gerbils in the middle of their tail

and WHIPS them up and over her shoulder.

ON GRAN:

DRIBBLING the egg down-range with her cane like a hockey

player. LIYOTES POP UP from behind hoodoos. They SWARM

in behind her.

Rate this script:4.7 / 3 votes