Kubo and the Two Strings Page #3

-A hunched beggar woman, KAMEYO sits in the street, with a *

bowl in front of her.

She smiles warmly when she sees Kubo walking toward her. She

miraculously straightens up and seems much less woeful.

KAMEYO:

Well hello, Kubo!

He slides his shamisen off his shoulder and sits down next to

her. Kubo peeks over the lip of the bowl.

DRAFT:
01.05.16

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS

6/92

KUBO:

How is it today?

KAMEYO:

Not a bad crowd. I got two pennies

and a lint ball.

She fishes around in the bowl and pulls out a clump of fluff.

KAMEYO (CONT’D)

This is pretty good lint.

Kubo CHUCKLES and the old woman turns to him.

KAMEYO (CONT’D)

And what do you have planned today?

KUBO:

Oh, you know. The usual.

KAMEYO:

(grins)

Monsters?

KUBO:

Of course.

KAMEYO:

You think you can work in a fire

breathing chicken?

Kubo fixes her with a look.

KUBO:

The chicken again?

KAMEYO:

(defensive)

The chicken is funny.

Kubo rolls his eye, but he’s clearly enjoying this.

KAMEYO (CONT’D)

A touch of comedy to balance the

whole thing out. They’re going to

be throwing money at you, I just

know it.

(thinks this over)

Or they’ll throw something at you,

I don’t know.

KUBO:

(LAUGHS)

Okay, I’ll see what I can do.

DRAFT:
01.05.16

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS

7/92

Kubo stands to leave, but the old woman has one more thing.

KAMEYO:

And do you plan on finishing the

story this time, young man?

Kubo just smiles and walks into the center of the square.

In one graceful motion, Kubo drops his bag of origami *

creatures on the ground and spins his shamisen around.

He grabs the bachi pick from his belt and raises it into the

air, ready to strike.

KUBO:

IF YOU MUST BLINK, DO IT NOW!

He then brings it down across the strings, striking a

beautifully resonant chord.

With this, the entire dynamic of the marketplace changes.

-Mid-haggle, merchants and their customers GASP.

-The Shoji players look up from their game. One takes

advantage of the distraction and cheats a winning move while

the other is facing the other way.

-Children watching the puppeteer look over and the puppeteer

turns the head of his dragon, to see what is going on before

the children cheer and run towards Kubo.

SHOUTING ceases, CHATTER trails off. Even the TRILLING of *

songbirds in their cages and a distant dog’s BARKING stop.

Everything is silent. All heads are turned.

Rate this script:4.5 / 2 votes