Beowulf

BEOWULF as told by Neil Gaiman & Roger Avary Draft Dated: May 20, 1998 Registered: WGA/w © Copyright 1998 Hwæt! We Gar-Dena in geår-dagum, peod-cyniga, prym gefrunon, hu oå æpelingas ellen fremedon! Listen! We have heard of the Spear-Danes' glory In the old days, the kings of tribes-- How noble princes showed great courage! "Beowulf" Lines 1-3 Original Author Unknown NORTHERN DENMARK 518 A.D. THE AGE OF HEROES FADE IN: 1 A CAVE 1 A SHADOWY FIGURE, its hands tightly clutching the sides of its head, WHIMPERS with tortured pain. This creature, while humanoid, does not seem entirely human. Its hands quiver and shake as it grasps at its own skullcap, covering its ears...perhaps trying to hold out noise. But there is no noise, save for the creatures own WHIMPERING. SLOWLY ZOOM IN onto the back of the silhouetted creatures bald head. Then, ever so distant and increasing in pitch, do we hear what the creature hears... CUT TO: 2 INT. HEROT - MEAD HALL - NIGHT 2 A ROARING fire of dancing golden-orange flames blazes away in a massive fire pit. Above it, the head of a pig roasts happily away, suspended over the flames by a long sword which runs through its head like an enormous spit. PULL BACK TO REVEAL: Herot. The greatest mead hall in the land. Everything is golden and burnished. The CROWD is NOISY AND CHEERING and happy. We see golden mead being filled from a large mead tub into jugs and then poured into goblets.