Sound of Metal

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ORCHESTRA TUNING, audience settling. High officials inglassed-in boxes toast each other. Doors closing...

BAM – from behind the orchestra – TERRORISTS with MACHINE

GUNS BURST in... The audience SCREAMS... The terrorists cover

the ordinary people – the HIGH OFFICIALS are held in theBOXES...

INT./EXT. VAN, PLAZA, DOWNTOWN KIEV, UKRAINE – DAY

As POLICE FLOOD THE PLAZA, the DRIVER turns to the PASSENGER

–

DRIVER:

(in Ukrainian)

– Wake up the Americans. –

The Passenger turns to the back where four BLACK-CLAD YOUNGMEN SIT, WAITING. The nearest one seems to be SLEEPING...

PASSENGER:

Hey –

EYES CLOSED, the young man C*CKS his weapon, chambering around, POPS it out of the slide, CATCHES it, opens his eyes –

this is THE PROTAGONIST...

The Passenger nods, ‘okay’. The Driver looks down at aVARIETY OF UNIFORM PATCHES...

SIRENS. The Americans shoulder WEAPONS, pull on HELMETS...

A UKRAINIAN SWAT VAN SCREECHES to a halt outside the theatre

–

The Passenger spots its markings – TOSSES the correspondingpatches to the Americans, who slap them onto their shoulders.

Ukrainian SWATs pour out of the SWAT van –

The Americans JUMP out of the back of their van, SLIPPING

UNNOTICED INTO THE STREAM OF SWATS pouring into the lobby...

INT. LOBBY, CONCERT HALL – CONTINUOUS

SWATs mass at each entrance... the Protagonist watches GASCANISTERS brought in TO THE AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM. TheSWATs pull on GAS MASKS...

INT. BOX, CONCERT HALL – CONTINUOUS

A WELL-DRESSED MAN sitting next to a UNIFORMED OFFICIAL looksdown into the stalls – people SLUMP, UNCONSCIOUS, IN AWAVE...

2.

He turns to the Official – who motions calm, draws a

SIDEARM...

INT. THEATRE, CONCERT HALL – CONTINUOUS

A Terrorist wets a rag in a drinking fountain, ties it aroundhis nose and mouth. Others have WORKMAN’S RESPIRATORS AND

FACE MASKS. They COCK THEIR WEAPONS, preparing...

INT. LOBBY, CONCERT HALL – CONTINUOUS

THE SWATS BREACH – POURING into the theatre – exchangeGUNFIRE with the TERRORISTS...

INT. CURVING CORRIDOR – DAY

RUNNING. Fast but silent...

FOLLOW the four Americans – they hit a junction – handsignals – they SPLIT two ways –

FOLLOW two of them – one of them PEELS OFF up a staircase –

FOLLOW the last, the Protagonist – checking each box...

INT. BOX, CONCERT HALL – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist BURSTS in – takes out the Official beside theWell-Dressed Man –

PROTAGONIST:

We live in a twilight world...

The Well-Dressed Man stares, shocked –

PROTAGONIST (CONT'D)

We live in a twilight world...

WELL-DRESSED MAN

(focuses)

And there are no friends at dusk.

PROTAGONIST:

You’ve been made. This siege is ablind for them to vanish you.

WELL-DRESSED MAN

But I’ve established contact –

PROTAGONIST:

Bring you in or kill you – I havetwo minutes. Make up your mind.

The Well-Dressed Man nods, climbs to his feet...

3.

PROTAGONIST (CONT'D)

Where’s the package?

WELL-DRESSED MAN

Coat check.

He hands the Protagonist a numbered ticket.

INT. CORRIDOR, CONCERT HALL – CONTINUOUS

The battle between SWATs and Terrorists rages... SWATS movedown the corridor, checking the boxes one by one...

INT. BOX, CONCERT HALL – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist SMASHES the glass – checks the drop to thestalls, pulls out a black rope, ties it to a column...

As they DROP, Terrorist gunfire rings out – they LAND –

hiding amongst the UNCONSCIOUS AUDIENCE. The Well-Dressed Mantakes a seat, FEIGNS SLEEP – the Protagonist ROLLS under the

seats –

BLAM! Terrorists near the stage open fire – SHOTS ring out –

hitting two sleeping audience members, nearby – the Well-

Dressed Man TWITCHES – the Protagonist holds his ankle –

urging him to keep still –

BLAM! A third sleeping audience member is shot – the

Protagonist jumps up, DRAWING THE TERRORISTS’ fire away fromthe Well-Dressed Man –

The Protagonist races towards two REAL UKRAINIAN SWATS whocover him from the Terrorists – one of them goes down.

The Protagonist takes cover beside the real UKRAINIAN SWAT –

WHO IS PLANTING A BOMB UNDER THE SEATS... he gestures to thedead SWAT’s pack... the Protagonist unzips the bag to find aBOMB, COUNTING DOWN IN SYNC WITH THE OTHER BOMB –

UKRAINIAN SWAT:

(in Ukrainian, impatient)

– What’re you doing? –

The Ukrainian SWAT uses his gun to PROD the Velcro patch onthe Protagonist’s shoulder. It FALLS OFF...

UKRAINIAN SWAT (CONT'D)

(in Ukrainian)

– Who are you? –

The Protagonist is at a loss... BAM! The Ukrainian SWAT is

taken out by another ‘SWAT’ –

‘SWAT’

No friends at dusk, huh?

4.

PROTAGONIST:

You’ll do.

The Protagonist GRABS the bombs, points at the Well-DressedMan –

PROTAGONIST (CONT'D)

(to the ‘SWAT’)

Get him to the rally point.

The ‘SWAT’ leads the Well-Dressed Man down a fire exit –

INT. LOBBY, CONCERT HALL – CONTINUOUS

The Protagonist RACES across the lobby, gunfire RINGING OUT –

LEAPS over the counter into the COAT-CHECK AREA...

Landing on the floor next to an unconscious coat-check girl.

He spots another bomb – ‘4:23’, ‘4:22’... the Protagonistchecks the number on the coat-check ticket and efficientlymoves across numbered racks until he finds a SPORTS BAG.

He unzips it to find a BLACK METALLIC OBJECT the size of asoftball.

He stuffs it into his pack and SCRAMBLES over the counter...

INT. SERVICE CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS

– the Protagonist RUNS, checking numbers on doors... he STOPSat a door, THROWS it open, JUMPS in low –

INT. UTILITY ROOM – CONTINUOUS

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