Peter Jackson's 1st Draft King Kong Script (1996)

KONG reaches Dow and LIFTS his end of the LOG BRIDGE. JACK, DENHAM and
the 3 SAILORS cling on for dear life ... PEEK desperately leaps from
the LOG and CLINGS onto VINES hanging over the cliff on KONG'S side of
the CHASM.

KONG vigorously TWISTS and SHAKES the LOG, bucking the MEN into the
air.  JACK manages to hang onto the STUMP, but behind him SAILORS are
FALLING OFF!

BOTTOM OF CHASM SAILORS PLUMMET to the bottom ... ONE SAILOR crunches
onto rocks, but the OTHER TWO have their falls broken by a THICK
NETWORK of VINES, and appear to land relatively UNHURT.

JACK and DENHAM cling on ... KONG ROARS with FRUSTRATION and HURLS the
END OF THE LOG into the CHASM! DENHAM - who is close to the far side -
manages to LEAP TO THE BANK, but JACK RIDES THE LOG DOWN!

CRASH! The LOG SMASHES INTO THE ROCKS and JACK flies off it ... He
bounces off vines and lands on the ground, STUNNED.

A SAILOR is crawling along the ground with a SPRAINED ANKLE ...

SUDDENLY!!! A ROUND DIRT LID - larger than a manhole cover - POPS OPEN
and a HUGE DOOR SPIDER DARTS OUT!! It grabs the SAILOR and drags him
SCREAMING into it's LAIR, the LID neatly closing again!!

JACK scrambles to his feet! Ail around, MONSTROSITIES OF NATURE emerge
from DANK BURROWS and crawl towards him and the LAST SURVIVING SAILOR
... These are HUGE INSECTLIKE THINGS - combinations of SPIDERS, CRABS,
MANTISES and CENTIPEDES!

JACK snatches up a LONG STICK and uses it like a SPEAR to' fend these
CREATURES off. He looks on helplessly as the SAILOR attempts to CLIMB
THE WT.T. out of the CHASM, but slips in the PINCERS of some
CRAB/SPIDER THING!

A GROUP of SPIDERS with 7 foot LEG SPANS close in on JACK! Behind them
hangs a LONG VINE, leading directly up to the top of the CHASM ... JACK
charges at the SPIDERS, LEAPING as HIGH as he can. He lands on the BACK
of the FIRST SPIDER, and using the bounce, he propels himself onto the
back of the NEXT, and the NEXT - like a series of MINI-TRAMPS!! He
leaps off the LAST and GRABS HOLD OF THE VINE, pulling himself away
from the FRENZIED SPIDERS!

JACK is climbing HAND OVER HAND ...

SUDDENLY! He starts RISING FAST ...

KONG is perching on the EDGE of the CHASM, pulling the VINE up ... like
a FISHERMAN reeling in a CATCH!!

JACK is HELPLESS!!

EXT. JUNGLE GLADE - DAY

ANN looks around FEARY from her PERCH - HIGH in the BRANCHES of the
ROTTEN TREE ... she has heard the SCREAMS, but has seen nothing.

A HUGE SHAPE moves beneath her ... ANN freezes at the sight of an
ALLOSAUR. Entering the clearing. This is a 25 foot tall MEATEATERS -
SKULL ISLAND'S most fearsome predator!

The ALLOSAUR snatches a DEAD RAPTOR off the ground and crunches it in
POWERFUL JAWS ... It pauses, as if SNIFFING. The ALLOSAUR'S head is
only a FEW FEET below ANN ... she is too scared to breathe!

The ATJOSAUR suddenly looks up ... straight at ANN! He immediately
CIRCLES THE TREE in big powerful strides ... ANN shifts her position to
keep the ALLOSAUR in sight ... it is clearly getting very AGITATED!

With an almost delicate movement, the ALLOSAUR nudges the TRUNK with
it's head ... the TREE lurches dramatically! ANN hangs on desperately
... The ALLOSAUR pushes HER, sending the tree TOPPLING TO THE GROUND!

ANN rolls away from the tree, jumps to her feet and RUNS!!

She races through the JUNGLE, dodging TREES, leaping over FALLEN LOGS,
smashing through BUSHES ... The ALLOSAUR POUNDING AFTER HER! It' s
BREATH RASPING . . . FOOTSTEPS THUMPING. The HUGE JAWS open - only
INCHES FROM ANN'S HEAD !

SHE SCREAMS!

EXT. LOG CHASM - DAY

KONG has almost REELED JACK IN when he hears ANN'S SCREAM.

He immediately DROPS THE VINE, sending JACK PLUMMETING back down the
CHASM! Fortunately the COILS of LOOSE VINE at the top of the chasm
TANGLE, stopping JACK with a jerk about HALF WAY DOWN.

KONG RUSHES OFF towards the SOUNDS of ANN'S SCREAMS.

EXT. DENSE JUNGLE - DAY

ANN is stumbling ... the ALLOSAUR positions it's HEAD for the FINAL
LUNGE - JAWS OPEN ...

From out of the DENSE JUNGLE - KONG CHARGES! He meets ANN and the
ATJ.OSAUR HEAD-ON at FULL SPEED! KONG swings his fist, smashing into
the ALLOSAUR'S HEAD ... ANN has to throw herself against a tree as the
DINOSAUR SPRAWLS onto the ground beside her ... In a flash, KONG is ON
TOP of the ALLOSAUR, POUNDING HIS FIST DOWN ...

The ALLOSAUR lies still ... ANN'S legs turn to jelly and she COLLAPSES.
KONG is clearly startled ... he gently takes her in his hand ...

AT THAT MOMENT! The SECOND ALLOSAUR ATTACKS!!! He comes charging into
shot, grabbing KONG'S ARM in his JAWS! KONG ROARS, ripping free just as
the THIRD ALLOSAUR strides into the CLEARING! The FIRST ALLOSAUR
scrambles back to it's feet! KONG holds ANN protectively as he braces
himself for the FIGHT OF HIS LIFE. The THREE ALLOSAUR'S CIRCLE around
him.

THEY ATTACK KONG and ANN! ... What follows is a BREATHTAKING FIGHT TO
THE DEATH. KONG fights like a madman ... not only does he have to do
battle with the ALLOSAUR, he is also PROTECTING ANN - constantly
transferring her from ONE HAND to THE OTHER as the ALLOSAUR SNAP AT HER
throughout.

KONG punches and smashes with his fists, but he also uses wrestling-
style headlocks and flips ... for a brief moment, ANN rolls free on the
ground and has to dodge 25 foot DINOSAURS and the GORITJ, as the
frenzied fight THUNDERS all around her.

The FIRST ALLOSAUR. Is taken out when KONG PULLS a LARGE JAGGED TREE
TRUNK out of the ground and RAMS IT into the ALLOSAUR'S MOUTH, PUSHING
it out the BACK OF IT'S HEAD!

The SECOND ALLOSAUR he kills by grabbing it in a HEADLOCK, FLIPPING it
over his shoulder, but REVERSING DIRECTION suddenly - BREAKING IT'S
BACK with a sickening CRUNCH!

ANN is suddenly GRABBED by the LAST ALLOSAUR! She is taken in his JAWS
... It BITES DOWN - JUST as KONG GRABS HIS JAWS in BOTH HANDS. He rolls
the ALLOSAUR onto it's back, ANN still wedged in it's MOUTH! The razor
sharp TEETH dig into her as KONG desperately uses all his strength to
force the ALLOSAUR'S MOUTH OPEN ... ANN slides out, raking her back
against the teeth.

KONG forces the JAWS OPEN until they RIP APART at the HINGE! The
ALLOSAUR sprawls back DEAD.

KONG is PANTING HEAVILY ... he has been BITTEN, RAKED and CUT. He puts
his foot on the LAST ALLOSAUR and BEATS HIS CHEST TRIUMPHANTLY!

ANN is HURT ... BLEEDING ... KONG carefully picks her up and HURRIES
INTO THE JUNGLE.

 

EXT. LOG CHASM - DAY

JACK is clinging onto the VINE, trying to pulling himself onto the TOP
OF THE CHASM ..- but his strength is weakening - just below the edge.

PEEK leans over ... he looks TERRIFIED, still gripping his TOMMY GUN

JACK
(urgent)
Peek!

For a moment you'd think PEEK is actually considering the idea of
kicking JACK back down into the CHASM! ... He reaches down the PULLS
JACK TO SAFETY.

DENHAM (O.S.)
(loud whisper)
Hey Jack!

DENHAM is on the other side of the CHASM ... looking VERY JUMPY.

JACK
Denham! Go back to the wall ... Tell'em to give me twelve hours to get
back with Ann!

DENHAM
(panicked)
I can't get back to the wall! I'll get eaten!

JACK suddenly snatches PEEK'S TOMMY GUN.

PEEK
(alarmed)
Hey! Whadda ya doing?

JACK hurls the TOMMY GUN across the CHASM.

JACK
They've gotta keep the gate open for me.

DENHAM clutches the TOMMY GUN, as if holding a newborn baby.

DENHAM
Twelve hours, Driscoll. Good luck!

JACK heads into the JUNGLE.

PEEK
(angry)
You're insane! You'll be killed!

JACK keeps going ... PEEK alone... and runs after JACK. Suddenly
realizes he's

EXT. JUNGLE/MOUNTAIN - DAY

ANN'S POV ... upside down shot WHIPPING through FOLIAGE with long
LOPING STRIDES.

ANN is DRAPED in KONG'S HAND as he POWERS THROUGH the JUNGLE at HIGH
SPEED. She is weak ... her EYES GLAZING, SWEAT DRIPPING from her brow.

ANN'S POV ... becomes MORE FEVERED.

KONG climbs out of the JUNGLE, SCALING a nearly SHEER CLIFF ... he uses
ONE HAND to climb - the OTHER HOLDS ANN to his breast.

As KONG climbs HIGHER AND HIGHER, ANN drifts into UNCONSCIOUSNESS ...
her last FEVERED POV being that of the VERTIGO INDUCING drop down the
face of the CLIFF.

EXT. KONG'S LAIR - EVENING

FADE UP ...

ANN'S FEVERED POV KONG pacing ANXIOUSLY ... He leans down towards ,
ROARING nervously. Behind him the sky his bathed in an ORANGE SUNSET.

WIDE KONG is in his LAIR - a LARGE ROUND CAVE with a LEDGE that juts
out high over SKULL ISLAND ... in fact his CAVE is one of the "eyes" of
the SKULL visible from the coast. Over the ledge is a DIZZYING DROP of
at least 1000 feet down to the JUNGLE.

The "VENTURE" can be seen - moored off the TIP OF THE ISLAND, some 3
miles away.

Sinister BAT-TYPE CREATURES hover in the SKIES ... these have 8 foot
wing spans and TALONED FEET. Their faces are more reptile then bat.

ANN is lying on a BED OF STRAW in an ALCOVE on the LEDGE ... ONE of the
BAT-THINGS swoops in ...

ANN'S FEVERED POV ... Large FLAPPING BAT WINGS fill her vision.

KONG snatches the BAT-"THING out of the sky and rips it's wings off. He
gently lifts ANN and retreats further inside his cave.

EXT. WALL/RUINED CITY - NIGHT

ENGLEHORN puffs on his PIPE ... SAILORS armed with RIFLES and TOMMY
GUNS are patrolling the WALL.... the area is effectively CORDONED OFF.
Everyone is relaxed.

SENTRY SAILOR
(yelling))
Hey! Somebody's approaching!

SAILORS rush to pull the GREAT GATES open ...

DENHAM staggers in and COLLAPSES. He is even more disheveled than when
we saw him last. His clothing is TORN ... blood seeps from CUTS ...
he's lost the GUN.

ENGLEHORN gives him a drink from a CANTEEN. DENHAM is GASPING heavily.

ENGLEHORN
Just take it easy .-- Where are the others?

DENHAM
(panting)
They' re dead.

ENGLEHORN
(shocked)
Oh my God ... Ann?

DENHAM pauses ...

DENHAM
(quietly)
She's dead ... Driscoll too. We've gotta get back to the ship!

ENGLEHORN nods.

ENGLEHORN
(yelling)
Prepare to break camp, men! We're heading back to the Venture'.

There's a SENSE OF RELIEF amongst the CREW. TWO SAILORS lift DENHAM up
and support him between them.