RISEN (Screenplay)

Scene 1

FLASH OF STATIC TO:

A low-res VIDEO of the Earth spinning. We hear the dramatic tones of an 'Olbermann-esque' news announcer.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

Tensions continue to mount around the world today. With no end in sight, our viewers can't help but ask the question: who can save us from ourselves?

FLASH-CUTS: short newsreel clips of warfare, mass protests, stock-market crashes, and street violence.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.) (CONT'D)

The military? They can barely keep the chaos at bay. The bankers? Most think they're the ones robbing us blind. The masses? They're just trying to survive another day...

QUICK CUTS of news pages: biologists and programmers are missing or dead under 'mysterious circumstances'.

ANNOUNCER (CONT'D)(V.O.)

And the scientists? Even our best and brightest are dropping like flies!

(beat)

Closer to home, it gets even stranger...

NEWS FOOTAGE of dark city streets, with frightened residents.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.) (CONT'D)

Rolling blackouts triggered concern tonight, and then outright panic when the following appeared on TVs and computer screens across the state...

Footage of a MYSTERIOUS SCREAMING FACE from several angles. It appears to be made from computer code.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.) (CONT'D)

A state power official claimed a garden- variety 'technical error', while major advertisers and movie studios deny this is part of some elaborate marketing stunt.

XCU of the CODE FACE. The screen flickers and crackles.

ANNOUNCER (V.O) (CONT'D)

Fringe groups and conspiracy buffs are on their soapboxes, claiming everything from aliens, to government mind control, to the Second Coming. In this reporter's humble opinion, it shouldn't matter who or what responsible...

(beat)

...if it means a better day is coming.

The screen flashes to STATIC, and the title card forms in it:

'RISEN'

INT. JACOB'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

We pull back to reveal a complex COMPUTER RIG mounted on a bedroom wall. The bank of screens flicker with static.

Across the room, an elevated BED is surrounded by IV-drips, monitors, and medical apparatus. In it lies JACOB (16), a disabled boy, hooked up to myriad tubes and wires.

A PALE HAND reaches into frame, and jostles him.

EVE (O.S.)

Wake up, weirdo...

At his bedside sits EVE (17), a punkish girl with jet-black hair, ruby lips, and assorted piercings. She wipes spit from Jacob's chin like she's done it a thousand times.

EVE (CONT'D)

You were 'sleep-watching' again.

Jacob blinks and scans his eyes across a DIGITAL PANEL near his face. His 'message' appears on the screens: 'NOT WEIRD'