The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

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For Your Consideration

Best Adapted Screenplay By

Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson

Based on the Book by J.R.R. Tolkien

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING

BLACK SCREEN . . .

SUPER:
New Line Cinema Presents

SUPER:
A WingNut Films Production

BLACK SCREEN:

EXT. RIVER ANDUIN - DAY

ANGLE ON:
SMEAGOL and his cousin, DEAGOL, sit in a SMALL

CORACLE, their FISHING LINES draped over the side . . . SUNSHINE

glinting off the surface of the water.

An idyllic image.

SUDDENLY . . . DEAGOL's FISHING ROD BENDS under the weight of a

LARGE FISH.

DEAGOL:

(excited)

Smeagol, I've got one!

(he laughs)

I've got a fish, Smeagol!

SMEAGOL:

(excitedly)

Go on, pull it in.

DEAGOL pulls on his ROD, but is HAULED OVERBOARD and

disappears underwater with a SPLASH!

ANGLE ON:
SMEAGOL leaning over the BOAT . . . CONCERNED.

SMEAGOL (cont'd)

(worried)

Deagol!

EXT. UNDERWATER, RIVER ANDUIN - DAY

ANGLE ON:
DEAGOL is towed to the RIVER BED by a LARGE FISH

. . . he suddenly lets go of the line . . . eyes fixed on a

SHINING GOLD RING, lying in 'the SILT.

Final Revision - October, 2003 2

EXT. RIVER ANDUIN, GLADDEN FIELDS - DAY

CLOSE ON:
DEAGOL climbs out of the WATER, onto the RIVER

BANK.

CLOSE ON:
the RING revealed in DEAGOL'S PALM . . .

ANGLE ON:
SMEAGOL peers over his shoulder . . . the GOLD

reflects in SMEAGOL'S EYES!

ON SOUNDTRACK:
The HUM of the RING growing LOUDER . . .

SMEAGOL:

Give us that, Deagol, my love!

DEAGOL turns to look at him, a smirk on his face.

DEAGOL:

Why?

CLOSE ON:
SMEAGOL moves towards DEAGOL . . .

SMEAGOL:

Because its my birthday, and I wants it.

ANGLE ON:
SMEAGOL jumps on DEAGOL . . . STRANGLING HIM! SMEAGOL

rips the GLITTERING RING from DEAGOL'S LIMP HAND.

SMEAGOL (cont'd)

My precious!

CLOSE ON:
SMEAGOL slips the RING onto his FINGER and DISAPPEARS.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. MISTY MOUNTAINS CAVES - DAY

IMAGES:
SMEAGOL descending into madness. His body TWISTS and

DISTORTS . . . he becomes a CREEPY, SHRIVELLED wretch . . . finally

crawling into a DARK CAVE beneath the MISTY MOUNTAINS.

SMEAGOL V/0

They cursed us. Murderer. Murderer they

called us. They cursed us and drove us

away.

(M°RE) (CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 3.

CONTINUED:

SMEAGOL V/0 (cont'd)

And we wept, Precious, we wept to be so

alone. And we forgot the taste of bread,

the sound of trees, the softness of the

wind . . . We even forgot our own name.

(in a choking cough)

Gollum! Gollum!

ANGLE ON:
GOLLUM in the CAVE staring at the RING in his hand.

GOLLUM:

It's mine! My own. It came to me.

SMEAGOL:

(ecstatic)

My Precious.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CULVERT, VALE OF MORGUL - DAWN

ANGLE ON:
A GRIM LANDSCAPE, covered in THORN BUSHES and the

scars of RECENT FIRES. The DARK MORGUL VALLEY disappears up

towards the MOUNTAINS.

SETTLE ON:
FRODO and SAM in a FILTHY CULVERT.

SAM twitches in a RESTLESS SLEEP. But FRODO is awake . . . His

hand trails down to the CHAIN around his NECK ...

A SUDDEN HISS! FRODO quickly hides the RING as GOLLUM peers

at them with GLEAMING EYES.

GOLLUM:

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up, sleepies! We

must go, yes, we must go at once!

SAM STIRS, looks at FRODO . . .

SAM:

Haven't you had any sleep, Mr Frodo?

FRODO shakes his HEAD.

SAM (cont'd)

I've gone and had too much!

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 4.

CONTINUED:

SAM looks at the dead, BROWN TWILIGHT, below the LOWERING

CLOUD.

SAM (cont'd)

It must be getting late.

FRODO:

No . . . no it isn't. It isn't midday yet.

The days are growing darker.

The GROUND suddenly QUIVERS, as a ROLLING, RUMBLING NOISE

ECHOES down the VALLEY.

GOLLUM:

Come on, must go, no time ...

SAM:

Not before Mr Frodo's had something to eat.

GOLLUM:

. . . no time to lose, silly.

SAM shoots GOLLUM a HOSTILE LOOK and turns back to rummage in

his KNAPSACK. He holds up a piece of dried LEMBAS BREAD to

FRODO.

SAM:

Here.

FRODO:

What about you?

SAM:

(lying badly)

I'm not hungry - leastways, not for lembas

bread.

FRODO:

Sam.

SAM:

(confessing)

Alright. We don't have that much left.

(MORE)

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