The Bloodhound stops, surprised to hear Outlandish. The Hatter
shoots a sharp glance at the teapot. The Bloodhound
understands. He drops to the ground, pretends to catch a new
trail. He BAYS.
KNAVE OF HEARTS
Follow him.
The Knights release the Hare and Dormouse to follow the
Bloodhound. Stayn lingers, still suspicious.
KNAVE OF HEARTS (cont.)
You’re all mad.
He strides off into the woods. The Hatter lifts the teapot
lid.
MAD HATTER
You’re safe now. The Bloodhound
will lead them away.
He helps Alice out of the teapot. She can see he’s bleeding.
The Dormouse spits water, half-drowned. The March Hare coughs
and rubs his neck. Alice feels oddly responsible.
ALICE
I wish I could help you. But
I’m not who you think I am.
The Hatter lifts Tiny Alice in his palm.
MAD HATTER
You’ll speak to Absolem. He’ll
know who you are.
ALICE
But can he tell me how to get home?
MARCH HARE
He’s wise. He’s absolute. He’s
Absolem.
Hatter puts her down on the table.
ALICE
Do you have any of that cake
that made me grow before?
THE DORMOUSE
Do you mean.. upelkuchen?
Do we have any, Thackery?
The March Hare looks under the table, shakes his head.
THE DORMOUSE
Sorry, no upelkuchen.
The Hatter sweeps his top hat of f and puts it on the table.
MAD HATTER
Your carriage, mademoiselle.
AL I CE
You mean, the Hat?
MAD HATTER
Anyone can travel by horse or
rail. But only the best people
travel by Hat.
Alice climbs up onto his top hat and sits on the crown. He
puts it on.
MAD HATTER
By the way, Thackery, how a
raven like a writing desk?
MARCH HARE
If you don’t know, I’m not telling.
Ta-ta, Alice.
They start off. The Dormouse follows.
THE DORMOUSE
I can’t wait to see what Absolem
does when he finds out she’s
pretending to be the Alice.
MAD HATTER
Sorry, Mallymkun. Just us this
time. You know how Absolem can get.
The Dormouse frowns, jealousy in her eyes.
MARCH HARE
Wait, you haven’t had your tea!
MAD HATTER
(to Alice)
Watch your head.
A teapot hurtles toward them. She ducks.
EXT. THE TULGY WOODS – DAY
Traveling by hat is actually a very pleasant way to see the
sights.
ALICE
Your name is Tarrant?
MAD HATTER
Hightopp. I was a hatter by trade
in the White Queen’s Court until
the Horunvendush Day.
ALICE
What happened on that day?
MAD HATTER
White fell to Red. It was here in
the Tulgey Wood…
He looks off as he tells the tale. In the dark woods ahead, WE
see the story unfold.
EXT. THE TULGY WOOD – THE HORUNVENDTJSH DAY
The White Knight holds the shining Vorpal Sword, waiting to
fight the Jabberwocky. He shoots a confident smile to the
White Queen who sits astride her white horse with other
members of the Court, including the Hatter, the March Hare and
the Chesire Cat.
MAD HATTER (V.0.)
The mood was festive. The Queen
was confident in her champion.
And then the woods turn dark as enormous leathery wings block
the sun. Faces fill with awe as they look up at the fearsome
creature. The Knight is stunned by its fierceness and
magnitude. The Jabberwocky fixes him with its fiery
eyes. The
Knight’s hands shake as he lifts the Sword.
MAD HATTER (V.0.)
But fear overcame him. He
dropped the Vorpal Sword.
The Knight drops the sword and runs. The Jabberwocky laughs at
the easy victory. He flicks his longpronged tail catching the
Knight on its horns. People scream as the Knight falls dead.
Then the Jabberwock turns on the crowd,
shooting fire from
his eyes. The Queen’s horse rears, but the Hatter grabs the
reins. He swings up behind her and theygallop away.
MAD HATTER (V.0.)
I helped the Queen to safety and
so I missed the worst of it.
Ilosovic Stayn rides his panther to the fallen Sword and picks
it up.
MAD HATTER (V.0.)
The Red Knights captured the Sword
so there was nothing to stop
the Jabberwocky.
People try to escape. But the Jabberwock does his
work,
rending, tearing, burning. The Chesire Cat vanishes. The Hare
stands in the melee, shocked and horrifed.
MAD HATTER (V.0.)
The massacre was so terrible,
Thackery went mad from the sight
of it.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. THE WOODS- ALICE AND THE HATTER
MAD HATTER
(impassioned)
On that day, I swore I would
not stop until the Red Queen
falls.
Alice is quiet, deeply moved by the story.
ALICE
And the White Queen?
MAD HATTER
Sh&s in exile in Marmoreal
waiting for a champion to kill
MAD HATTER (CONT.)
the Jabberwocky and return her
crown. In the meanwhile, Thackery,
Mallymkun and others like us work
secretly for her cause.
EXT. IPLAN – A BARREN FIELD – LATER
They pass out of the woods and come upon an open plain of
charred barren earth.
MAD HATTER
This used to be fertile fields
But nothing has grown in Iplam
since the Jabberwocky desecrated
the land.
EXT. AN ABANDONED VILLAGE – LATER
They move through the empty streets of a deserted village.
ALICE
Where has everyone gone?
