Wingfeather Saga Book 1 movie script and ideas

The Warden and the Wolf King ideas

Here it is. The big finale. The major thing I wanted to change for this one is that the book felt like it had two different climaxes; I think I've found a pretty solid way to combine them into one while leaving all the important parts of both. I also have ideas for a few other touch-ups, such as slightly more satisfying ends to the character arcs of Artham and Sara. I also tried to make it work so that the final battle could take place on Anniera, just because it felt more fitting that way, but it does feel like a bit of a stretch in some areas.

Probably split into two parts

Call bat fangs "Black Fangs"

Will have several (?) flashbacks to Bonifer and Gnag's backstory

(Hopefully) use "Hibernia" by Michael W. Smith during Battle of Dugtown/first Battle of Ban Rona

If split into two parts, Part 1 probably ends soon after this battle

Artham and Sara will not go back to Glipwood (?); all of the prisoners in Lamendron will either be Fanged or killed, not released; if they are fanged, some minor characters from previous books (e.g. the Shoosters) might show up after Janner's sacrifice

When Artham sees the vision of Leeli that threatens to drive him crazy again, Sara suggests that he go and protect Leeli, and she and the children and Armulyn agree to go with him, since they have nowhere else to go; they also convince many others (including Gammon and Maraly (?)) to go with them, promising that a better life would come after the battle

Give Bonifer Squoon a more memorable death

Podo's death will be shown in full when it actually happens, and then in part to the children from Yurgen's memory; after Leeli feels that there is still some dissatisfaction in Yurgen, he shows/tells them that Hulwen left him and turned several other dragons "astray" and helped defend Ban Rona

After Gnag's transformation and learning that Ban Rona was safe, he decides to muster his army (which will consist of basically all the remaining fangs on Aerwiar, the ridgerunners, Wanderers of the Woes, and pirates of Symia) on Anniera; the children will be stuck inside the castle for several days while this is happening

Sometime during this time, Gnag will send Murgah and/or Amrah to Ban Rona to tell them that Gnag has the Jewels on Anniera; this adds even more time to the children's captivity, as they have to wait for the Hollish army to decide to come, get ready to come, and then finally arrive

Also during this time, Murgah and Amrah (or maybe just Amrah) will meld with scorpions

Kalmar actually sneaks into the Fane of Fire while Gnag is holding them captive in the Castle; the Maker only tells him that "he will know what to do when the time comes" (or at least that's all he tells his siblings)

Artham, Sara, and the rest will arrive during the battle

Oood will lead the cloven (and the people that escaped from Throg) to the battle in boats that some troll friends in Throg showed him (or something like that)

After Oskar shows the children Gnag's real name, Kalmar will bring the big stone thing up to some sort of high place where everyone can hear them, and then stop the battle to give a speech. He tells Gnag his real name and that he was loved. After Kal asks Gnag his name several times and he continually responds with "I have no name" (with less and less vigor each time), Gnag stands there in shock, and Kalmar then addresses Gnag and the fangs, telling them that he can change all of them (and the cloven too) back into humans if they sing a new song. Janner will realize what he's about to do and run up to him, and Leeli will follow. Kalmar will then emplore the ridgerunners, wanderers, and pirates to see the Maker's good pleasure and turn from their wicked ways as well

Just as Kalmar finishes praying to the Maker to awaken their dead hearts, Janner and Leeli will reach him. Janner will help him see that he has to be the one to die, and that Kalmar has to sing the song. Kalmar will tearfully agree, and the three children will hug. Then the three of them will face the battlefield, and Kalmar will begin to sing (the same new song that Artham and Esben sang) as Leeli plays and Janner holds the stone up. Artham, the cloven, and some of the fangs (including Nuzzard) will join in (meaning, among other things, that Peet the Sock Man is completely dead). As they are singing, the stone will raise up out of Janner's hands, glowing with power.

Once they finish singing, there will be a short beat, and then energy will begin to pour out from Janner, through the stone, and into everyone who sang, turning them all back into humans (the stone's power could also restore all of Anniera, and maybe even bring the whole world back to the way it was in the First Epoch).

As Tink and Leeli kneel over Janner's shriveled (but not yet dead) body, Gnag sees the healing all around him, and tearfully begins to sing the song himself. Hearing this, Janner tells them to give him the stone (which had floated back down). As Gnag finishes the song, Janner uses his last breath to tell his siblings that he loves them, and then the stone sucks the last thread of life out of him. Gnag transforms back into a normal, weak, and helpless human.

In the aftermath of the battle, Tink (and Leeli?) will find Gnag and ask him once more what his name is, to which he responds with his dying breaths that his name is Davion Wingfeather; he then dies in peace

After other points such as Rudric's death and what everyone plans to do in the future have been resolved and everything, there's the sequence of Kal renaming everyone (still acting slightly like an 11 year old boy when he names Galya).

Epilogue: Various shots of everyone beginning to rebuild Anniera, with Armulyn's song from the end of the book playing over it. Other shots might include things like showing that the Fane of Fire is now open to everyone, and even of Oskar telling/reading the story to people, mirroring how the first movie began

Three days after the battle, Leeli will sneak out of bed at the crack of dawn to visit Janner's grave, and Tink will follow. When they get there, they will see that the grave has been replaced by a large pool of glimmering water--a New First Well (needs to be explained?). Finally, they will see Janner himself standing on the other side. Credits will roll.

Credits will have drawings from Tink's sketchbook beginning with his drawing of the Igiby cottage (or the drawing of Esben, or maybe others of Esben's drawings), then it will illustrate their journey through the entire series (from Kal's perspective); and then as the song (see next point) gets closer to its climax, it will show drawings of the rebuilding of Anniera, the marriages of the children (who are no longer children at this point), etc.; as the song comes to a close, repeating the word "forever", the final drawing will be of the three Wingfeathers as adults standing with their backs to the drawer's perspective, looking out over their kingdom

Credits song: Where I Belong by Switchfoot--have the phrase "one last time" be used in every movie as homage to LotR and to make that line in this song even more meaningful

This song basically sums up all of the themes of these books into five minutes. The first time I really heard the lyrics of this song after reading the Wingfeather Saga, I instantly knew that it was the song that I wanted in the credits of the final movie. It just fits so perfectly! I didn't even like the song that much before making this connection, and now it's one of my favorite songs of all time. It will be a beautiful end to a beautiful story.