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

AT THAT MOMENT! A ZIPPING SOUND fills the air ... a VOLLEY of ARROWS,
DARTS and SPEARS fly towards the SAILORS! Within SECONDS 7 SAILORS fall
dead, including the TWO supporting DENHAM. He runs with incredible
speed and throws himself behind a wall. ENGLEHORN and the 12 SURVIVING
SAILORS take shelter and FIRE WILDLY in all directions.

DENHAM
(panicked)
We've gotta get outta here!
(grimly)
That's going to be more difficult than you think ...

NUMEROUS HEAVILY ARMED NATIVES are fleetingly visible ... darting
behind RUINS and TREES - cutting the SAILORS off from the beach.

EXT. KONG'S LAIR - NIGHT

ANN'S FEVERED POV SURREAL IMAGES of KONG STATUES ... of FLAPPING BAT-
THINGS --- of ALLOSAUR JAWS ... of FIERY CARVED FACES ..- and finally
of KONG'S EYES - staring LOVINGLY at her.

DISSOLVE TO

EXT. KONG'S CAVE - EARLY MORNING

CLOSE ON ... ANN. She wakes up, looking rested and calm

IT IS CLEAR THAT HER FEVER HAS PASSED.

WIDER ... ANN is CRADLED in KONG'S HAND. He is lying on his side,
ASLEEP ... holding ANN close to his face like a child would sleep with
a teddy bear. KONG stirs, suddenly opening his mouth in a HUGE YAWN. He
opens his eyes, and for a few quiet moments, he and ANN stare at each
other.

KONG sits up, placing ANN on the ground ... They are deeper into KONG'S
CAVE. ANN can see that the back of the cave leads to a way out as
DAYLIGHT streams in. A SMALL, but DEEP LAKE fills part of the CAVE,
surrounded by smaller ROCK POOLS.

KONG sits on his haunches, looking for all the world like the king of
his domain. A SHADOW flutters over ANN as a BAT-THING makes an attempt
to GRAB HER ... KONG reaches forward and snatches it out of the air. He
bites the head off the BAT-THING ... RIPS OFF one of it's LEGS ...
drops the BLOODY LEG on the ground in front of ANN!

ANN looks aghast at the OFFERING as KONG eats the rest of the BAT-THING
with a certain amount of RELISH. She backs away from the MEAT ... KONG
leans forward and pushes it closer to her. ANN steps away and SHAKES
HER HEAD.

ANN
No ... thank you.

KONG SHAKES HIS HEAD! ... and pushes the MEAT closer.  ANN holds her
nose and P A FACE. KONG puts a FINGER UP TO HIS NOSE and PULLS A FACE'.
He pushes the meat closer ... ANN takes a big step backwards and ...
trips over a rock' KONG looks ALARMED for a moment.

ANN (CONT'D)
I'm ok ... see ...

ANN stands and with GREAT DRAMATICS, she deliberately falls over! KONG
gets excited ... he SLUMPS BACKWARDS against the WALL.  ANN stands up
and with a SQUEAL, she goes into a FORWARD ROLL! KONG is HIGHLY
EXCITED! He ROLLS FORWARD on his side!

ANN LAUGHS at him ... she does a CARTWHEEL! KONG paces from SIDE TO
SIDE like an over-excited kid. He suddenly turns and disappears out of
the back entrance of the cave.

ANN is a little nervous ... she clutches her shoulders against a cold
rush of morning breeze ... she hears a FLUTTERING OF BAT-THINGS WINGS.

KONG hurries back into the cave he holding a TINY OBJECT between his
THUMB and FOREFINGER. With great DELICACY, he drops a RIPE MANGO at
ANN'S FEET! ANN bites into it, suddenly realizing how hungry she
actually is.

ANN (CONT'D)
(eating)
Good! More? More?

KONG acts COYLY at this praise ... he rushes out of the cave again ...
returning with the ENTIRE MANGO TREE, which he drops at' ANN's feet!
ANN laughs and KONG ROLLS FORWARD ... out onto the LEDGE.

In the distance we can see the "VENTURE" and just HEAR the distant
SOUND of SPORADIC GUNFIRE from the NATIVE CITY.

KONG SNIFFS the MORNING AIR ... He FROWNS ... suddenly gets AGITATED.
KONG looks up ...

... over 20 BAT-THINGS are MASSING on the CLIFFS above the LAIR,
clearly preparing an ATTACK to get ANN!

KONG races into the CAVE, just as another 20 BAT-THINGS flutter in
through the BACK ENTRANCE!! He scoops ANN to his breast, ROARING
DEFIANTLY at them.

CLOSE ON A NARROW FISSURE in the VOLCANIC ROCK towards the back of the
cave. JACK and PEEK are HIDDEN from view as BAT-THINGS flutter above
them. PEEK looks around terrified ... JACK spies on KONG and ANN.

The BAT-THINGS suddenly ATTACK EN MASS!! They swoop on KONG and ANN
like a swarm of giant Bees. KONG ROARS and THRASHES OUT at them in the
FRENZY! With, every sweep of his ARM, several BAT-THINGS are KNOCKED TO
THE GROUND. KONG keeps moving, twisting and turning, to make it harder
for them to get at ANN ... she presses herself close to KONG'S CHEST.
BAT-THING TALONS strike at her, slashing KONG'S FINGERS instead.

With the BAT-THINGS totally occupied, JACK takes his chance to get
closer to ANN ... He leaves the shelter of the FISSURE and hurries
across the CAVE, ducking into the shadows on the far side. He crouches
behind a rock, but is TOTALLY VULNERABLE.

SEVERAL BAT-THINGS are gripping and CLAWING KONG'S BACK in an effort to
weaken the huge ape ... He suddenly POUNDS HIS BACK against the WALT.
Of the CAVE, SQUASHING THEM All.

The BAT-THINGS wheel away from KONG, HISSING ANGRILY ... 16 lie on the
cave floor STUNNED or DEAD. They FLUTTER AROUND preparing their NEXT
ATTACK. KONG swipes at BAT-THINGS that get too close.

PEEK hears a NOISE ... he turns and WHIMPERS at the sight of a BAT-
THING PEERING AT HIM through a crack in the ROCK. The BAT-THING
SCREECHES ... attracting others! They can't reach PEEK, but that
doesn't stop him dissolving into a FRIGHTENED PANIC! Sweat spills down
his face ... he claws at the floor of the ROCK FISSURE ... PICKS UP A
ROCK.

PEEK THROWS THE ROCK ACROSS THE CAVE TOWARDS JACK!

PEEK
(panicked whisper)
Get him!

The ROCK CLATTERS at JACK'S feet! SOME BAT-THINGS react to the NOISE
... they SWOOP towards JACK!

JACK runs across the CAVE ... TALONS REACH FOR HIS HEAD ... JACK
suddenly throws himself forward ...

... diving into a deep ROCK POOL!

UNDERWATER JACK holds himself under the water, as TALONS claw at the
SURFACE, a couple of feet above his head.

The BAT-THINGS are working themselves into a FRENZY, diving at the
ROCK-POOL ... diving at KONG and ANN.

PEEK is left alone ... he sees his chance to escape! Quietly climbing
out of the FISSURE, PEEK turns to flee out the back entrance of the
CAVE ...

He runs straight into the ENORMOUS JAWS of an ELASTOMOSAUR - a LARGE
SEA-SERPENT DINOSAUR, with a LONG NECK!!

The ELASTOMOSAUR has emerged FROM THE LAKE, having crawled up onto the
SHORE ... It lifts PEEK high into the air! He S as the JAWS crunch his
TORSO.

ALL THE BAT-THINGS instantly dive towards PEEK ... In a frustrated
BLOOD-FRENZY they RIP INTO PEEK and the ELASTOMOSAUR!!