| SCRIPTS |
| Early Script - The Battle of Nockmaar to End |
| "WILLOW" * Story by George Lucas * Screenplay by Bob Dolman * First Draft Third Revision November 14, 1986 * (c) LFL 1986 Lucasfilm LTD. |
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EXT. NOCKMAAR CASTLE - DAWN
The sun rises over the volcanic mountain. The gong strikes twelve times. PAN ACROSS the slope outside the castle. The Tir Asleen army is gone. Littered across the ground are flattened tents, broken wagons and discarded shields. The wind howls, taking bits of debris with it. Alone on the deserted mountainside stand Willow and Raziel. RAZIEL: Time is running out. WILLOW: Surrender!! Nockmaar soldiers peer down and laugh. Willow and Raziel trek closer to the castle wall. Willow cups his mouth. WILLOW: We are all-powerful magicians! Give us the baby or we will destroy you!! The Nockmaar soldiers roar with laughter. KAEL: Kill them! The great drawbridge falls across the moat. Willow clutches a spear and trembles nervously. RAZIEL: Patience, Willow. WILLOW: Courage, Willow. Hoofbeats. EIGHT HORSEMEN ride out of the castle with swords high. Willow lifts his spear with two hands. Turns. And smashes the spear on the ground, striking a loud war drum! Suddenly Madmartigan leaps out of the ground on horseback! And the entire mountainside comes to life. Tents and shields fly away and out of pits and trenches the Tir Asleen army charges with one loud warcry! The eight Nockmaar horsemen are quickly cut down. The rebels storm across the drawbridge into the castle. Airk Thaughbaer scoops Willow up on his horse, and Sorsha scoops Raziel up on hers. INT. NOCKMAAR COURTYARD - CONTINUOUS Madmartigan leads the assault, cutting down Nockmaar minions as they run out to defend the fortress. Sorsha slides off her horse with Raziel. Airk sets Willow down. Sorsha leads Willow and Raziel into a dark hallway. Rebel warriors storm into the courtyard. Madmartigan circles behind Airk, their horses dancing handsomely. AIRK: Let's squash 'em! In unison, their swords flash and they charge across the courtyard chopping down the enemy. INT CASTLE HALLWAY - DAY Sorsha hurries Willow and Raziel down a dark hallway. They come to a corner. SORSHA: No, Willow!! She grabs him by the collar and yanks him back. A huge DEATH DOG leaps out with a gnashing ROAR and Sorsha kills it with her sword. Willow sags with relief and the women grab his hands and haul him further down the tunnel. INT. TOWER STAIRWAY - DAY They come to the gloomy stairs that corkscrew up into the Queen's Tower. Willow climbs nervously behind Raziel and Sorsha. At the top in THE DOOR. Light throbs behind it. Suddenly they hear a loud SHRIEK and the door shakes and bangs. Willow fals to his knees, frozen with fear. SORSHA: I will face my mother alone. Willow and Raziel stay back on the stairs. Sorsha climbs to the door. Courageously, she opens it. INT. QUEEN'S TOWER - DAY Bavmorda's monstrous face FILLS THE SCREEN. BAVMORDA: Sorsha!! Sorsha recoils in horror. Bavmorda looks barely human: she has transformed into a grotesque witch. She waves her gnarled hand and her druids attack Sorsha. Sorsha kills them. The baby lies under a deathlike spell on the copper altar. SORSHA: I won't let you kill her! Bavmorda's voice is a demonic growl! BAVMORDA: You are a weakling. Like your father! Can you not see that I am about to become all-powerful! Lightning explodes overhead. Sorsha lunges for the baby. But Bavmorda stops her with a powerful energy force. SORSHA: No!! Pulsating light lifts Sorsha, levitates her across the room, and drives her toward a wall of spikes. Just as she is about to be impaled, another force stops her. Bavmorda can sense the source of it: BAVMORDA: Raziel...!! The door flies open. The twelve burning candles all blow out. There stands Raziel. Sorsha falls to the floor, unconscious. Raziel raises her arms magnificently. The sorceresses face each other. INT. CASTLE COURTYARD - DAY Battle rages. Madmartigan and Airk lead the assault, and the Tir Asleen rebels push back the Nockmaar minions. Down low, where weapons and bodies fall and horses clop and stamp, the brownies scurry along in terror, arms crossed over their heads, looking for shelter. Like mice, they dart up some stairs. Then a huge boot nearly crushes them. The dive away and look up. Towering high above them, Kael lets out a loud warcry. And brandishes two weapons, a huge sword and a huge axe. Madmartigan and Airk turn and see Kael. They look at each other. Like samurai warriors they stand ready. Kael rallies his weapons and charges toward them. INT. TOWER STAIRWAY - DAY Willow creeps toward the door. It suddenly throbs and flashes. He jumps back. INT. QUEEN'S TOWER - DAY Bavmorda and Raziel oppose each other, circling the altar. The air between them crackles and sparks with the concentration of energy between them. RAZIEL: The baby will be queen. It has been foretold, Bavmorda. BAVMORDA: My ritual will kill the prophecy! Now the child dies with it, its energy exiled into oblivion! (lightning flashes) You see? I hold the power of the universe! RAZIEL: Not until your ritual is complete! BAVMORDA: And who will stop me? The elements are slaves to my command! She points at the sky. As if obeying her, lightning flashes and thunder cracks. RAZIEL: There is no one who can match your sorcery. Except me! Raziel waves her arms and light suddenly swirls around the room. Bavmorda counters, and chairs come to life, turning into beasts. Objects fly about. The tower becomes a storm of chaos and witchcraft. INT. CASTLE COURTYARD - DAY Kael swings his axe and sword at Airk and Madmartigan. He roars at his army, and six Nockmaar swordsmen hurry over to fight with him. Madmartigan and Airk split up. Madmartigan battles the six swordsmen. Airk battles Kael, who backs Airk up stairs on the castle wall. Madmartigan fights in the courtyard. He hears a yell and looks up. Kael strikes Airk down. MADMARTIGAN: Airk!! Airk falls down the stairs. Madmartigan finishes off the swordsmen, then runs to him, grabs his bleeding body. MADMARTIGAN: Airk! Airk! AIRK: Madmartigan...you're a brave warrior...a true friend...a good man... MADMARTIGAN: We're gonna win this war, Airk. An incredible smile lights up Airk's face as he dies. Madmartigan stands. Picks up his sword. And goes up the stairs after Kael. INT. QUEEN'S TOWER - DAY The sorceress continue their battle. They change each other into various beasts. They fight, physically and magically. In the midst of chaos, the door opens. Willow pokes in his head, reacting in fear. Then sneaks around the wall of the room and makes a dash for the baby. BAVMORDA: As above, so below! Universe of evil, Raziel! It conquers even you! Bavmorda hurls a final spell at Raziel, crippling her, throwing her into a corner. Bavmorda laughs and goes to the altar. The baby is gone. Willow races toward the door with the baby. The door suddenly slams shut. Bavmorda's voice roars out: BAVMORDA: *Stop! Bring back that child!!!* Willow stops. He turns around. Bavmorda towers over him, grotesque, monstrous, poised to destroy Willow with her magic. BAVMORDA: Who are you? WILLOW: I'm Willow Ufgood. I'm a magician. Bavmorda laughs. Willopw slowly walks toward her. he digs into his pocket. Takes out the last magic acorn. WILLOW: I'm a *great* magician. Willow throws the acorn at Bavmorda. Her hand shoots out and catches it. The acorn begins to turn her to stone, petrifying her hand, her wrist, her arm. Willow backs away, feeling successful. But with intense concentration of her evil will, Bavmorda fights off the acorn's spell. It reverses: her arm, wrist and hand turn back to flesh. She crushes the acorn in her fingers and lets the dust fall to the floor. BAVMORDA: Is that the extent of your power? Willow stands there helplessly. Thunder cracks and lightning flashes through the open ceiling above the altar. INT. CASTLE COURTYARD - DAY The Tir Asleen rebels, outnumbering and overpowering the Nockmaar army, fight toward ultimate victory. Madmartigan battles Kael on the wall outside the Queen's Tower. Up and up they go. A spectacular swordfight. Until finally, Madmartigan stabs Kael through the heart. Kael screeches and falls through the air into the moat. Madmartigan hurries toward the top of the tower. INT. QUEEN'S TOWER - DAY Bavmorda looks up at the sky then down at Willow. BAVMORDA: Place it on the altar. WILLOW: No. You can't have her. BAVMORDA: By ritual, by sorcery, I well draw the lightning and send this child into the destructive realm. Willow straightens up, boldly, courageously. WILLOW: And with my magic I'll send her into the...into the... He gropes for a word. Bavmorda laughs at him. BAVMORDA: You're no magician. WILLOW: Into the good. Bavmorda instantly stops laughing. Her eyes flash. BAVMORDA: Even I don't have the power to do that. You're a fraud. Willow suddenly starts chanting, loudly and desperately. Raziel opens her eyes and watches. The chanting confuses Bavmorda. Then, Willow cleverly whips the baby under his legs and behind his back and suddenly she's gone! BAVMORDA: Impossible! Bordak! Bordak! Bavmorda flies into a rage. She lunges across the copper altar. Thunder and lightning! BAVMORDA: Aaaaahhhh!!! A bright fork of lightning, conjured by her own evil, shoots in through the ceiling and strikes her. She howls in pain. Her body contorts then bursts into flame and burns into a shriveling pillar of ash. Madmartigan breaks open the door and storms in. He scoops up Sorsha, reviving her with a kiss. And as if Bavmorda's death has ended evil and oppression, Raziel stands up with renewed strength. RAZIEL: Willow...Willow...how...how did you do that? Willow bends down under a nearby chair and picks up the sleeping baby. WILLOW: It was just the old disappearing pig trick. Elora Danan's eyes open. And sunlight floods into the tower. EXT. TIR ASLEEN - DAY Flags fly high above the wondrous castle. The valley is lush with flowers, and the kingdom is once again alive with happy activity. At the door of the castle, Willow stands beside a cute little white pony. The court of Tir Asleen has gathered to see him off. Madmartigan, in robes and armor worthy of a king, stands proudly beside his queen, Sorsha, who holds the baby princess, Elora Danan. A trumpet blares. Raziel comes forward from inside the castle, dressed in druid robes, carrying a sacred BOOK. RAZIEL: Willow Ufgood. Take this Book of Sorcery. You are on your way to becoming a great magician. Willow accepts the book. Everyone applauds. Willow smiles gratefully and humbly. He glances down and notices Rool and Teemo, who have been civilized to a degree with page boy uniforms, fuzzy haircuts, and nifty little swords. Madmartigan and Sorsha come forward, with Elora Danan. WILLOW: Your dream has come true, Madmartigan. Madmartigan smiles with thanks. MADMARTIGAN: Goodbye, Peck. Willow has one last look at the baby. She smiles and giggles at him. He happily gives her a kiss. WILLOW: Farewell, Elora Danan. Suddenly Willow flies up in the air. Madmartigan lifts him onto the pony's back. Willow and Madmartigan shake hands warmly. And Willow rides across the valley of flowers, everybody waving goodbye to him. EXT. NELWYN VILLAGE - DAY Musicians strike up a welcoming march. Willow rides through his village on his little pony, proudly carrying the sacred book. The Nelwyn people swarm around him, wild with excitement and celebration. Meegosh runs up, deliriously happy. The High Aldwin comes forward, beaming with pride, and honors Willow with a nod of approval. Willow presents him with the book. Old Burglekutt peers out. His mouth drops open and he shrinks away from the crowd. KIAYA: Willow!! Willow stands up in his stirrups. He sees Kiaya fighting her way through the crowd to reach him. WILLOW: Kiaya!! He jumps off his pony and runs to her. They collide, kiss and embrace. Then Ranon and Mims jump on their father and hug him. Family and friends smother their homecoming hero with love! |