The Lion King Page #4

Now see here!

That's definitely out -

Zazu ducks to avoid an ostrich running through frame. Simba and Nala ride ostriches that run away from Zazu.

He flies off, reaching the ostrich-riding cubs, and while flying backwards, talks in their face:

ZAZU:

I THINK IT'S TIME THAT YOU AND I ARRANGED A HEART TO HEART

He CRASHES into a rhino rump and is flattened. The kids race by:

NALA:

KINGS DON'T NEED ADVICE FROM LITTLE HORN BILLS FOR A START.

Zazu falls to the ground and sits on a little perch unaware that he is floating on a log down a stream, headed for a waterfall:

ZAZU:

IF THIS IS WHERE THE MONARCHY IS HEADED, COUNT ME OUT OF SERVICE, OUT OF AFRICA, I WOULDN'T HANG ABOUT

Zazu disappears over the waterfall. He flies back up, irked:

ZAZU:

THIS CHILD IS GETTING WILDLY OUT OF WING

Zebra stripes fill the screen.

SIMBA:

OH I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO BE KING!

Simba and Nala are saluted by two lines of Zebras. Zazu cones flapping after them, and the Zebras and trap him between their legs.

Simba and Nala zip in and out of animals' legs. Zazu tries to catch then. Their heads pop in and out from behind legs.

Simba stands on a giraffe's head. He orders the animals. They obey. Zazu gets caught underfoot.

SIMBA:

singing

EVERYBODY LOOK LEFT -

EVERYBODY LOOK RIGHT

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK I'M --

ZAZU:

screaming

Aaaaaaa...eek

Oooooo...Ow

Giraffes stand in a semi-circle. Simba steps from head to head like he's moving across stepping stones.

Now it's a cacophony of animal movement, all building African "Bushy" Berkley style until Zazu gets caught between two animals' rear ends.

SIMBA:

singing

STANDING IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ZAZU:

screaming

Not yet!

Simba whispers to a hippo, who whispers to a giraffe, who whispers to a monkey:

SIMBA:

Ditch the Dodo.

Zazu gets nabbed by the monkeys, and take him up into a tree.

Alligators open their mouths, revealing the birds inside are singing.

ANIMAL CHORUS:

LET EVERY CREATURE GO FOR BROKE AND SING LET'S HEAR IT IN THE HERD AND ON THE WING IT'S GONNA BE KING SIMBA'S FINEST FLING

Giraffes toss Simba and Nala into the air "Beach Blanket Bingo"-style.

Zazu is being held captive by a monkey family.

Simba and Nala are at the top of a '40s-style sculptured stack of animals. Poor Zazu is supporting the whole mass. He can't balance any longer. The sculpture starts to wabble, sending Simba and Nala flying.

SIMBA:

OH I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO BE KING’

Finally free of Zazu, Simba and Nala make their break for it, as the tower of animals tumbles.

SIMBA:

OH I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO BE KING!

All that remains is one very plump rhino. From below it WE HEAR:

ZAZU (V.O.)

I beg your pardon, Madam. Get off!

meekly

Simba? Nala?

SEQ. 5 (HYENA CHASE)

EXT. TOP OF A RIDGE - DAY

Simba and Nala run in LAUGHING at their success. They are jubilant.

SIMBA:

All-right! It worked!

NALA:

We lost him!

They "High Five" each other.

SIMBA:

I am a genius!

NALA:

Hey, genius -- it was my idea!

SIMBA:

Yeah, but I fulled it off!

NALA:

With me.

SIMBA:

Oh yeah?!

Simba playfully leaps for Nala and they tussle. She flips him. He lands with a THUD! on his back and tries to get up, but Nala holds him there a beat.

NALA:

Pinned ya!

SIMBA:

Hey, let me up!

She does. He tries to flip her. She flips him again and they tumble down the hill until --

EXT. ELEPHANT GRAVEYARD - CONTINUOUS

Nala lands on top of Simba.

NALA:

Pinned ya again!

They are suddenly interrupted by GEOTHERMIC STEAM PLUMES.

BOTH:

Gasp!

The steam clears, revealing:

AN ELEPHANT SKULL huge, terrifying. Simba and Nala both let out GASPS of joy.

BOTH:

Whoooa!

SIMBA:

This is it! We made it!

NALA:

impressed

Wow! It's really creepy.

SIMBA:

Yeah. Isn't it great?!

NALA:

conspiratorial

We could get in big trouble.

SIMBA:

gleeful

I know.

NALA:

I wonder if its brains are still in there.

SIMBA:

C'mon, let's go check it out.

Simba is about to climb in one of the eye sockets. Zazu swoops in to chide:

ZAZU:

Wrong, шу little royal pain. The only checking-out you will do will be to check out of here.

SIMBA:

Oh, man --

ZAZU:

We're way beyond the boundary of the Pride Lands.

SIMBA:

Look. Banana-Beak is scared!

ZAZU:

It's Mister Banana-Beak to you, Fuzzy.

sternly

And right now we are all in very real danger.

SIMBA:

bravado

Danger? Ha! I walk on the wild side. I laugh in the face of danger.

swagger

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

From inside the skull (and much louder), hideous HYENA LAUGHING follows rapid-fire:

HYENA VOICES:

HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE-HEE!!!

Simba, Nala and Zazu react to the sound then the sight of THREE HYENAS slinking oozily out of the skull's eyes: BANZAI, a male hyena; SHENZI, a female hyena; and a third hyena, ED — who doesn't speak but just LAUGHS. (He's the Harpo of hyenas) They are three punks who get tripped up in their own laughs. They slink around the cubs.

SHENZI:

Well, well, well, Banzai. What have we got here?

BANZAI:

Hmmm -- I don't know, Shenzi. What do you think, Ed?

Ed LAUGHS his signature laugh.

ED:

Hee-hee-hee.

BANZAI:

Just what I was thinkin'. trespassers. A trio of trespassers.

ZAZU:

And quite by accident, let mе assure you. A simple navigational error.

Zazu starts to fly, to lead the cubs to safety, but Shenzi slaps at Zazu's tail feathers, pinning him to the ground.

SHENZI:

Whoa-whoa -- Wait, wait, wait. We ain't been properly introduced.

Freeing his tail feathers:

ZAZU:

proudly

I, madam, am the king's majordomo.

SHENZI:

Whoo-weee! A Major Dumbo!

BANZAI:

circling Simba

And that would make you --

SIMBA:

puffed up

The future king.

Royally mocking him:

BANZAI/SHENZI

Oooooo -- ooooo -- king!

SHENZI:

Then I guess we have to give you the royal treatment!

SIMBA:

Puh. You can't do anything to me.

ZAZU:

Er -- technically, they can. We are on their land.

SIMBA:

to Zazu

But they sneak onto our land all the time!

SIMBA:

to hyenas

My dad told me about you. You're nothing but slobbering, mangy, stupid poachers!

ZAZU:

whispering

Ix-nay on the oopid-stay.

BANZAI:

Hey! Who you callin' "oopid-stay"?

ZAZU:

Oh, my-my-my. Look at the sun. Time to go.

The hyenas block Zazu, Nala and Simba, then circle, licking their chops.

SHENZI:

suddenly folksy

What's the hurry? We'd love you to stick around for dinner.

BANZAI:

Yeah. We could have whatever's "lion" around.

amused

Get it? Lion around!

laughing

Heh-heh-heh.

ED:

Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh.

BANZAI:

Oh, man! I don't know when the last tine was I had lion cubs!

Banzai grabs Simba's tail, Ed goes to bite it, but Simba slaps him away.

SIMBA:

Hey!

SHENZI:

Wait-wait-wait! I'm having the lion cubs.

While the hyenas are wrapped up in their argument, Simba, Nala and Zazu sneak away, unnoticed.

BANZAI:

You will not. You can have the bird.

Ed notices the exit and frantically tries to get Banzai and Shenzi's attention.

SHENZI:

Don't you give me the bird!

BANZAI:

Alright-alright! We'll split the bird. But I get the wings.

SHENZI:

Oh, sure. And I get stuck with the bill.

Ed is between them, acting out the exit of Simba et al, vocalizing like a dog whimpering.

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