He chuckles and his whole body jiggles like green jelly.
THE CATERPILLAR (cont.)
Stupid girl.
The name sparks a distant memory.
ALICE
Wonderland.
Her daydream comes flooding back…falling, the lushbut off-
kilter landscape, strange misshapen people, a blue caterpillar
surrounded by smokey mist, the wry smile of a man in a top
hat, a disembodied cat’s grin, a weeping turtle, an egg man on
a fence, a griphon and the silhouette of a huge-headed woman
screaming.
RED QUEEN (0.5.)
OFF WITH HER HEAD!
Alice wakes this time with a revelation.
ALICE
It wasn’t a dream at all.
THE CATERPILLAR
Of course not. Stupid girl.
He blows more smoke rings in her face. She waves them away
impatiently.
ALICE
I’m not stupid! And stop blowing
smoke in my face!
THE CATERPILLAR
You’re just as impertinent as
ever.
ALICE
The Hatter said you could tell
me how to get home.
THE CATERPILLAR
Quite simple. Do what you came
here to do.
ALICE
Just because I’ve been here before
does not mean I can suddenly start
slaying things. I couldn’t kill a
Jabberwocky if my life depended on
it.
THE CATERPILLAR
It will. So I suggest you have
the Vorpal Sword on hand when the
Frabjous Day arrives.
He blows more smoke and obliterates himself from view. She
looks around, marveling.
ALICE
Wonderland.
She hears CLASHING SWORDS through the mist. She runs through
the mushroom forest. But she can’t find her way out. She turns
in circles, lost, until she sees something through the mist
ahead, a grin, a disembodied cat’s grin. She runs toward it.
EXT. THE EDGE OF THE MUSHROOM FOREST – CaNT.
Alice eme to see the Hatter singlehandedly fighting three Red
Knights. Stayn watches as they overpower him and tie his
hands.
KNAVE OF HEARTS
Take him to Salazen Grum.
Alice watches helplessly as the Knights gallop off, forcing
the Hatter to run beside them. When he stumbles, they drag him
by his hands. Alice sees his top hat lying on the dirt, but
she’s too small to pick it up. She hears a footfall behind
her. It’s the Bloodhound. She turns on him angrily.
ALICE
This is your doing? He trusted you!
THE BLOODHOUND
They have my wife and pups.
This information barely lessens her anger.
ALICE
Sit!
He cocks his head and looks down at her curiously.
THE BLOODHOUND
What did you say?
ALICE
Sit!
He sits, amused if nothing else. Then something occurs to him.
THE BLOODHOUND
Would your name be “Alice” by
any chance?
ALICE
flown!
He lies down, willingly now.
THE BLOODHOUND
I thought you would be taller.
She climbs up his long ear and sits on his shoulders.
ALICE
What’s your name?
THE BLOODHOUND
Bayard.
ALICE
You’re taking me to Salazen
Grum, Bayard. And don’t forget
the Hat.
The Bloodhound picks up the top hat in his teeth and runs. His
long ears and hanging jowls blow back in the wind. Alice holds
onto the spike collar to keep her seat.
EXT. GUNMER SLOUGH – DAY
They make their way toward Gummer Slough where the Bloodhound
sinks to his chest in viscous red mud. He holds his head high
with the Hat in his mouth as he forges through. Reaching the
other side, he pulls himself up onto dry land. He drops the
Hat, panting heavily. Mud drips for his drooping shoulders.
ALICE
You should rest for a bit.
She slides off. He lays down, reciting quietly.
THE BLOODHOUND
Beware the Jabberwock, my son
The jaws that bite, the claws
that catch…
ALICE
You know the Oraculum?
BLOODHOUND
I was raised in the Outlands.
We all know the Oraculum. We’ve
been waiting for your return. But
this is not foretold. You should
go to the White Queen and prepare
to meet the Jabberwocky.
Alice finally lets loose with her pent-up frustration which
has been building before and after “the fall.”
ALICE
I have had enough of being told
what I must do and who I must
be! I!m going in Salazen Grum
and I’m going to rescue the
Hatter. Are you taking me or
do I have to walk?
So fierce is her determination, he givesup the protest. She
climbs on his back. He picks up the Hat and they press on.
EXT. CRIMS – DAY
Alice and the Bloodhound race across the red desert of Crims
toward Salazen Grum and the dark castle that sits on the
tempestuous shore.
EXT. SALAZEN GRtJN – CASTLE OF THE RED QUEEN
The walls are high and foreboding. A surrounding moat keeps
intruders at bay. Guards are strategically placed.
EXT. THE CASTLE WALLS – DAY – CONT.
Alice and the Bloodhound approach the thick red waters of the
moat. They see large lumpish objects which appear to be the
heads of the recently executed, both animal and human. The
Bloodhound growls angrily.
THE BLOODHOUND
Downa] wyth B]uddy Behg Hld.
They looks around for a way across.
THE BLOODHOUND (cont.)
You’ll have to swim it.
Alice gathers her courage for the task.
ALICE
Wait for me as long as you can.
If I’m not back with the Hatter
in two days…
She trails off, no need to state the obvious.
THE BLOODHOUND
I’ll be close by.
Alice turns to face the horrors of the moat. She lowers
herself in, gasping at the cold.
THE BLOODHOUND (cont.)
We await the Frabjous Day.
INT. THE GRIM MOAT – DAY – CONT.
Tiny Alice swims across the bloodymoat, avoiding the rotting
heads which are as large as boulders to her. When she reaches
the other side, she pulls herself out and vomits onto the
ground. She wipes a hand across her mouth and looks up at the
wall she has to scale, fortunately covered with tangled vines.
Remembering the I-Tat, she calls across to the Bloodhound.
ALICE
The Hat!
He picks up the Hat in his teeth, turns in a circle like a
discus thrower and releases it. The Hat sails across the moat
and lands nearby. Alice grabs a vine and pulls herself up. She
reaches down for the Hat with her other hand. Then she begins
the slow climb upward pulling the Hat behind her. She hears
the Bloodhound BAY his farewell, but she doesn’t look back.
THE WALL
She finally reaches the top, pulling the Hat up. She pushes it
over the other side. Wincing at the pain from the Bandersnatch
wound on her arm, she loses her grip and fall/slides the rest
of the way…
EXT. THE QUEEN’S GARDEN – DAY – CONT.
.making a hard landing mere inches away from the hat.
Standing up, she winces again, rubs her arm.
ALICE
Couldn’t have fallen on the
hat.
She hears a loud WHACK, a small cry of pain, then cheers and
laughter. She looks through the bushes.
EXT. THE GREAT LAWN — DAY – CONT.
She sees a well-manicured lawn where the Queen and her
Courtiers play croquet. The Red Queen with her huge head is
surrounded by several powdered and painted COURTIERS with
equally out-sized body parts: a woman with an EXTRA-LARGE
NOSE, another with LONG HANGING EARS, a man with a HUGE,
