Batman Prologue

[PJ]

Not sure if I'm going to post the entire script yet, but here is an excerpt from my fan film screenplay. A prequel to Batman 1989.

FADE IN:

EXT.  WAYNE MANOR ? NIGHT

The evening is dark and stormy. A full moon appears to dance in and out of blue tinged clouds. The camera moves toward WAYNE MANOR and up to a circular window on the upper floor.

CUT TO:

INT.  WAYNE MANOR STUDY ? NIGHT

A man in his early thirties and dressed entirely in black ? BRUCE - is sat in a high back leather chair. He is visibly distressed, but calm.

BRUCE looks up at a bust of his Father that?s positioned on a pedestal in front of a grand circular window. BRUCE addresses the bust.

BRUCE
How Father? How do I make them pay? I have trained and studied for nearly two decades. All my resources, all my skills mean nothing to them. I?m powerless to punish them. They know no fear.
(Beat)
I would rather die tonight than go another day without knowing.
(Beat)
You once told me that criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot. Then how Father? How do I make them afraid?

At that moment the room begins to shake as if suffering the effects of an earthquake.

BRUCE leaps to his feet.

BRUCE looks to the circular window as his question is answered to the sound of shattering glass.

A swarm of bats crash through the window of the study, exploding the glass. BRUCE is shocked by this strange incident, but realises it to be an omen. A smile spreads over his face as the bats swarm around him as if paying homage to their new master.

BRUCE
Yes Father. I shall become a bat.

The camera pulls back as the bats fill the frame and we cut to:

TITLE SEQUENCE:

FADE IN:

EXT. GOTHAM CITY ? NIGHT

We see the city in all its glory. It is dark and ominous place even from this panoramic vantage point. It looks as if hell has knifed from the pavement and ascended it?s spires high into the sky.

CUT TO:

EXT. GOTHAM CITY ? NIGHT

The shot moves down the massive Furstian spires of the city, sinking lower into the bowels of Gotham until it reaches the rooftop of a warehouse.

CUT TO:

INT. WAREHOUSE OFFICE ? NIGHT

Two men wait patiently in an office off of a large warehouse. The only light is from a lamp on the table.

The first man ? VERNON ? is stood at the desk. He is a bookish looking man in his mid twenties. He is sweating profusely and shifts nervously on his heels. He is dressed in a smart 40s style suit.

The second man ? MATCHES ? is far more confident looking, sporting a thin moustache, glasses and a snappy dress sense. He chews on a matchstick as he leans back in an easy chair. Unknown to the audience, he is the Batman in disguise.

VERNON starts to nervously bite his fingernails.

MATCHES
Will you take it easy.

At that moment two more men enter the office as four more wait outside. The first man ? GOBS ? is a tough looking mobster in his mid to late Thirties, dressed in a 30s suit with trench coat and hat. The second man skulks in the shadows of the office.

GOBS
(Referring to Matches)
Who the hell is this?! I told you before, we meet alone.

VERNON
This is Matches. He?s my protection.

MATCHES winks and chews on his matchstick

GOBS
Him!
(Snickers)
You?re going to need more than that if you double cross me.
(Beat)
So what?s our pet law rat got for me from the DA?s office?

VERNONS hesitates, trying to keep his nerves in check.

VERNON
Nothing.

GOBS
(Enraged)
What!?

VERNON
I?m sorry Mr. Gobs I got nothing, he?s clean as a whistle.

GOBS
Nobody, I mean nobody?s that clean. We all have our little secrets. Isn?t that right Fields?

VERNON gulps loudly at the mention of his name.

VERNON
I?m telling you. I can?t find so much as an unpaid parking ticket on Harvey Dent.

GOBS slams his hands down on the desk and leans into Vernon, threatening.

GOBS
Listen to me you little punk. Dent?s got a lot of money and clout behind him. If he gets elected as DA, he?ll be coming after all of us. When that happens, I want to have some leverage on him.

VERNON
If he?s that much of a problem why not just kill him?

GOBS
Having a DA in my pocket is much more useful than having one that?s six foot under?

GOBS stops, realising that VERNON is sweating uncontrollably and is even more nervous than usual.

VERNON
What?

GOBS
What?s got you so nervous boy?

Suddenly GOBS lunges at VERNON. MATCHES jumps to his feet, only to have his protest silenced by the cocking of GOB?S partners? gun.

GOBS tears at VERNON?S shirt, ripping it open to reveal a microphone secured against his chest with tape.

GOBS
(Outraged)
Wearing a wire. You little asshole. You?re trying to set me up.

VERNON looks to MATCHES, pleading with his eyes for help.

GOBS
Don?t look at him. He aint gonna help ya and neither are the cops you?re wearing this for.

VERNON
(Terrified)
It?s not for the cops. He made me wear it, I didn?t want to, but he made me.

GOBS
Who made you?

VERNON
I can?t tell you, he?ll kill me.

GOBS
And I won?t?!!!

GOBS calms himself and straightens out VERNON?S clothes. He takes a step back.

GOBS
So you can?t get me anything on Dent?

VERNON shakes his head, scared out of his wits.

GOBS
Then what the hell good are you?

Without warning a gunshot rings out and VERNON falls to the floor, dead.
VERNON?S assailant steps from the shadows and for the first time we see GOB?S partner. The man ? CHILL ? is a greasy, sleazy looking man in his early fifties.

As he shifts from the darkness, he trains his still smoking gun on MATCHES. MATCHES immediately recognises CHILL. A look of sheer horror and recognition fills MATCHES? features.

CHILL
(To Matches)
Boy did you pick the wrong job.

CHILL shoots him square in the chest before he can say a word or raise a hand in protest. MATCHES falls to the ground, presumed dead.

GOBS
Let?s get the hell out of here before the cops show up.

BOTH men exit the office. The shot pans down to the floor where MATCHES lay and pushes in on his chest. Two hands come into shot and tear his shirt open to reveal the insignia of a Bat surrounded by a yellow oval. Embedded in the emblem is a single smoking bullet.

CUT TO:

INT. WAREHOUSE ? THAT MOMENT

CHILL, GOBS and two other GANGSTERS walk quickly through the dimly lit warehouse.

At that moment, the lights go out, plunging the warehouse into darkness. The men stop dead.

GOBS
What the hell is going on here?

GANGSTER 1 pulls a flashlight from his overcoat and switches it on. The men make a break for the exit.

GANGSTER 1 leads the charge only to find the beam of his flashlight illuminates a familiar black and yellow symbol. He stops dead. A horned, shadowy creature is standing between the men and the exit, blocking their escape.

BATMAN ATTACKS!

BATMAN disarms GANGSTER 1 and brings his elbow furiously into his face. As GANGSTER 1 drops, BATMAN brings his fist into his midsection, buckling GANGSTER 1 in half. GANGSTER 1 falls to the ground, out cold.

GANGSTER 2 raises his Tommy Gun to take aim at the BATMAN. Before he has a chance to fire it, BATMAN swings a kick and knocks it from his hands.

CHILL and GOBS decide to cut their losses and run, as they do so, CHILL picks up the Tommy Gun that GANGSTER 2 dropped. They head toward the FIRE EXIT. BATMAN turns to face them, his heavy cape swinging behind him.

At that moment, GANGSTER 2 pulls a knife and charges BATMAN. The Dark Knight disarms him and takes him out, swiftly pouncing on him like a cat.

BATMAN holds GANSTER 2?s unconscious body by the lapels as he looks up to see GOBS and CHILL escaping through the fire exit.

CHILL looks back at him and they share a look of hatred.

CUT TO:

EXT. WAREHOUSE ROOFTOP ? NIGHT

CHILL and GOBS burst through the fire exit door and out onto the roof.
The roof is full of dark corners and crevices. Smoke and steam billow from dozens of vents.

CHILL
Split up and hide. He can?t get us both.

The men split up. GOBS runs and jumps behind a wall. He slams his back against it flattening himself as best he can. He raises his gun at the ready.
Seconds tick by. GOBS desperately tries to slow his quickened breathing, afraid it will give him away.

At the end of the wall furthest from him, GOBS hears the sound of boots crunching on gravel. He slowly backs away from the source of the noise.
The rooftop falls silent. GOBS continues to back slowly away, right into the path of the BATMAN who is stood behind him.

GOBS turns in terror to face is tormentor.

BATMAN grabs GOBS by the lapels of his coat and pushes him toward the edge of the roof.

BATMAN speaks for the first time, his voice a cold, icy rasp.

BATMAN
Your partner, who is he?

GOBS
(Terrified)
What Joey?

BATMAN
His name?!

GOBS
Joey. Joey Chill.

BATMAN pulls GOBS closer.

BATMAN
Where is he?

BATMAN?S question is answered by a voice behind him.

CHILL
Right here freak.

BATMAN spins to face CHILL as he opens fire.

BATMAN dives for cover behind a low wall as bullets dance around him. GOBS screams, realising he is in the path of the hot lead.

GOBS
Joey? No!

GOBS loses his footing on the ledge as the bullets strike it and falls over the edge, at the last minute he manages to grab a nearby TV Antenna. It bends with him as GOBS disappears over the ledge. CHILL makes his escape.

BATMAN rises to his feet and begins his pursuit. Just then he hears GOBS? anguished voice pleading for help.

GOBS
Help me! Jesus Christ, help me!

BATMAN stops in his tracks and hesitates for a moment. He decides to continue his pursuit for CHILL who has disappeared down a fire escape, leaving GOBS to face certain doom.

EXT. BUILDING LEDGE ? THAT MOMENT

GOBS holds onto the antenna for dear life as the pole starts to buckle.
Suddenly a black glove thrusts in GOBS? direction. GOBS looks up to see BATMAN hanging over the ledge.

GOBS stretches out his arm, but is unable to reach. He swings again and manages to reach BATMAN?S fingers as the antenna breaks.
GOBS falls to his death, screaming as he goes.

BATMAN looks to the street below just as a car speeds out of an alley, carrying JOE CHILL to safety.

BATMAN removes the speargun from his belt and fires a TRACER at the speeding car. The TRACER attaches itself to the rear of the vehicle.
BATMAN views the TRACER?S signal from his HANDSET.

[Catwoman]

kewl. although the "i shall become a bat" line was cheesier than a can of cheese whiz. 

[PJ]

 

Can't beat a bit of cheese. I'm paying homage to the comic with that one.

I'm currently working on a sequel to Batman Returns too.  I might ask your input since it involves Catwoman.

[Gotham Knight]

A sequel to BR???!!!! Wooooot!

[zDBZ]

Very nice. The Year One lines were a bit on the nose, but a very nice opening.

[PJ]

I should just mention that this excerpt was from two drafts before the shooting draft, so some of the dialogue has been tightened and some scrapped.

[Paul (ral)]

That should be an awesome sequence PJ - especially the flashlight on the chestplate shot!
Might this be the tracer handset you are using?

[johnnygobbs]

Excellent stuff PJ.  I could really imagine this as part of a movie.  I especially liked the reference to Harvey Dent and how the various gangsters are unsuccessfully trying to dig some dirt on the cleaner than clean DA.

I only have a couple of 'issues' and they have nothing to do with the story or writing (both of which are unimpeachable).  My queries fall more into standard fanboy pickiness:

Firstly, assuming that Joe Chill is the murderer of Bruce Wayne's parents in this story, judging by Wayne's reaction to the character's appearance, where does this leave Jack Napier?

Also, why didn't Batman/Matches Malone do anything to protect Vernon (even if the guy was a villain)?  It sounds like Matches placed Vernon in the vulnerable position to begin with, so I'm surprised he did nothing to protect him.

In any case, it was a great read.

[PJ]

That should be an awesome sequence PJ - especially the flashlight on the chestplate shot!
Might this be the tracer handset you are using?

It is indeed.

[PJ]

Excellent stuff PJ.  I could really imagine this as part of a movie.  I especially liked the reference to Harvey Dent and how the various gangsters are unsuccessfully trying to dig some dirt on the cleaner than clean DA.

Firstly, assuming that Joe Chill is the murderer of Bruce Wayne's parents in this story, judging by Wayne's reaction to the character's appearance, where does this leave Jack Napier?

Wait and see Just remember there were two gangsters present the night of the Wayne murder.

Also, why didn't Batman/Matches Malone do anything to protect Vernon (even if the guy was a villain)?  It sounds like Matches placed Vernon in the vulnerable position to begin with, so I'm surprised he did nothing to protect him.

This will really depend on the shooting and editing. Everything in that sequence will happen very suddenly.

In any case, it was a great read.

Thanks mate.

Althought the scene we've just talked about is still scripted. Depending on time/budget the interior sequences may be cut. Instead it may start with Chill and Gobbs fleeing the scene on the roof.

I like the scene, but it's not integral to the plot and it requires two more locations and 3 more actors.