Alice in Wonderland
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,
PROTRUDING BELLY. The Duchess is also there with her pig baby.
Whereas the moat was horrific, this sight is bizarre, even
grotesque-
The Queen swings her pink mallet. There’s the small
cry again.
Alice looks around, unsure of the source. The Queen’s ball
rolls a few feet in Alice’s direction. It lays, furry and
gasping, in the grass. Alice realizes that the ball is a small
animal, a HEDGEHOG tied by its four legs into an awkward ball.
Its fur is matted and filthy, its face buried in the grass.
THWACK! The hedgehog cries out as its hit by the mallet again
which Alice sees is a miserable FLAMINGO tied by its feet. The
hedgehog rolls directly toward Alice’s hiding place and stops.
The two make direct eye contact. But there is no hope in its
eyes, only pain and the expectation of more to come. Alice
steps out and attempts to untie it. It cries again, trembling
with terror.
ALICE Shhh. I want to help you.
She works at the encrusted knot.
RED QUEEN (0.5.) Where’s it gone to? Who stole
my ball? Pagel Where’s he
gone to? PAGE! My ball!
Alice manages to work the knot free. The hedgehog staggers to
its feet, staring mutely at her before it stumbles into the
foliage. She turns to see two large white furry feet. Her gaze
travels up…
…to the White Rabbit, dressed in court page attire. He blinks
at her.
WHITE RABBIT Oh dear.
RED QUEEN Have you found it?
His eyes dart nervously in her direction.
WHITE RABBIT Looking, Majesty!
