You are the 
person to read this script since July 7, 1999
The Hollow Man
written by Andrew W. Marlowe
Red Wagon Prods.
Revised Draft 6/26/98
FADE IN:
On complete darkness.
A SMALL DOOR swings open.
A circle of light reveals that we I re looking down the
length of a tube. At the far end of the tube, we see a
gloved hand dangling a rat. The hand shoves the
frightened rat into the tube and closes the door behind
it. The rats stark white fur bristles and it begins to
pad down the tubes length.
After several feet, the tube opens up into a dimly lit
cubicle. The rat hesitates and stops.
The SOUNDS of gentle BREATHING whispers in the rats
ears.
The rat turns round to head back down the tube, but a
door swings shut, trapping it in the cubicle.
The rat cowers as the BREATHING turns to SNORTING.
The rats head jerks around, looking for signs of danger,
but the cubicle is empty. The rat sees a water dish on
the far side of the cubicle - a place to hide - and
dashes toward it.
But an invisible force descends.
The rat squeals in agony as something smashes down on its
body, crushing it.
A LOUD BELLOW rings out, and the rat flies into the air,
halting a few feet off the ground. Its body writhes,
struggling against the unholy force.
Then a sick crunch of tiny bones snapping. All life
quickly drains from the levitating body. Dead eyes...
The creatures corpse floats in mid-air. Then the white
fur of the rat explodes in a shower of blood.
HUGE BLOOD SMEARED INCISORS appear, as do the red-slicked
ape- like lips. The gaping bloody mouth bites again into
the rat.
CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
In the background we hear Jay Lenos monologue from the
Tonight Show. A small lamp and the glow from a computer
screen illuminates SEBASTIAN CAINE, late twenties with
the shabby good looks of a perpetual grad-student. Wiry
framed and wearing only boxer shorts, Sebastian sips
coffee from an Einstein coffee mug. He peers at a
complex computer rendered molecule displayed on his
screen. He pecks a few keys and the molecule shifts
slightly, then falls apart.
Sebastian pulls a twinkie from a hostess box, unwraps the
cellophane and sucks it down. He attacks the keyboard
with renewed vigor.
Another molecule appears on the screen. Sebastians
fingers fly across the keyboard. The molecule blinks on
and off, it trembles and twists apart.
SEBASTIAN
Damnit.
Sebastian pears out his window. Across the courtyard, a
light comes on in a neighboring window. He sees a
BRUNETTE, mid-twenties, absolutely stunning, enter her
living room. The Brunette thumbs through the mail, tosses
it and then begins to undress. Sebastian loans over to
the window, getting interested. But when the brunette
reaches her bra and panties, she crosses to the window
and lowers her shades.
SEBASTIAN (contd)
Damnit.
Sebastian leans back in his chair and closes his eyes.
Hes obviously tired. He opens his eyes and stares up at
the ceiling. Painted across the white matte finish in big
red letters is a brief reminder - You Should Be
Working. Sebastian sighs, leans forward and begins
pecking away again.
LATER:
The television is now only static. We pan by his alarm
clock. 4 am. We find Sebastian pacing in front of his
computer.
He gets an idea... slides back in his chair. Types away
again. The molecule reforms on the computer screen.
He types a few more keys, waits, watches the molecule.
Nothing happens.
He hits a few more keys and watches intently for a
reaction.
SEBASTIAN
(beat)
I am a goddamn genius.
He hits a few more keys and a telephone keypad appears on
the screen. He dials.
CUT TO:
INT. ANOTHER BEDROOM - NIGHT
Digital phone rings.
In the bed, LINDA FOSTER, late twenties, stirs from a
deep sleep. As she straggles out of bed and over to her
desk, we notice a young man sleeping next to her.
The ringing continues. She moves her computer mouse
around and her screen comes to life. She click on a
telephone icon and the ringing stops. A beat later,
Sebastian appears in a window on her screen.
LINDA
Sebastian, do you know what time it
is?
SEBASTIAN (SCREEN)
You know Da Vinci never slept. Said it
was waste of time.
LINDA
What is it this time?
INTERCUT: SEBASTIANS BEDROOM
Sebastian peers at the image of Linda in the computer
window. He notices something behind her in the bed, the
young man sleeping face down.
SEBASTIAN
Whos that?
Linda pulls the camera off the top of the of the computer
screen and positions it so Sebastian cant see the bed.
LINDA
Not your business. Not anymore.
SEBASTIAN
Touche.
LINDA
So you calling about anything in
particular, or were you just hoping to
catch me sleeping in the nude?
SEBASTIAN
I cracked the reversion.
Upon hearing this, Linda receives a jolt of adrenaline.
LINDA
You cracked it?
SEBASTIAN
Look at this.
Sebastian hits a couple of keys. A moment later the
molecular structure appears on Lindas computer.
SEBASTIAN
Watch this.
LINDA
You sure?
SEBASTIAN
91% sure.
LINDA
(astonished)
Eleven months with no progress and you
suddenly come up with it out of the
blue? How?
SEBASTIAN
The usual. Coffee and twinkies.
LINDA
I hate you.
SEBASTIAN
I know. You think you could hunt down
Matt and get to the lab early. I want
Isabelle prepped for a live test.
LINDA
Yeah, I think I can find him. What are
you going to do?
SEBASTIAN
Well yknow. Its daylight in
Switzerland. I gotta call the Nobel
Committee and tell them to get our
prizes ready. See you in a few.
ON LINDAS COMPUTER SCREEN as Sebastian clicks off. Linda
crosses to her bed, and shakes the guy awake.
LINDA
Hey... come on.
DR. MATTHEW KENSINGTON, late 20s too, stirs from under
sheets.
MATT
(groggy)
What?
LINDA
Sebastian just called. We gotta get to
the lab.
Matt bolts up.
MATT
Shit! You didnt tell him I was here,
did you?
LINDA
Give me some credit, will ya.
MATT
So whats the rush?
LINDA
He cracked reversion.
Matt pulls his jeans on.
MATT
Wanna ride down?
LINDA
We better take our own cars.
MATT
Youre gonna have to tell him about us
eventually.
LINDA
I know. Its just Youre his best
friend. Hell feel betrayed.
EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. SKYLINE - DAY
From a distance, the Nations Monuments stand awash in
the harsh light of morning.
CAMERA finds a BLACK PORSCHE as it pulls to the security
fence of a warehouse. The imposing structure is
surrounded by a chainlink fence and barbed wire.
The Porsche is waved through security and heads straight
into the warehouse.
INT. WAREHOUSE -DAY
The Porsche pulls to a halt in a reserved parking space
and Sebastian exits, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts,
and Birkenstocks. He notes the other cars parked in the
lot, then crosses to bunker in the center of the
warehouse, guarded by a MARINE, shouldering an M-16.
MARINE GUARD
Morning, sir.
SEBASTIAN
Morning, Ed.
MARINE GUARD
Your teams in early. Something
special going on?
SEBASTIAN
Sorry, Ed. You know the rules.
Sebastian presses his thumb against a glass screen. A
laser reads his print.
Scan readout: CAINE, SEBASTIAN
Clearance: ALPHA ALPHA THREE
Division: CLASSIFIED
The doors whisk open and Sebastian steps inside.
MARINE GUARD
Have a good day, sir.
INT. ELEVATOR - DAY
Inside the elevator is a numberless keypad. Sebastian
taps in his floor code.
ELEVATOR (V.0.)
Authorization please.
SEBASTIAN
Caine zero zero two seven.
ELEVATOR (V.0.)
Authorization verified. Good morning,
Dr. Caine.
The elevator descends with a groaning hum. It passes
below us and keeps descending into the belly of the
earth, the shaft goes down forever.
INT. HABITATS CORRIDOR
We slowly push down a hallway panelled by Plexiglas
chambers. Each chamber looks as if its tailored for a
specific animal, although no animals are visible.
As we pass one habitat, something slams into the
Plexiglas and begins barking. Another HOWL joins in. Then
SCREECHING. Suddenly the hallway fills with a dozen
animal cries. THUMP.
THUMP.
The Plexiglas on several chambers vibrates as if angry
animals were slamming against it. But still, no animals
are seen.
Above each chamber, VIDEO SCREENS display THERMAL IMAGES
revealing heat signatures of the various animals, but
they remain invisible to the naked eye. MATT taps on a
sheet of Plexiglas which seals off another seemingly
empty cage.
MATT
Isabelle ...
The woodchips on the floor shift and suddenly the
Plexiglas steams up right in front of Matts face. The
Plexiglas begins to shake violently.
MATT (contd)
Calm down baby. Calm down. Its
okay...
Matt takes a pair of thermal goggles from his belt and
pulls them down over his eyes.
THERMAL POV - A rather large heat signature, ape-like in
shape, rattles about the cage. Matt slowly unlatches the
Plexiglas door and reaches inside.
MATT (contd)
Its okay, baby. Its okay. Im not
going to hurt you. Come here.
THERMAL POV - he reaches out to the creature. He grabs
hold of it, firmly. Stroking it. The creature COOS. Matt
reaches for a hypo and brings it up to the creature.
MATT (contd)
Just hold still.
Something clamps down on his hand, breaking his skin.
Blood erupts in a bite pattern.
MATT (contd)
Ow, shit.
Matt drops the hypo and falls back. The cage door flies
open and something runs out. Matt pulls himself up to see
the heat signature running down the hallway. He turns
around to see another heat signature coming at him. Matt
pulls off his goggles to see Linda coming up the
Corridor.
LINDA
You okay?
MATT
She bit me.
LINDA
Yeah. Shes become a lot more
aggressive in the last few days.
Linda takes the goggles from Matt.
LINDA (contd)
Go take care of that bite. Ill get
her.
MATT
And give you a chance to pull ahead?
Never.
Linda opens a lock-box at the end of the hallway and
pulls out a two tranquilizer guns. She hands one to Matt.
AROUND THE CORNER
A slight distortion shimmers as something runs past us.
We hear HOOTS and FOOTSTEPS.
Looking down the shadowy corridor, we hear grunting and a
haunting heavy breathing. The control door is closed
though and something large and angry is throwing itself
against it. We cant see anything.
A few moments later, Linda and Matt round the corner,
wearing goggles and leveling their pistols.
MATT
(ala Porky)
Shh. Be vewy, vewy quiet. Im hunting
simians. heheheheh.
LINDA
Knock it off.
(soothing voice)
Isabelle!
THERMAL POV - Dark hallway. Movement. A red shimmering
heat signature. It comes running at Linda. HOWLING. Linda
fires. A T-DART flies. Thwack... It stops in mid-air.
Then falls. But it doesnt hit the floor. Instead, it
stops inches above the ground.
THERMAL POV - the heat signature lies in a heap at
Lindas feet.
MATT
Good shootin, Tex.
LINDA
Whats that make it?
MATT
Im still ahead. 6 to 5.
Like a smug gunfighter, Linda blows imaginary smoke from
the top of her tranquilizer gun.
LINDA
But Im catching up.
INT. CORRIDOR - DAY
The elevator doors open and Sebastian steps out. Hes met
by SARAH KENNEDY, early thirties, a fiery red-head.
SARAH
Can I have a word?
SEBASTIAN
Most normal people say good morning.
SARAH
Dont you think you should test the
protocol on the liver samples before
you inject Isabelle?
SEBASTIAN
How many tissue samples have we
successfully regressed? Hundreds,
right? How many have gone on to work
on the full system? None.
SARAH
Thats beside the point.
SEBASTIAN
No, that is the point. Im not going
to waste six months of my life on an
outmoded testing procedure. This thing
works. I know it. I feel it.
Linda comes down the corridor, listening in on the tail
end of the conversation.
SARAH
Fine. You can mop up afterward.
SEBASTIAN
You think Im going to kill Isabelle?
SARAH
Kill? More like liquefy.
SEBASTIAN
Sarah, thank you for your opinion, but
Im the project leader. Understand?
She says ...
SARAH
Yes, Sir.
... but somehow it feels like Fuck you. She storms off.
Sebastian turns to Linda.
SEBASTIAN
How did you ever convince me to hire
her?
LINDA
You said you wanted the beat vet in
the country.
SEBASTIAN
Yeah, well she cares more about the
animals than the research.
LINDA
Maybe thats why shes so good.
CUT TO:
CLOSE ON: MATT as he shuts off the spinning cyclotron. As
its spinning slows to a halt, he pops the top and
reaches in, removing...
A GLOWING VIAL OF ORANGE LIQUID.
Sebastian peers at the vial.
SEBASTIAN
Who da Man? You da Man.
MATT
As we pull out we see we are.
INT. LABORATORY - DAY
Almost feels like a dungeon. Think high-tech
Frankenstein. Walls lined with video displays, technical
readouts, bizarre medical equipment.
On a table in the middle of the room, a sheet drapes over
a humanoid form, strapped down at its invisible limbs.
The straps move slightly... ghostly. Wires lead from the
body to lots of machinery.
MATT
Protocol is hot.
SEBASTIAN
Vitals?
Sarah, checks over the various readouts ... heartbeat,
blood pressure, the rest.
SARAH
Normal.
CARTER ABBEY, the late thirties lab assistant, wheels in
a cart of equipment. Linda taken a seat by the table and
pushes aside the sheet.
BOOMING VOICE
THIS IS GOD. YOU ARE DISTURBING THE
NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS AND WILL BE
SEVERELY PUNISHED FOR ALL ETERNITY.
GOD HAS SPOKEN.
SEBASTIAN
How many times do I have to tell you,
Frank you arent God.
(beat)
I am.
FRANK (LOUDSPEAKER)
Sorry, Boss. Forgot.
Sebastian glance up at a glass booth overlooking the
Laboratory floor. TWO PEOPLE in the booth.
SEBASTIAN
You guys ready to roll?
INT. OBSERVATION BOOTH
FRANK CHASE, early thirties, and tech expert JANICE
WALTON, early twenties, man a small booth above the lab.
Theyre dressed more like band roadies than scientists.
The room is crammed with electronic and recording
equipment. A handful of monitors display different images
of the lab. Thermal and regular video. Another screen
monitors vital signs.
FRANK
We are live and in color. On your
mark.
Frank and Janice looks down on their colleagues.
Sebastian nods their way.
SEBASTIAN
Okay. Roll em.
JANICE
Okay. We are rolling record on videos
one through twelve.
Frank hits a series of buttons and speaks into a
microphone. Recording.
INT. LABORATORY - DAY
Franks voice echoes through the chamber.
FRANK (V.O.)
Subject Isabelle Two. Currently in
phase shift... one hundred twenty six
days, eighteen hours.
LINDA
Testing De-Phase protocol. Injecting
serial protein Caine One Two Five.
Linda removes a glowing vial of orange liquid from a
centrifuge nearby.
MATT
Maybe if you stopped naming them after
yourself, youd have better luck.
SEBASTIAN
Why thank you, Dr. Kensington, for
that keen scientific observation. Ill
be sure to include it in my memoirs.
MATT
A whole mention? And I thought I was
just gonna be a footnote.
Matt unwraps a hypodermic needle and jabs the needle into
the vial, drawing up the colored liquid.
INT. OBSERVATION BOOTH
MATT
Okay.
Frank and Janice monitor Isabelles vitals.
INT. LABORATORY - DAY
Tension in the air.
SEBASTIAN
(to Linda)
Ready.
She wraps a bungee cord around nothing and pulls it
tight. She then takes some dye and sprays it. A surface
appears, floating beneath the restraints. It sheens in
the light as Linda searches for a vein. She slaps the
surface several times. A small bulge appears, like a
vein.
LINDA
Propped.
MATT
Lets make some history.
Matt lowers the hypo to the vein. But Sebastian takes the
hypo from Matts hand.
SEBASTIAN
Nice try, Sparky.
Matt relinquishes the needle.
LINDA
Come on, Isabelle. You can do this.
Sebastian lowers the hypo. The skin bonds and gives. The
needle remains in sight after it slips through the
visible surface. Matt presses down on the hypo plunger,
releasing a dye into his bloodstream. The gold liquid
twists into a long snaking tube up and down the limb.
Its the shape of a vein. The liquid begins to react.
Small flashes of light blip up and down the strand of
color. Ba-bump.. ba-bump... the heartbeat starts to speed
up.
SARAH
Elevated heartbeat.
INT. OBSERVATION BOOTH
Janice analyzes the screens.
JANICE
Were still in the green.
FRANK
Confirmed. Vitals still in the normal
range.
INT. LABORATORY
The glowing liquid turns from gold to red as the complex
webbing of a bloodstream appears.
MATT
Its reacting.
Spreading out from the bloodstream, soon becomes
visible.. the shadow of a skeletal system.
SEBASTIAN
Do you see this?
LINDA
Its working. Its actually working.
Matt pulls the sheet back. Muscles are beginning to
appear. And eyeballs. Frightened eyeballs.
SARAH
Heart rates up. Shes scared.
Sarah soothes her.
SARAH (contd)
It's okay, baby. It's okay.
SEBASTIAN
Subject began manifesting almost
Immediately. Protocol is reacting
quickly.
Isabelle starts to struggle against her restraints. She
begins to howl.
LINDA
Subject may be in pain or extreme
discomfort.
SARAH
Goddamnit. Blood pressure elevating.
Brain activity going through the roof.
The brain appears, seemingly growing from the inside out.
The shape of a large half-formed monkey grows from the
inside out. A SKULL APPEARS howling in pain, in horror.
SARAH (contd)
Weve got a problem.
SEBASTIAN
What? What problem!
Sarah checks her monitors.
SARAH
Its her heart. We can see the heart
beating in the apes
FRANK (V.0.)
I got an erratic heart beat.
SARAH
Shes going into cardiac arrest.
LINDA
Got the crash cart.
Carter charges the crash cart and rolls it in.
SARAH
Were losing her.
Her machine flatlines.
SEBASTIAN
No! Its got to work.
The body is only half there. It looks as if its caught in
decomposition. Linda rubs the cardiac paddles together.
LINDA
Clear!
Linda slams the paddles on the monkeys chest. The jolt
of electricity makes the monkey visible again for a brief
moment. Then the skin and flesh fade away again.
SARAH
Weve got something!
The heartbeat starts up again. The body continues its
march toward,visibility.
SARAH (contd)
Still. erratic.
LINDA
Come on Isabelle. Come on. You can do
it. You can fucking do it.
Everybodys pulling for her.
SARAH
Come on, monkey.
MATT
Do it. Do it. Come on.
Muscles spread like a rash on bone as the monkey twists
and turns, frightened. Then skin. The monkey howls. Skin
forms over the muscles reappearing like it was being
painted on before our eyes.
SARAH
Stabilizing.
The entire form glows, then blinks, then glows again, as
if it was discharging some stored energy.
FRANK (V.0.)
Brain activity returning to normal.
The monkey grunts and groans. Blinks its eyes. Linda
hovers over it stroking its fur.
LINDA
Welcome back, Isabelle.
Sebastian puts his hand on Lindas shoulder... a move
that does not go unnoticed by Matt. We did it.
SEBASTIAN
(beat)
How is she?
SARAH
(surprised)
I think shes gonna be okay
DISSOLVE TO:
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