SCREAM 4: Opening Scene Draft #1 By thorney33

SCREAM 4: OPENING SCENE DRAFT #1 EXT. WOODSBORO - NIGHT It is a dark night in the town of Woodsboro, an eerie silence indicating the people are asleep. PULL DOWN -Settle on a shot of the WOODSBORO BOOK SHOP. The old fashioned shop looks dark and empty. ZOOM IN ON -On the front window, there are posters promoting a new book entitled Out of Darkness. Underneath the picture, we can now see the book has been written by the one and only SIDNEY PRESCOTT, victim royalty and the major heroine of the series. The silence is broken by the sound of a car driving slowly up the street. Its an old Ford, headlights pulling closer and closer until it comes to a stop opposite the Book Shop against the curb. The driver side and passengers doors fly open and two teenagers make their way towards the shop. The driver is revealed as CHARLIE WALKER, 17; a skinny boy clearly in the thrust of puberty, long brown hair covering most of his nervous and youthful face. He is carrying a small jerry can and is straining under the weight. The passenger is JILL ROBERTS, 17; a pretty and skinny brunette with a serious expression plastered on her pale face. She smiles with excitement as they approach the door, and Charlie turns to her. CHARLIE Do you have it? Jills smile widens as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a key, presumably for the Book Shop. CHARLIE (CONTD) OK...just to make sure, Im going to ask you one more time...are you sure you want to do this? JILL Youd better believe it. CHARLIE You want to burn the books?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

2.

JILL Like a freakin Nazi. CHARLIE You want to majorly piss off your Dad? Jill looks at the Book Shop before them and scoffs out loud. JILL Who owns a Book Shop nowadays anyway? Honestly. CHARLIE And last, but not least...you want to scare your cousin back out of Woodsboro? JILL Oh, God yes... Charlies grin widens to almost the same size as Jills. CHARLIE Then lets do this. Jill uses the key to unlock the door, and the two slowly make their way into the darkness. REOPEN ON: INT. BOOK SHOP - NIGHT The two slowly walk through the darkness, taking care not to bump into the many shelves of books towering high towards the ceiling. They cast ominous shadows all around the two, who seem to be searching for something. The two turn a corner away from the rows and finally spot what they are looking for; a stack of Sidneys books. JILL Jackpot! Charlie begins to unscrew the jerry can and proceeds to begin dousing the books in petrol. He huffs and puffs with the effort as Jill looks on. CHARLIE (struggling) Remind me...again...why you hate...your cousin...so much.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

3.

JILL Shes an attention seeking whore! Im so sick of it always being Sidney-this, Sidney-that. Why cant people talk about me for once? CHARLIE Well, she has survived three murder sprees and single-handedly spawned the most successful horror franchise of the past twenty years. JILL (cold) Dont tell me youre on the bandwagon too. CHARLIE Not since you said youd sleep with me if I helped you. JILL I said I might, OK? Jesus. Jill grabs a loose book from the floor and looks at Sidneys face with contempt. She smashes her fist into the cover. JILL (CONTD) (angry) Its almost enough to make you want to... Jills voice trails off as she stares at Charlie, clearly in deep thought. CHARLIE ...to what? JILL ...you know...put on the costume and just take care of her ourselves. Charlie laughs, but stops as he notices Jill isnt doing the same. She continues to stare at him with her intense gaze. CHARLIE Youre joking, right? Jills stare falters as she is brought back to reality.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: JILL Oh...duh, of course. Hurry up, would you!? Charlie continues to pour the petrol over the books. JILL (CONTD) When Sidney sees this, she is going to flip out of her fucking mind...

4.

Jill is interrupted by a shuffling sound coming from the shadows, somewhere back in the seemingly endless rows of books. JILL Did you hear that? CHARLIE Hear what? JILL I dunno...I think I heard someone back there. CHARLIE Dont be crazy, the alarm was... The two look at each other in shock. JILL (worried) Why the hell wasnt the alarm on? CHARLIE Your Dad must have forgotten...dont psyche yourself out now. JILL My Dad doesnt forget things. Jill looks into the darkness, slightly nervous. JILL (CONTD) Maybe I should go and... CHARLIE (laughing) ...check on the mysterious noise in the dark by yourself? Shit, Jill; you got a death wish or something? The sound of a book hitting the floor can be heard in the shadows; this time they both definitely hear it. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

5.

CHARLIE (CONTD) What the fuck was that?! JILL Now do you believe me? CHARLIE Stay here...Ill go have a look. JILL You hypocrite! CHARLIE Jill, please...my Dads not as forgiving as yours. If I get caught, Im going to get my ass kicked. Charlie walks into the shadows and into the labyrinth of book shelves. JILL Youre just like Trevor, Charlie...always thinking with your cock. Jill sighs and turns to the books, picking one up and opening it to the front page. JILL (CONTD) (reading) ...and special thanks to my family and friends who have helped me get through so much over the years...Dewey Riley...Gale Riley...my late father, Neil Prescott...my Uncle, Jack Roberts, who drove me to write this book...what about me?! When is the world going to know about Jill fucking Roberts? Jill is interrupted by her phone, which begins to ring. Caller ID shows Charlie Walker. She answers it without hesitation. JILL (CONTD) What is it, Charlie? There is heavy breathing at the other end of the phone.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

6.

JILL (CONTD) Dont tell me youre standing in the dark jacking off over me. Thats creepy...even for you. The response comes in that all-familiar voice, laced with menace and an odd playfulness. GHOSTFACE I am looking at you from the dark. JILL Cut the voice, Charlie. Its not April Fools yet. GHOSTFACE This isnt a prank, Jill. JILL Oh? What is it then, freak? GHOSTFACE Lets just say...its the opening chapter to a new book. JILL What book...The Horny Little Caterpillar? GHOSTFACE How about Die Jill Die? Jill, slightly creeped out, backs away onto the books. She jumps back as the petrol slightly burns her skin. JILL Look, this isnt funny! GHOSTFACE This isnt a comedy, its a horror! People live, people die...and youd better start running. JILL (smiling) Horror? Kirby, you gave yourself away. Jill begins to walk into the darkness of the rows, looking around for her friend.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

7.

JILL (CONTD) Die Jill Die was a nice touch. But seriously...just because you didnt want to be a part of my brilliant plan, doesnt mean you have to come in and kill the vibe. A shadow passes behind Jill in the next row, but she does not notice. GHOSTFACE Ill be killing much more than the vibe, I promise you that. JILL Youre committing to this, huh? Fine...Ill play along with your little Stab fetish, Kirby...what happens next...you ask me some questions, right? GHOSTFACE Thats right. JILL (innocently) ...and if I get it wrong, youll kill me? GHOSTFACE Charlie first...and then you. Are you ready? JILL (sarcastically) Boy...I sure hope I get it right! Jill chuckles into the phone, clearly having fun with her friends prank. GHOSTFACE In A Nightmare on Elm Street, why did the police refuse to believe Rod had been killed by Freddy Kreuger? JILL (confused) There was nobody called Rod in Nightmare on Elm Street!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

8.

GHOSTFACE (threatening) Answer the question, now! JILL I dont know...because he didnt exist?! GHOSTFACE Thats a wrong answer. JILL I told you, there were no characters called... GHOSTFACE I was talking the original, the classic...not the revamped shit that Hollywood pumps out today. You lose... JILL Huh. So what was the answer? GHOSTFACE Instead of telling you...why dont I show you? JILL (scared) What the hell does that mean? GHOSTFACE Unfortunately, you arent going to live to see the joke. And neither is your little friend... A small explosion rocks the book shop, and a fireball can be seen coming from the direction of the book stack. Jill screams and runs towards it to have a look. She screams again as she surveys the shocking scene; Charlie has been strung up above the book stack, suspended in mid air. The stack has been lit on fire and the flames are leaping higher towards him. CHARLIE (barely conscious) Ugh... JILL (screaming) Charlie!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

9.

Jill runs up to help her friend, but as she does two hands shoot through the growing flames and grab her. She screams and looks up to see GHOSTFACE standing behind the stack, mask lit up madly by the flames. JILL (CONTD) No! He tries to drag her towards him, but she manages to push him off and duck around. Ghostface manages to get in between Jill and the exit, with Charlie beginning to wake up in between them. CHARLIE Ugh...what the...where am I? Ghostface takes out his knife and Jill acts fast. Grabbing Charlie, she pushes him towards Ghostface. He throws his arms out to stop the impact, and the knife slides straight into Charlies chest. He is now clearly awake and screaming. CHARLIE (CONTD) Aah! Jill, help me! JILL (in tears) Sorry... Jill runs towards the front of the shop as Ghostface struggles to take the knife out of Charlies swinging form. She reaches the front door and tries to open it, but to no avail; it has been locked from the inside. JILL (panicked) No! Come on! Jill turns around and ducks just in time to avoid Ghostfaces swinging blade. She runs into the rows of books, ducking down in an attempt to hide. Charlie, still alive, begins to scream in pain and fear as the flames slowly begin to lick his feet. CHARLIE (screaming) Jill! Help me! Help me! He kicks out but only manages to light his jeans on fire. CHARLIE No!

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

10.

In the rows, Jill leans back, crying. Charlies horrible screams can be clearly heard from offscreen. Suddenly, Ghostfaces hands shoot through the shelf and grab her around the throat. She screams and manages to struggle away. She runs to the end of the row where she again ducks down, and spots a book on the ground. She picks it up to find it is a copy of Sidneys book. JILL Sidney... A knife shoots through the book and forces itself into Jills shoulder. She screams in pain as the book and knife stick into her. Looking up, Ghostface stands triumphant as she drops the the floor in pain and terror. JILL (terrified) Dont hurt me...please... Ghostface brutally grabs Jill by the hair, and drags her into the darkness screaming. She continues to scream as a close up shot of Sidney on the cover of her book dominates the screen. JILL (CONTD) Nooooooooo! FLASH ON SCREEN -thorney33s SCREAM 4 Almost Famous by Eminem begins to play in the background END SCENE.