Tomb Raider Movie Script
Written by Garry Whitta, © 1997
Part 1:
FADE IN:
EXT. HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS - DAY
An establishing shot moves slowly, serenely across
the majestic panorama of the Himalayan mountains.
We are at extremely high altitude - many of the
lower mountain peaks are shrouded by the cloud
layers below us. Eventually, we arrive at an
awesome sight in the foreground - the very peak of
Mount Everest itself.
SUPERIMPOSE CAPTION:
MOUNT EVEREST, NEPAL
29,028 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL
1986
There is silence. Apart from a small orange weather
beacon, the peak shows no sign of ever having been
touched by man, until...
...the silence is broken by an icy crunch as a
steel climbing pick is driven into the face of the
mountain. A mountaineer, face hidden behind a heavy
hood and goggles, slowly but surely ascends and,
with one final effort, hauls himself up onto the
peak. Having made it, he turns round to pull on the
rope attached to his waist and help a second
mountaineer make the final few steps to the top.
They stand together and turn to take in their
breathtaking surroundings from the highest point on
Earth. After a moment, they embrace and launch
their fists into the air in triumph.
INT. AIRPORT DEPARTURE LOUNGE - DAY
The image of Everest is viewed through the crackly
reception of a black-and-white TV set showing news
coverage of the ascent. We pull back to see that
the TV looks down on the bustling departure lounge
of Kathmandu International Airport.
AIRPORT ANNOUNCER (V.O)
Attention please, this is the
final call for flight number
NA955 to Delhi and London
Heathrow, now boarding at gate
five. (Announcement repeats in
Nepali.)
Most of the travellers here are Nepali but looking
conspicuous amongst the locals is a small but
boisterous group of upper-class English school
girls in their late teens returning home from a
skiing trip. MISS MILLET, a thin, plain-looking and
overworked teacher in her early fifties, is trying
to take a headcount of the girls before they board.
MISS MILLET
(Exasperated) Girls! Girls!
Please can you just stand
still for one moment?
(Counting heads) Fifteen,
sixteen, seventeen... (a
pause, then) where is Lara
Croft? Has anybody seen Lara
Croft?
The schoolgirls shrug their shoulders. Miss Millet
lets out a sigh.
MISS MILLET
All of you, wait here while I
find Lara.
Cut back to the airport TV. It’s being watched by
just one person - but that person is utterly
transfixed. She is LARA CROFT, seventeen years of
age and about to blossom into a very beautiful
young woman. Athletic and pretty, but with an
innocent and dreamlike air to her, she looks up at
the pictures of the Everest mountaineers
celebrating their successful ascent back at base
camp. The narration is in Nepali but it doesn’t
matter - Lara is fascinated. In fact, she doesn’t
even notice the irate Miss Millet walking up behind
her.
MISS MILLET
There you are! Where have you
been? Everyone else is waiting
for you!
Lara doesn’t hear her, still gripped by the
television pictures. Miss Millet grabs her by the
shoulder to get her attention.
MISS MILLET
Lara!
Lara snaps out of her daydream and spins around.
LARA
Miss Millet! I’m... I’m sorry,
I must have lost track of
time.
Lara’s English accent is impeccable, suggesting
aristocratic breeding and the very best education.
MISS MILLET
Yes, well that’s something we
don’t have much of! Do you
want this plane to leave
without us? Come along!
LARA
Yes miss, sorry miss!
Lara gathers up her things and hurries towards the
departure lounge.
EXT. AIRPORT RUNWAY - DAY
The mid-sized Nepal Air passenger plane takes off
and disappears into the distance, over the
Himalayas.
INT. AIRPLANE - DAY
The 100-seater airplane is about half full,
including the schoolgirl party. They continue to
behave boisterously, despite the best efforts of
Miss Millet to calm them down. The only quiet
member of the party is Lara Croft, who sits by
herself, reading a book. One of her schoolmates,
ALICE, notices her.
ALICE
Lara! What’s the matter with
you?
LARA
What do you mean?
ALICE
You’ve been just a complete
misery-guts the whole trip!
Don’t you want to enjoy
yourself?
LARA
I am enjoying myself.
ALICE
(Laughs) With your nose stuck
in a book the whole time?
Another schoolgirl, MARY, joins in.
MARY
It’s not as if you don’t have
the opportunity to have any
fun, Lara. If I was the
daughter of a rich English
Lord, I wouldn’t be a boring
bloody bookworm, I’d be
spending the old bastard’s
money!
This gets a laugh from the other girls, except
Lara, who seems offended. She closes her book and
gets up from her seat.
LARA
Excuse me, I need to use the
bathroom.
MARY
The problem with you, Lara, is
that you don’t know how lucky
you are! It’s all wasted on
you, Lucky Lara!
Another laugh from the girls, despite Miss Millet’s
disapproving looks. Paying no attention, Lara makes
her way from the front of the airplane to the
bathrooms at the rear. She enters and locks the
door.
INT. AIRPLANE BATHROOM
Lara looks discontentedly at herself in the mirror.
LARA
Lucky Lara.
INT. AIRPLANE COCKPIT - DAY
The pilot and co-pilot look concerned as turbulence
buffets the aircraft and the visibility
deteriorates.
PILOT
Can’t see a damn thing up
here. Was this in the weather
report?
CO-PILOT
No, supposed to be clear all
the way.
The pilot sighs and grabs the PA microphone to
address the passengers.
PILOT
Attention ladies and
gentlemen, this is the
Captain. We are encountering
some unforseen weather
difficulties at the moment,
but we should be coming out of
it shortly. In the meantime,
could you please all return to
your seats and...
At that moment, an audience-jarring SHOCK! As if
from nowhere, a flock of birds appears at close
range through the mist and smashes into the cockpit
window. The force of the impact breaks one of the
small side windows, and the pilot is cut badly by
the glass blasted inward by the sudden rush of air,
which is now howling around the cockpit. The
co-pilot struggles to help him while trying to
maintain control of the airplane. For a moment he
loses it and the plane lurches to the right...
making things even worse, as outside, a wing clips
a mountain top, shearing the engine and much of the
wing itself completely off!
In the main cabin, panicked reaction from the
passengers and crew as the violent impact throws
people forwards in their seats, and luggage crashes
down from the compartments above.
In the bathroom, Lara is thrown forward and her
head hits the door handle, cutting it and leaving
her slumped in the corner, dazed.
In the cockpit, the co-pilot fights a losing
battle, desperately trying to regain control. The
plane is losing altitude fast, and listing to the
right because of the damaged wing.
In the main cabin, everone is now in a state of
extreme panic as it’s clear the plane is going
down. Crew members hurriedly try to help passengers
with oxygen masks and crash positions.
The plane continues to descend, now flying through
a valley with mountains to either side. The
co-pilot pulls back on the control stick with all
his might in an attempt to level the descent.
CO-PILOT
(Into headset) Mayday, mayday!
This is Romeo Alpha Nine Five
Five in distress! Our
starboard engine is out,
losing altitude! Say again,
this is...
Too late. At that moment the plane hits the ground
and careens across the rock and ice at breakneck
speed, skidding left and right... and eventually
starting to slow down.
Visibility from the cockpit is near zero thanks to
the snow being kicked up all around. The co-pilot
hits every brake and flap he can to slow the plane,
and it seems to be working. A look of relief
crosses his face, but then turns to horror as the
visibility clears just in time for him - and us -
to see that the plane is heading straight into a
mountainside ahead! He barely has time to raise his
hands to protect himself, before...
...the aircraft crashes headlong into the mountain
with tremendous force. The entire front section of
the fuselage crumples like a concertina, while the
rear section tears and bends upwards before
crashing back down into the snow. With a mighty
groan, the crippled aircraft lists over onto its
smashed wing and finally comes to rest.
Inside the aircraft, the cabin has been severely
smashed, and stricken bodies are everywhere.
Exposed electrical circuitry sparks wildly, steel
supports hang from the ceiling and the whole
structure looks like it could give way at any
moment. There is no motion amongst the passengers,
and there looks to be no survivors...
...but then, from the rear, a sign of life. Buckled
and hanging from just one hinge, the bathroom door
opens slightly, then with a push from inside, tears
off the hinge and crashes onto the floor. After a
moment, Lara emerges, badly bruised, bleeding and
dazed but otherwise unhurt. She limps out into the
main cabin to survey the awful scene before her. At
first she is horrified, but she braces herself and
makes her way down the center aisle.
LARA
Hello? Hello? Is anyone... can
anyone hear me? (Louder, more
urgently) Hello?
Lara looks frantically for signs of life, but there
are none. After a few moments the reality of her
situation sets in, and she begins to cry.
Then, a voice. Only faint at first, barely enough
for Lara to hear.
MISS MILLET
Lara? Lara?
Lara swings round, trying to pinpoint where the
voice is coming from.
LARA
Miss Millet?
MISS MILLET
Lara!
Homing in on the voice, Lara pulls aside some
wreckage to find Miss Millet beneath it. She is
mortally injured and barely hanging onto life. Lara
kneels down and tries to help her.
LARA
How are you? I mean, how
bad... can you move?
MISS MILLET
(Weaker now) Lara... I...
can’t...
Lara tries to lift her, but Miss Millet cries out
in pain. Below the waist she is trapped under tons
of heavy wreckage.
MISS MILLET
Don’t try to... (coughs) I’m
not going anywhere. Save who
you can.
LARA
(Looking around) They’re all
dead!
MISS MILLET
(A pause, then) Then save
yourself.
At that moment there is an ominous rumbling sound
from outside the aircraft, like thunder. Lara looks
frantically up and around to try to pinpoint the
noise, but it seems to come from all around.
EXT. AIRPLANE - DAY
The impact of the airplane into the mountainside
has destabilized some of the rock shelves above,
and an avalanche is imminent. Snow begins to slide
downwards, and large chunks are already falling and
crashing down on top of the fuselage.
INT. AIRPLANE - DAY
Lara watches in horror as the view out of several
of the airplane windows suddenly turns completely
white - a snowslide just buried a section of the
plane. The deep rumbling from above continues,
suggesting that much worse is to come. Now acutely
aware of the imminent danger, Lara turns back to
Miss Millet.
LARA
I can’t leave you here! I
won’t!
For a brief moment, some strength returns to Miss
Millet as she reaches out and grabs Lara by the
shoulder.
MISS MILLET
No! Listen to me! You can’t
help me! Save yourself, Lara.
Survive. (A pause, then, much
weaker) Survive...
Miss Millet’s grip grows weak and her arm slumps
down by her side. Her head drops back. Dead. Lara
stands and steps back, aghast. She looks around -
snow is fluttering in through the huge tear in the
fuselage and is already starting to settle inside.
Suddenly Lara realises how cold she is and wraps
herself in a tattered blanket. She is totally lost,
alone and terrified. But then her expression
changes as she pulls herself together and makes a
decision. Survive.
Cut to Lara hurriedly preparing. Rifling through
luggage, she collects ski clothing and dresses
herself in layer after layer. She fills a backpack
with whatever food and equipment she can find.
Entering the cockpit, Lara grimly pushes aside the
body of the dead pilot to get past. The cockpit is
crushed, but there is still room to move around.
Using a piece of metal wreckage, Lara prises the
compass from its housing in the buckled instrument
panel. She also grabs a wad of maps and puts these
in her bag with the compass. Noticing what looks
like an emergency kit above her, she reaches for it
but her touch dislodges it and it falls to the
ground, open. Inside is a loaded revolver. Lara
hesitates for a moment, then picks it up nervously
- it looks huge in her small hand - and puts it in
her bag.
Lara, now fully kitted out in bulky cold-weather
gear and hauling her heavy backpack, steps out
through the gash in the fuselage and carefully
clambers down the snowdrift that has built up
outside. At that moment the rumbling sound from
above gets much louder, and Lara makes a desperate
dash and leap for safety just as hundreds of tons
of snow and ice crash down in a mighty avalanche,
completely burying the plane. No rescue team will
ever find it, and if Lara had been just a few
seconds slower, no-one would ever have found her,
either.
After scrambling away and regaining her compusure,
Lara looks all around. There is nothing but
desolate, snowy wasteland and treacherous mountains
as far as the eye can see in every direction. She
looks back at the aircraft’s burial site and wipes
away a tear.
LARA
Lucky Lara...
Looking at her maps and compass, Lara makes the
best guess she can about which way to head, then
trudges off into the white void...
EXT. HIMALAYAN VILLAGE - DAY
A remote village somewhere in the Himalayan
lowlands. This tiny community, home to no more than
a hundred peasant farmers and their families, rests
hidden inside a shallow valley.
SUPERIMPOSE CAPTION:
NEAR BIRATNAGAR, NEPAL
74 MILES NORTHWEST OF CRASH SITE
ONE WEEK LATER
Inside a small hut, an American missionary doctor,
LAING, is trying to innoculate a small Nepali child
who is scared of the needle.
LAING
(In Nepali, subtitled) Now
don’t be afraid. This won’t
hurt.
The child is uncomfortable and won’t stop
struggling. Exasperated, Laing has an idea. He acts
surprised and points behind the child.
LAING
Oh my word, what is THAT?
The child falls for it and turns his head to see.
While his guard is down, Laing jabs him with the
needle and administers the innoculation.
LAING
There, you see? All done.
Laing covers the needle mark with a cotton swab and
the boy scampers away to play with his friends.
At the edge of the village, an old peasant stops
dead in his tracks when he sees something he can
barely believe in the distance. He double-takes and
steps forward for a better look. Amazed, he shouts
back to the village, never taking his eyes off what
he sees.
PEASANT
(In Nepali, subtitled) Doctor!
Doctor! Come! Come quickly!
The peasant’s shouts attract attention, and people
start to rush over. Laing notices the commotion and
hurries over to see what the fuss is about. When he
reaches the astonished crowd that has gathered and
sees what they see, his jaw drops in amazement.
LAING
Good God.
Staggering towards them in the distance is a dark,
bulky shape which, as it gets closer, we recognize
as Lara Croft. Seeing that she is in distress,
Laing and several villagers rush out to meet her.
As they reach her, she stumbles, exhausted, into
Laing’s arms. Her face and clothes are covered in
dried blood. Laing and the villagers carry her back
to the village and inside his hut.
INT. DOCTOR’S HUT - DAY
Lara, looking deathly weak, is laid on a table as
most of the curious peasants are ushered outside -
only the senior villagers remain.
LAING
(In Nepali, subtitled) Can you
hear me? What’s your name?
(Again in English)
No response. Laing looks into her eyes and feels
her pulse.
LAING
Looks like borderline
hypothermia. Shock too. We
need to get these clothes off.
Laing begins stripping away the outer layers of
Lara’s clothing. Everything is covered in dried
blood.
LAING
This can’t be all her own
blood.
Laing notices that the lower left sleeve of Lara’s
ski jacket is badly torn. Stripping her down to her
undershirt, he reveals a deep gash on the inside of
her lower arm, what looks like the result of a
vicious animal attack. One villager comes forward
to take a closer look and recognizes the type of
wound on Lara’s arm. He looks terrified.
VILLAGER
(In Nepali, subtitled) Is
Yeti.
Hearing this, the other villagers become extremely
concerned and start talking anxiously amongst
themselves.
LAING
(In Nepali, subtitled) Quiet,
all of you! There is no Yeti!
No Yeti!
Meanwhile, one of the other villagers is rummaging
through Lara’s bag. He finds her passport and hands
it to Laing, who examines it.
LAING
British, hmm? Alright Lara, if
you can hear me, my name is
Doctor Laing. I’m here to help
you. First I’m going to fix
this arm. Can you tell me how
this happened?
Lara tries to speak, but can barely manage. The
villager behind Laing taps him on the shoulder, who
turns to see him holding the gun found in Lara’s
bag. Perplexed, Laing takes the gun and opens the
breach. Six spent shells spill out onto the floor.
Whatever attacked Lara, she fought back, and it
lost a lot of blood. The doctor looks back at Lara
in a combination of confusion and amazement.
LAING
What the hell happened to you,
Lara Croft? (A pause, then)
Well, whatever it was...
you’re damn lucky to be alive.