|
70 INT. WITCH’S CASTLE, DUNGEON - DAWN CLOSE ON: A CHAIN. We follow it up to Edmund as he tries to eat a piece of stale bread, but gags.
TUMNUS (O.S.) Edmund looks up, startled. There in the shadows lies...MR. TUMNUS, gaunt, beaten, his hooves shackled to the floor.
MR. TUMNUS Edmund stares, realizing.
EDMUND
MR. TUMNUS He peers at Edmund
MR. TUMNUS (cont’d)
EDMUND
MR. TUMNUS Edmund unwittingly scratches his nose.
MR. TUMNUS (cont’d) Suddenly, WOLF HOWLS CUT THROUGH THE NIGHT. Edmund looks away, trouble.
EDMUND THE LOCK CLANGS. THE WITCH STRIDES IN WITH GINARRBRIK.
WHITE WITCH Edmund goes white.
WHITE WITCH (cont’d) Edmund breathes again, relieved. THE WITCH LIFTS EDMUND FROM THE FLOOR.
WHITE WITCH (cont’d)
EDMUND
WHITE WITCH She raises her wand. Edmund whimpers.
EDMUND THE WITCH’S EYES FREEZE. She drops Edmund to the floor.
WHITE WITCH
EDMUND TUMNUS LEAPS TO HIS FEET, INTERRUPTING.
MR. TUMNUS The Witch glares at Tumnus. Ginarrbrik knocks the faun back. She turns to Edmund.
WHITE WITCH Tumnus shoots Edmund a desperate look. Edmund stares at him for a long moment, then...
EDMUND
WHITE WITCH AN OGRE SLAMS OPEN THE DOOR, STANDING AT ATTENTION. The Witch purses her lips.
WHITE WITCH (cont’d) The Ogre drags Tumnus out.
WHITE WITCH (cont’d) He tries to straighten up proudly.
MR. TUMNUS
WHITE WITCH Tumnus looks at Edmund, confused.
WHITE WITCH (cont’d) The Witch gives Edmund one last contemptuous smile...then turns on her heel and walks out. Leaving Edmund in misery.
VAST, OPEN SPACE SPREADS OUT FOR MILES. FROZEN AND WHITE. Beaver points out over the intimidating vista to a small gray slab in the distance.
MR. BEAVER
PETER
MRS. BEAVER
PETER
MRS. BEAVER
SUSAN
His face goes cold. There, illuminated by the cold dawn lights stands... MR. TUMNUS. A STONE STATUE, FROZEN IN PAIN. Edmund stares, his spirit broken. THE WHITE WITCH, stands tall and formidable in her sleigh
WHITE WITCH
The Witch sits tall in the rear, her robes snapping behind her. At her feet, Edmund cowers. Ginarrbrik cracks his wildly. Track with them as the peel off into the forest.
Mr. Beaver looks around nervously.
MR. BEAVER The Beavers gallop easily over the snowy plain. The Pevensies lag behind, their legs bogging down in the snow. Peter stops to pick up Lucy who’s dragging behind.
PETER Lucy giggles. Beaver stops and listens. SLEIGH BELLS.
MR. BEAVER Out in the snow, the children sigh.
LUCY Mrs. Beaver jumps up and down.
MRS. BEAVER
MR. BEAVER The children turn: In the distance...A ROOSTERTAIL OF SNOW PLUMES AS A SPEEDING SLEIGH BEARS DOWN ON THEM. Peter grabs Lucy and runs for shore. Susan slips on the ice, scrambling. Atop the sleigh, A TALL FIGURE stands at the reins. They reach the edge of the lake. Beaver leads them into the woods. He points to a small hole in the rocks.
MR. BEAVER (cont’d) The children throw themselves into the hole.
Finally, with a hiss of runners, THE SLEIGH STOPS RIGHT ABOVE THEM. A shadow passes over the mouth of the hole. They wait. Finally,
LUCY Peter looks at his sisters, huddled together in fear. He swallows and tentatively gets to his feet.
PETER
MR. BEAVER Beaver pushes him back down. Peter hides his relief.
MR. BEAVER (cont´d) Mrs. Beaver reaches for him.
MRS. BEAVER
MR. BEAVER He squeezes her hand, then slips into the light. Mrs. Beaver comforts the frightened Lucy. Everyone waits. And then...MR. BEAVER'S HEAD POPS INTO THE HOLE FROM ABOVE, scaring the daylights out of them.
MR. BEAVER (cont´d)
EIGHT REINDEER REST IN FRONT OF AN ANCIENT SLEIGH. And there stands...A TALL MAN IN A BRIGHT RED ROBE AND A GREAT WHITE BEARD. Lucy GRINS.
LUCY FATHER CHRISTMAS smiles and shakes her hand.
FATHER CHRISTMAS Susan stares at the man in the red suit, dumbstruck.
SUSAN (fed up) Peter steps in front of her.
PETER
FATHER CHRISTMAS He looks back at the sleigh.
FATHER CHRISTMAS SUSAN I thought there was no Christmas in Narnia.
FATHER CHRISTMAS HE PULLS A SACK FROM HIS SLEIGH.
FATHER CHRISTMAS
LUCY Father Christmas crouches, giving Lucy a small JEWELED VIAL.
FATHER CHRISTMAS He hand her a TINY DAGGER. Lucy weighs it in her hand.
LUCY
FATHER CHRISTMAS The old man turns to Susan.
FATHER CHRISTMAS (cont´d) She tentatively takes a BOW and QUIVER OF ARROWS.
SUSAN
FATHER CHRISTMAS (chuckles) Father Christmas winks. He gives her an IVORY HORN.
FATHER CHRISTMAS (cont´d) She looks down at the beautifully carved horn. She softens:
SUSAN He gives Peter A SWORD AND SCABBARD and a SHIELD, emblazoned with a lion.
FATHER CHRISTMAS Peter draws the sword.
PETER (reverent)
FATHER CHRISTMAS (to all of them) Father Christmas climbs into his sleigh.
FATHER CHRISTMAS (cont´d) The sleigh shoots off across the ice to a chorus of "Thank You" and "Merry Christmas". Lucy looks at Susan.
LUCY Peter stands silent, suddenly serious.
PETER Peter stares at his sisters.
PETER (cont´d)
The group stands on a precipice.
PETER TO THEIR LEFT, A MASSIVE FROZEN WATERFALL looms, huge chunks of ice cracking off.
LUCY Beaver stares down at the disintegrating ice.
MR. BEAVER Peter's eyes flick from shore to shore, calculating.
SUSAN
PETER
SUSAN
PETER Peter scrambles down the hill. Lucy and the beavers follow. Susan hesitates. Then, a distant HOWL cuts through the air. She quickly follows.
More wolves prowl out behind him.
Beaver and Peter exchange a concerned look.
MR. BEAVER
PETER Peter moves aside as Beaver slowly leads them onto the surface of the river. THE ICE GROANS OMINOUSLY. Mrs. Beaver looks at her husband.
MRS. BEAVER
MR. BEAVER Lucy grips Peter's hand. Susan glares at her brother.
SUSAN
PETER A CRACK RIPS OPEN behind them. Icy water sprays.
Maugrim and his pack prowl onto the cliff. He looks from the children below to the WATERFALL above.
Suddenly, A HUGE ICE CHUNK PLUMMETS from the waterfall, SMASHING THROUGH to the water below. They all look up to see A PAIR OF WOLVES picking their way across the waterfall.
LUCY
PETER Peter grabs Lucy and dashes for the opposite shore, but... MAUGRIM AND VARDAN DROP DOWN DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THEM. Peter slips to a stop, TRAPPED. The wolves tear across the ice. Peter pushes Lucy behind him and AWKWARDLY DRAWS HIS SWORD. Beaver rushes to join him, but... VARDAN PEELS AWAY AND KNOCKS HIM DOWN.
MRS. BEAVER MAUGRIM CORNERS PETER, EYEING THE BOY'S SHAKY SWORD.
MAUGRIM
MR. BEAVER Peter's numb hand squeezes the sword hilt.
MAUGRIM Peter jabs ineffectively at the wolf.
SUSAN
MAUGRIM
MR. BEAVER THE ICE CRACKS BEHIND THEM. SUSAN JUMPS to avoid the advancing water.
MAUGRIM Peter pokes tentatively with his sword, scared.
SUSAN
MR. BEAVER Vardan clamps down on Beaver's neck. Maugrim smiles at Peter's predicament.
MAUGRIM Peter looks back at his faltering sisters... ...at Mrs. Beaver's terrified face... ...at Beaver struggling against Vardan's razor grasp.
LUCY Just then, ANOTHER HUGE CHUNK TUMBLES from the waterfall. The surface of the ice shakes, sending new cracks everywhere. Even Maugrim struggles to stay upright... Peter turns to see: FISSURES SPIDER-WEBBING ACROSS THE FALLS' FROZEN SURFACE.
PETER (to Susan) Susan grabs Peter by the coat, then reaches out for Lucy. Peter looks at Maugrim, raising his sword into the air... HE STABS IT DOWN, DRIVING IT INTO THE ICE. MAUGRIM'S YELLOW EYES GO WIDE. JUST THEN, THE FROZEN WATERFALL BURSTS. ICE AND WATER SURGE DOWN THE RIVER. PETER HOLDS TIGHT TO THE SWORD AS THE WATER HITS THEM. CHILDREN, BEAVERS, WOLVES - ALL WASH AWAY IN A TORRENT
REVEALING PETER STILL HOLDING ONTO THE SWORD. Susan sputters beside him, desperately hanging on. PETER PULLS LUCY UP BY HER COAT. The Beavers swim to the floating berg. They dig their claws into the ice, pushing toward the shore.
Then Peter looks down to find... HE'S JUST HOLDING AN EMPTY COAT. HIS EYES GO WIDE. He scans the fast-moving river, terrified. Susan jumps to her feet, her face pale white.
SUSAN She looks at Peter, an accusation trembling on her lips. Suddenly, they both hear a COUGHING FROM THE SHORE as LUCY STUMBLES UP THE BANK.
LUCY Peter and Susan sag with relief.
MR. BEAVER Mrs. Beaver smiles at something off screen.
MRS. BEAVER
A LUSH CHERRY TREE BURSTS WITH LIVING COLOR in the midst of the frozen white wood.
MONTAGE: THE CHILDREN AND BEAVERS PRESS ON, AS AROUND THEM, NARNIA ERUPTS WITH SPRING.
NOT A TRACE OF ICE SHOWS ON THE FLOWING RIVER.
GINARRBRIK He starts to remove his coat. The Witch shoots him a look. He puts the coat back on.
GINARRBRIK (cont´d)
WOLF (O.S.) The Witch turns to see the wolves arriving with Fox. The Witch smiles.
WHITE WITCH The fox looks around nervously. Then he turns his eyes to... EDMUND. FOX Forgive me, your Majesty.
WHITE WITCH The fox turns to her, summonsing up all his bravery. FOX Not to seem rude, but I wasn't actually talking to you. He turns to Edmund. The Witch grows dangerously angry.
WHITE WITCH THE FOX TREMBLES, BUT GRITS HIS TEETH DEFIANTLY. THE SATYR'S LOOK NERVOUSLY AT EACH OTHER> THE WITCH RAISES HER WAND TO STRIKE.
EDMUND EDMUND JUMPS FORWARD. HE STARES AT THE FOX.
EDMUND (cont´d) Fox drops his head. The Witch smiles.
WHITE WITCH She takes the wand from Fox's neck.
WHITE WITCH (cont´d) EDMUND RELAXES A TOUCH
WHITE WITCH (cont´d) SHE STABS HER WAND INTO THE FOX. MAGIC RADIATES OUTWARD.
EDMUND THE SATYR TOUCHING THE FOX TURNS TO STONE. FOX GIVES ONE LAST GROWL, THEN GOES MARBLE. The other satyr breaks for the woods. The Witch whirls and SLASHES HIM WITH HER WAND, a statue. Edmund stares shocked. The Witch slaps him across the face.
WHITE WITCH She grabs his face and turns it towards the statues.
WHITE WITCH (cont´d) The Witch turns to the wolves, seething.
WHITE WITCH (cont´d) The Witch seethes at the burgeoning countryside.
WHITE WITCH (cont´d) A BUTTERFLY swoops near her head. She turns it to stone. It lands in the mud with a THUP.
WHITE WITCH (cont´d) She stalks ahead on foot.
|