THE WOLF-MAN

Adapted from The Screenplay

By Will Walker

From The Idea Conceived

By

Curt Siodmak and George Waggner

CAST:
Lawrence Talbot~Hayden Christensen

Gwen Conliffe~Meagan Good

Father John Talbot~Gary Oldman

Dr. Warren Lloyd~Damian Lewis

(The film begins with the vintage Universal opening of the 1940s.)

INT. VICTORIAN LIBRARY, - BLACK AND WHITE

A hand is shows grabbing an encyclopedia. It flips to the definition of Lycanthropy, which according to the Encyclopedia is "Lycanthropy (Werewolfism): A disease of the mind in which human beings imagine they are Wolf Men. According to an old legend which persists in certain localities, the victims actually assume some of the physical characteristics of the animal. There is a small village near CONLIFFE CASTLE that still claims to have had gruesome experiences with this supernatural creature." The encyclopedia page fades out

INT. SCHOOLYARD, - COLOR

We fade into a dusty school basement filled with books as we hear the faint sound of a girl crying. YOUNG GWEN CONLIFFE, a 14 year old black girl, is on her knees crying.

YOUNG GWEN CONLIFFE (Under Her Breath):
You killed him...If you had been brave, if you hadn't gotten scared, you could have saved him.

Young Gwen Conliffe pulls a razor out of her pockets, raising it to her throat. Suddenly, footsteps are heard behind her. She gasps, worried that a teacher or adult may have followed her down. Instead, she finds that it's YOUNG LAWRENCE TALBOT, a 15 year old brunette with green eyes. He looks shocked, scared.

YOUNG LAWRENCE TALBOT:

Gwen...Gwen, put the razor down. Please don't do this.

YOUNG GWEN CONLIFFE:

Lawrence?! W-What are you doing here?

YOUNG LAWRENCE TALBOT:

I was worried about you. Your brother...I...I know how it feels to lose a family member. And I know that it's impossible to go through this kind of thing alone. You were here when I lost my mother, now I need to be here for you. Please let me help you.

YOUNG GWEN CONLIFFE:

No...No, there's no help for me. I think this is the only help for me

Young Gwen Conliffe looks at the razor in her hand, tears welling up once again.

YOUNG LAWRENCE TALBOT:

Gwen, look at you. You have so much to live for. You're a gift to this world, Gwen. And a gift to the lives of all the people in it. Your death would be a tragedy.

YOUNG GWEN CONLIFFE:
Would it?! Everyone at this school hates me! Everyone! Nobody cared about my brother's death, and when I'm gone, they won't care about mine!

YOUNG LAWRENCE TALBOT:

Please, don't say that!

YOUNG GWEN CONLIFFE:

You don't understand...I don't know how I can live with myself! I could of stopped it! I heard him screaming in the woods! I could have gone after him and saved him! I could have...I could have...

YOUNG LAWRENCE TALBOT:
You would have died. Whoever killed your brother would have just killed you instead. You're so loved, Gwen. Your parents need you. Warren needs you...I need you. Life would be unbearable without the hope that you bring all of us. Your our...Our inspiration to keep going through the day when there's so much violence and hatred and fear in all our lives

Young Gwen Conliffe stares at Young Lawrence Talbot slack jawed, stunned by his sincerity before hugging him tightly, bursting into tears in his arms. The two hug each other tightly for a few seconds, as we see a closeup of Gwen's crying face.

INSERT TITLE - "THE WOLF-MAN"

Title appears as the opening credit sequence shows a picture/slideshow montage of all the corpses that have become werewolf victims. Corpses appear with their heads cut off, their insides ripped open, limbs torn off, e.t.c.

INT. CAR - PASSENGER SEAT

Close up on LAWRENCE TALBOT (Hayden Christensen), staring off into the distance in the passenger seat of the car. He wears a fedora and a suit, an expression of anxiety on his face.

INSERT TITLE: DUNCESTER, ENGLAND, 1912

Cut to a shot of Talbot Rectory, a large rectory covered in vines and ivy, it's aged and has, quite frankly, seen better days.

DRIVER (OFF SCREEN):

Talbot Rectory, Mr. Larry.

Lawrence sighs deeply.

INT. TALBOT RECTORY - OUTSIDE

Lawrence exits the car and meets his father, FATHER JOHN TALBOT (Gary Oldman) Father John has a slight smile on his face as he warmly brings Lawrence in to shake his hand.

FATHER JOHN TALBOT:
Welcome home, Lawrence.

LAWRENCE TALBOT:

Father...I've missed you.

Father John smiles weakly as the two walk inside.

INT. TALBOT RECTORY - INSIDE

Father John sighs as the two enter the rectory, his eyes welling up with tears. Lawrence is shaking noticeably, his hands clasped together.

LAWRENCE TALBOT:
Father...As much as I appreciate our reunion, you know why I came. Jim's missing and it's about time I got to business searching for him.

FATHER JOHN TALBOT:

You'll find there is no more business to attend to. Your brother's body was...It was...Found...Near the town graveyard yesterday morning.

Lawrence gasps, holding his mouth in horror, hyperventilating and his eyes filling with tears. An elderly, short man comes from upstairs to meet Father John and Lawrence. He stands still, not sure what to do. This is FATHER TOM.

FATHER TOM:
I...I take it you told him the news?

FATHER JOHN TALBOT:

Lawrence, my assistant, Father Tom. And yes, Tom, I have broken the news. Please, leave us.

Father Tom nods, walking back upstairs.

FATHER JOHN TALBOT:
I'm sorry, Lawrence. I didn't know how to tell you. If there was anything I could do to help you...

LAWRENCE TALBOT:

Gwen...You can tell me where Gwen is, at the very least.

Father John nods solemnly, knowing that consulting Gwen would be the first thing on Lawrence's mind.

FATHER JOHN TALBOT:

She runs the Antique Shop just across town. Their house is just next to it.

LAWRENCE TALBOT:
And the body...Where are they keeping the body?