The Lion King Page #7

We hear a stomach RUMBLE.

WITH THE HYENA TRIO

Shenzi glares at Banzai.

SHENZI:

Shut Up!

BANZAI:

I can't help it. I'm so hungry -- I gotta have a wildebeest.

SHENZI:

Stay put.

BANZAI:

Can't I just pick off one of the little sick ones?

SHENZI:

No! We wait for the signal from Scar .

WITH SIMBA - CONTINUOUS

A chameleon enters frame left, crawling on a long branch. The chameleon's weird eye movement catches Simba's attention. They eye each other. As the chameleon climbs from the branch onto the rock, Simba reaches for it. He misses the chameleon and gets hit with the branch. The chameleon moves across a black part of the rock and turns black. Simba steps off the rock. He holds a leaf over the funny creature which makes it turn green. Simba LAUGHS.

ANGLE - SCAR

giving the signal.

WITH THE HYENAS:

SHENZI:

Look! There he is! Let's go.

They slink toward the grazing wildebeest.

WITH SIMBA:

He holds his paw near the chameleon, who changes color as it crawls up Simba's arm. It nears Simba's face and bites him on the nose. He recoils, YELPING:

SIMBA:

Yeee-owwww!

SOUND:
Simba's scream echoing oft the canyon walls. Then the THUNDERING of hundreds of wildebeest approaching.

ANGLE - TOP OF THE GORGE

WILDEBEEST cascade down into the gorge, running directly toward Simba.

WITH SIMBA:

Simba sees the WILDEBEEST flood down into the gorge, a STAMPEDE that thunders directly toward him.

Simba runs for his life.

WITH THE STAMPEDE

The Hyena Trio nips at the hooves of the Wildebeest as the final group approaches the edge of the ridge and spills put of sight over and down into the gorge.

WITH SIMBA:

running deeper into the gorge.

EXT. TOP OF GORGE - ANOTHER VANTAGE POINT - CONTINUOUS

Zazu, riding along on Mufasa's back^. notices dust rising from below in the gorge.

ZAZU:

Look, Sire! The herd is on the move.

MUFASA:

Odd --

Scar emerges from the bluff below, calling to his brother:

SCAR:

Mufasa! Quick! Stampede! In the gorge! Simba's down there!

MUFASA:

Simba?

WITH SIMBA:

Running full out. Barely ahead of the wildebeest. Simba scurries up to the branch of a dead tree.

WITH MUFASA, ZAZU AND SCAR

ZAZU:

I'll fly ahead, Sire!

ZAZU'S POV - FLYING

looking down, over the herd, he sees Simba clinging to a branch. Simba frantically calls:

SIMBA:

Zazu! Help me!

ZAZU:

Your father is on the way! Hold on!

SIMBA:

Hurry!

WITH MUFASA AND SCAR

They leap down onto a lower ledge. Zazu zooms in, directing Mufasa's attention toward Simba.

ZAZU:

There! On that tree.

MUFASA:

calling

Hold on, Simba!

WITH SIMBA:

The branch he's clinging to starts to give way. It dips.

SIMBA:

Aaaaah!

Simba tries more desperately to hold on.

WITH MUFASA:

WE TRUCK with Mufasa as he plunges into the gorge and battles his way upstream through the oncoming wildebeest.

WITH ZAZU AND SCAR

From their vantage above the gorge. Zazu hovers.

ZAZU:

Scar, this is awful! I'll go back for help.

Scar BATS Zazu against a rock. SPLAT! Zazu's out cold.

ZAZU:

Uuumph!

ANGLE - SIMBA

as a wildebeest CRASHES into the branch he clings to. Simba flips into the air.

MUFASA leaps in and catches his son. Mufasa carries Simba and runs. A wildebeest hits him, and Simba tumbles out of Mufasa's mouth, into the midst of the herd.

SIMBA dodges wildebeest. Mufasa races in and pulls Simba out.

FULL SHOT:

Mufasa runs and places Simba on a ledge above the trouble.

Simba is safe. But a wildebeest knocks Mufasa back into the flow. Mufasa disappears under the army of galloping wildebeest.

MUFASA:

Ahhh! Ohhh!

SIMBA:

Dad!

Mufasa is out of Simba's view, so he does.not witness the following:

WITH THE STAMPEDE

Mortally wounded, Mufasa makes a valiant leap up a steep incline. He climbs up loose rock that gives way. He struggles up the incline and climbs just beneath a rocky overhang. He digs his claws in and dangles.

ANGLE - SCAR

looking down at his brother, who clings for his life.

MUFASA:

Calls to Scar:

MUFASA:

Scar, help me! Brother -- help me?

SCAR AND MUFASA:

Unmoved, Scar glares at Mufasa. Hold a beat. Then Scar DIGS his claws into Mufasa's forearms, pulls him closer and whispers:

SCAR:

Long live the King.

Scar releases his grip. Mufasa slides down the steep incline to his death.

SIMBA runs over the rise JUST IN TIME TO SEE Mufasa disappear into the thundering wildebeest. He does not see Scar. He cries:

SIMBA:

Noooooooo!

Simba runs down into the dust-filled gorge.

IN THE GORGE:

Still choked with dust kicked up by the stampede. Simba searches for his father.

SIMBA:

Dad!?

He hears a SOUND and turns to look:

SIMBA:

Dad?

But it is only a stray Wildebeest that runs off. Its movement draws Simba's gaze to the form of his lifeless father.

ANGLE - MUFASA

Simba rushes to his father.

He nuzzles him.

SIMBA:

panic building

Dad?

Nothing. Again.

SIMBA:

sore panic

Dad? Cone on.

He tries to raise Mufasa's powerful am. It flops to the ground. Panicked, Simba runs away a few paces.

SIMBA:

calling

Help! Somebody! Anybody?

Then he runs back to his dad.

SIMBA:

more panic

Dad, you gotta get up. Come on, Dad, stop playing. Dad, we gotta go home. Please?

He isn't sure what to do. He starts to SOB, moves very close to Mufasa and then nuzzles his father and lies down beside the great lion. We hold on SOBBING Simba.

ANGLE - SCAR

emerging through the settling dust.

WITH SIMBA:

SOBBING into his father's mane. Scar looms over him and takes advantage of the moment.

SCAR (O.S.)

Simba.

FULL SHOT:

SCAR:

What have you done?

SIMBA:

sob/explaining

There were wildebeests -- He tried to save me -- It was an accident. I didn't mean for it to.

SCAR:

Of course you didn't, No one ever means for these things to happen. But the king is dead, If it weren't for you, he'd still be alive. Oh, what will your mother think?

Simba sobs harder.

SIMBA:

What аm I gonna do?

SCAR:

Run away, Simba. Run! Run away and never return.

Simba tears off. We FOLLOW HIM.

WITH SCAR as Shenzi, Banzai and Ed emerge from the dust.

SCAR:

Kill him.

Shenzi and Banzai take off. Ed follows.

EXT. BOX CANYON - CONTINUOUS

Simba runs in and evades the hyenas.

TRACKING WITH THE HYENAS

Following Simba who runs to a cliff wall and climbs into a crevasse. They're right on his tail.

WITH SIMBA:

He realizes he's being chased by the hyenas.

Reaching the edge. It drops off to a flat plain that folds out to the horizon. Simba has to make a choice. He leaps over the edge and rolls uncontrollably down to the bottom.

WITH THE HYENA TRIO

Jumping over the same ledge.

WITH SIMBA:

Landing in thorny brush. Simba GASPS and GROANS.

WITH THE HYENAS:

bouncing down the hill, slavering, YIPPING, realizing what they're headed for. Their eyes bug. SFX: SLAMMING ON BRAKES sound as the Hyenas SCREECH to a stop.

HYENAS:

Whoa -- whoa -- WHOA!

SFX:
CRUNCH! of thorns digging into flesh as Banzai lands in the thorny brush with an OOFF! He bounces back up, HOWLING. He's covered with thorns.

BANZAI:

Eeeeyiiike!! Yike-yike-yike! Ow-oooo-eeee!

Rate this script:4.0 / 36 votes