SCENE 4 [Stampede Scene]
{Camera switch to a view of a large canyon. Cloud shadows scroll slowly
over the landscape.}
Scar: Now you wait here. Your father has a marvelous
surprise for you.
{Camera switch to bottom of the gully. Scar and Simba are
near a rock, underneath a small tree.}
Simba: Oooh. What is it?
Scar: If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would
it?
Simba: If you tell me, I'll still act surprised.
Scar: Ho ho ho. You are such a naughty boy.
Simba: Come on, Uncle Scar.
Scar: No-no-no-no-no-no-no. This is just for you and your daddy.
You know, a sort of... father-son... thing.
{Through Simba's expression, we see that he resents Scar's dismissive
attitude, but soon shrugs it off.}
Scar: Well! I'd better go get him.
Simba: I'll go with you.
Scar: {Loud, snapping tone} No! {regaining composure} Heh heh heh.
No. Just stay on this rock. You wouldn't want to end up in
another mess like you did with the hyenas...
Simba: {Shocked} You know about that?
Scar: Simba, everybody knows about that.
Simba: {Meek and embarrassed} Really?
Scar: Oh, yes. Lucky Daddy was there to save you, eh? {clearly
enjoying himself; he puts a paw on Simba's shoulder} Oh...
and just between us, you might want to work on that little
roar of yours. Hmm?
{Scar starts to pull away}
Simba: Oh... Okay...
{Scar pats Simba roughly on the head, then moves off.}
Simba: Hey, Uncle Scar, will I like the surprise?
Scar: {Turning back over his shoulder} Simba, it's to DIE for.
{The camera slowly pans up the side of the gorge away from
Scar and Simba. After a distance of rock, we reach the
edge and view on the plain a very large herd of
wildebeest; the size of the herd comes across with a striking
computer-generated parallax pan. The camera then focuses in on the
hyenas (Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed), who are waiting off of the edge
of the herd, hidden under a rock arch.}
Banzai: {Stomach growls}
Shenzi: Shut up.
Banzai: I can't help it. I'm so hungry... {jumping up} I
gotta have a wildebeest!
Shenzi: Stay put.
Banzai: Well... can't I just pick off one of the little sick ones?
Shenzi: No! We wait for the signal from Scar.
{Camera switch to Scar mounting a rock in view of the hyenas}
Shenzi: There he is... {making an evil, almost humorous face}
let's go.
{Camera switch back to Simba}
Simba: Little roar. Puh!
{A lizard walks past Simba. He growls at it.}
Simba: Rarrr!
{The lizard has no reaction to this first attempt. Simba then
jumps down and tries again.}
Simba: Rrrraowr-nh!
{For the third attempt, Simba moves closer again and inhales
deeply.}
Simba: RAOWR!
{The lizard skitters off screen. Simba's roar echoes around the canyon.
Shot of Simba lifting his ears to relish the echo. The echo is
soon eclipsed, however, by a low rumble. Simba looks
down and sees pebbles jumping. Cue the very sinister "To Die For"
music. We see the herd coming over the lip of the gorge. Dramatic
multi-layer camera pull up to Simba's terrified face. Simba takes
off in front of the herd.}
{Cut to the rim of the gorge, where the Hyenas are seen chasing
the wildebeest herd, nipping at their heels to drive them over
the edge. Camera switch to Mufasa and Zazu a short distance from
the canyon.}
Zazu: Oh look, sire; the herd is on the move.
Mufasa: Odd...
{Scar runs up, out of breath}
Scar: Mufasa. Quick. Stampede. In the gorge. Simba's down
there!
Mufasa: Simba?
{Camera switch to Simba. He is running and climbs up a
dead tree. Zazu flies ahead of Mufasa and Scar, down into
the canyon. He spots Simba.}
Simba: {Clinging precariously to a tree} Zazu! Help me!!
Zazu: Your father is on the way! Hold on!
Simba: {Losing grip} Hurry!
{Mufasa and Scar are on the lower ledges of the gorge.
Zazu flies back to Mufasa and points out where Simba is.}
Zazu: There! There! On that tree!
Mufasa: Hold on, Simba!
{In the gully, a wildebeest rams the tree Simba's on,
nearly breaking it.}
Simba: Ahhhh!
{Mufasa runs out into the herd, joining the stampede.}
Zazu: Oh Scar, this is awful. What will we do? What will
we do? Hah ... I'll go back for help, that's what I'll
do, I'll go back for he--oomph!
{Scar backhands Zazu into a rock wall, knocking him out.
Scar then follows Mufasa's progress from the lip of the
gorge, his shadow cast mysteriously from the bottom of the
gully {!}. Mufasa runs with the herd till slightly past the
tree. He whips around the front of some wildebeest and
runs into the herd towards Simba's tree. He gets rammed
head-first once, throwing him to the ground. A wildebeest
hits Simba's tree, throwing Simba into the air. Mufasa gets
up in time to catch Simba in the air with his mouth. He
gets hit again and accidentally throws Simba. Simba dodges
a few oncoming wildebeest. Mufasa runs by with the herd
and grabs Simba. He jumps up to a near rock ledge and sets
Simba down, but is immediately struck by a wildebeest and
carried off into the stampede.}
Simba: DAD!
{Simba watches in horror as he cannot find his father in
the swirling mass of wildebeest below him. At the last
second, Mufasa leaps out of the herd and starts to climb
with great difficulty up the sheer rock slope. Simba
turns and starts to climb up to the top of the gorge. Out
of Simba's sight, Mufasa reaches a point right below a
ledge where he can't climb due to the steepness. His claws are
scraping and his back paws have no traction. Above him on
the ledge is Scar.}
Mufasa: Scar! Broth-- {slips, barely hangs on} Brother! Help me!
{Scar looks disdainfully down, and then suddenly latches
onto Mufasa's forepaws with claws extended. Mufasa roars,
primarily from the sudden pain of Scar's claws, but no doubt also
due to the sudden flash of realization. His expression slowly
changes to one of horror as he recognizes Scar's intent.}
Scar: {Slowly and evilly} Long live the king.
{Scar throws his brother backwards. Mufasa free-falls,
back first. The camera follows Mufasa down from under him,
then from above him, showing the stampede raging below.}
Mufasa: Aaaaaaahh!
{Camera suddenly focuses in on Simba, who is watching his
father hit the ground. No sound effects of the hit. No
view of it either. Mufasa and Simba's screams mingle.}
Simba: Nooooooo!
{The herd passes. Everything is clouded by dust. Simba
bounds to the canyon floor. Mufasa is nowhere to be
seen.}
Simba: {Cough} Dad!!
{We hear a sound}
Simba: {Quietly} Dad?
{We see a stray wildebeest run past, the source of the
sound. The wildebeest curves around a log further down the
gully. Under the log is Mufasa, laying on his side. He is
not moving or breathing. Simba approaches the body. Sad
musical theme. Again we notice how small Simba really is.}
Simba: {Hopefully} Dad? ...Dad, come on. {He rubs up
against Mufasa's cheek. The head merely rolls back in
place after the rub} You gotta get up. {He places both
forepaws on his father's cheek and pushes} Dad. We gotta go
home. {He tugs at Mufasa's ear. Again the head limply
moves back in place. Simba runs off a bit, obviously
very scared.} HEEEEELP! Somebody! {His voice reverberates
hollowly off the sides of the gorge.} Anybody... help.
{He cries. Simba turns back to the body. He nuzzles up under the
limp paw so that his father is embracing him. Pause for effect.}
{Where the music would resolve, we hit a minor chord as
the image of Scar advancing appears through the dust.}
Scar: Simba. ...What have you done?
Simba: {Jumps back, crying} There were wildebeests and he
tried to save me... it was an accident, I... I didn't
mean for it to happen.
Scar: {Embracing Simba, yet still distant} Of course, of
course you didn't. No one... ever means {pulls Simba
closer; Simba hides his face on Scar's foreleg} for
these things to happen. ...But the king IS dead. {looking
with mock regret at Simba) And if it weren't for you, he'd
still be alive. {Simba is crushed, believing his guilt.
Another thought "occurs" to Scar.} Oh! What will your
mother think?
Simba: {Sniffing} What am I gonna do?
Scar: Run away, Simba. Run... Run away and never return.
{Simba runs off blindly, obviously broken. Slight pause,
for the audience to catch its emotional breath. Music ends.
The three hyenas appear behind Scar.}
Scar: Kill him.
{The hyenas take off after him; Scar stands motionless.
Simba is chased up the entire length of the gully. He
reaches the lip only to see a sheer drop on the other
side. Having no choice he jumps and tumbles down into a
patch of briars below. The hyenas pursue the entire way.
When the are running down towards the briars, Banzai sees
them and recoils.
Banzai: Whoa!!
{After skidding extensively, Banzai manages to stop just above
the brambles. He heaves a sigh of relief. Then Shenzi and Ed run
into him, propelling him into the bushes.}
Banzai: Yeow! {Jumping back out of the bushes}
{Shenzi and Ed are laughing}
Shenzi: {Seeing Simba emerge from the far side of the
briars into the desert} Hey-- There he goes! There he goes!
Banzai: {Removing thorns} So go get 'im.
Shenzi: There ain't no way I'm going in there. What, you
want me to come out there looking like you? Cactus
Butt?
Banzai: {Spitting out thorns into Ed's laughing face; Ed
lets out a small yelp of pain} We gotta finish the job.
Shenzi: Well, he's as good as dead out there anyway. And
IF he comes back, we'll kill him.
Banzai: {Shouting} Yeah! you hear that? If you ever come
back, we'll kill ya!!!
{"Kill ya" echoes off as we see Simba still running into the
desert. The Hyenas make their way off the cliffs back to
the Pride Lands.}