Dredd: The Screenplay
Page 3
Him who?
ANDERSON
The man who murdered the people in the atrium.
Kay’s eyes narrow fractionally. Internally, he’s wondering how she could know this, but he’s far too practised with being on the wrong side of the law to give anything away.
DREDD
You’re sure.
ANDERSON
Ninety-nine per cent.
DREDD
Can’t execute a perp on ninety-nine per cent.
Dredd steps over to Kay. Stares him down.
DREDD
Save a lot of paperwork if you confessed right now.
Kay says nothing. And clearly isn’t going to.
Dredd nods.
DREDD
We’ll take him in. See how he holds up after a few hours of interrogation.
As Anderson turns to Kay again, Kay’s eyes look up to the corner of the room.
We zoom on the place where Kay is looking, and find –
– a pinhole.
And through the pinhole, the glint of a lens.
Cut to:
This scene, viewed from the hidden CCTV camera in the corner of the room.
Pull back to reveal:
INT. MA-MA’S BASE ⁄ CCTV ROOM – CONTINUOUS
A monitor, showing the image of Kay’s arrest by Dredd and Anderson.
Next to the monitor, a red alarm light is blinking.
Pull back to reveal more monitors, showing various views around Peach Trees.
This is the CCTV room: the technological hub of Ma-Ma’s operation, at the heart of her base, overlooking the atrium from the top floor.
Supervising the monitors is the Clan Techie.
Twenty years old.
Hunted, undernourished, nervy: a dog who’s been kicked too many times. And he’s got no eyes. Instead, he has robotic eye implants. Around a pupil, formed exactly like a camera aperture, delicate circuitry spreads out around his iris and the whites.
And what these robotic eyes are focused on is making him worried.
CLAN TECHIE
Oh shit.
He reaches for a radio.
CLAN TECHIE
(into radio)
Uh, Caleb? I’m sorry to – no, I know. Yes, but – I think there’s a problem on level thirty-nine.
Cut to:
INT. ATRIUM – DAY
We look up from the middle of the building and see a figure standing at a balcony one floor from the top.
The figure turns and walks into the building.
INT. MA-MA’S BEDROOM – DAY
An extreme close-up on Ma-Ma’s face.
Her cheeks are rippling weirdly, and slowly. Reveal –
– compressed gas from a slo-mo inhaler is jetting into her mouth.
Cut to:
– normal time.
Caleb enters the room.
Reveal Ma-Ma’s penthouse surroundings. It’s a weird mix of squalor and crass luxury. A Dolce & Gabbana crack den. Gold fittings, rococo design, holes in walls, wires trailing from empty light fittings. The artwork on the walls is softcore porn, in florid frames, much of it featuring Ma-Ma herself.
See Ma-Ma, sprawled on daybed, inhaler in mouth.
Behind her, her two Bodyguards, like statues.
CALEB
Ma.
Long beat.
Vapour curling out of Ma-Ma’s mouth.
The beat continues.
Ma-Ma frozen.
Then the drug rush fades.
Ma-Ma focuses. Turns to Caleb.
MA-MA
What?
CALEB
We’ve got trouble.
INT. MA-MA’S BASE ⁄ CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS
Ma-Ma and Caleb walk and talk, en route to the CCTV room, followed by the Bodyguards.
CALEB
The judges hit the distribution point on level thirty-nine. Shot the place up. Took out a few of the boys.
MA-MA
(unfazed)
So what? We’re overdue a bust. The law’s just showing their faces. Reminding the citizens they exist.
CALEB
No. Ma – they picked up Kay.
Ma-Ma reacts.
MA-MA
Executed?
CALEB
Interrogation.
This stops Ma-Ma in her tracks.
MA-MA
What?
CALEB
He’s cuffed and they’re taking him in. Right now.
Beat.
MA-MA
Fuck.
CALEB
If Kay talks –
MA-MA
If they’re taking him in, he’ll talk.
Beat.
CALEB
What are we going to do?
Ma-Ma glazes a moment.
Thinking.
Cut to:
INT. LIFT – DAY
Dredd, Anderson and Kay, riding the lift to the ground floor in silence.
As the lift descends –
– Kay is looking straight ahead at the doors –
– in which he can see himself, and Dredd and Anderson, reflected.
Kay shifts his position very slightly.
Dredd’s head tilts fractionally.
ANDERSON
Sir – he’s thinking about making a move for your gun.
DREDD
Yeah.
Kay shoots a glance back at Anderson.
ANDERSON
He just changed his mind.
DREDD
Yeah.
The lift continues descending in silence.
INT. PEACH TREE CONTROL ROOM – DAY
The control room of Peach Trees. Banks of screens.
Many of them down, broadcasting static or blacked out.
Others showing water and electricity levels.
Power levels.
Refuse collection times.
Engineering schematics.
Manning the control room, three Technicians, playing cards.
Looking round in surprise as the door to the control room is kicked open –
– and Caleb, plus four other Clan members, pile in.
A vicious burst of gunfire, and the Technicians in the control room are cut down.
Caleb lifts a two-way.
CALEB
(into two-way)
Control room is secure.
Caleb walks over to the central console, pulls out a small router and plugs it in.
CALEB
(into two-way)
Router’s in. You’re good to go.
Cut to:
INT. MA-MA’S BASE ⁄ CCTV ROOM – CONTINUOUS
The Clan Techie, sitting in front of the bank of monitors and assorted hardware.
Ma-Ma and her Bodyguards stand behind him.
Ma-Ma leans down to the Clan Techie. Puts a slab hand on his shoulder. Makes him hunch instinctively.
MA-MA
What am I going to do to you if you don’t pull this off?
The Techie swallows.
CLAN TECHIE
Don’t know. (Beat.) Shoot me?
MA-MA
Worse.
CLAN TECHIE
(small voice)
Probably cut out my insides or something.
MA-MA
Yeah. That.
The Clan Techie takes a moment.
Then starts tapping commands into his keyboard.
We hear a phone ring over speakerphone.
Then a voice picks up.
SECTOR CONTROL
(over speaker)
Sector Control.
The Clan Techie forces his voice to sound casual.
CLAN TECHIE
Sector Control, this is Peach Trees Control. Just want to check you were notified about the def-con systems test today.
SECTOR CONTROL
(over speaker)
Copy that. Uh … (Beat.) Peach Trees, we don’t have you down for a def-con test.
CLAN TECHIE
We must be. Check the –
(over speaker)
Nope. I’ve got nothing.
The Clan Techie injects heat into his voice.
CLAN TECHIE
God-fucking-dammit, Sector! I put in the notification myself, three fucking times! We’re set to go right now! I’ve got my supervisor breathing down my neck and –
SECTOR CONTROL
(cuts in, over speaker)
Hold fire, Peach Trees. Let me get on this. (Beat.) Okay. I put you on the system. Hall of Justice and all emergency services are notified to ignore your status. Run the test any time you like.
The Clan Techie’s relief is genuine.
CLAN TECHIE
Appreciate that, Sector. You just saved my ass over here.
SECTOR CONTROL
(over speaker)
You’re welcome, Peach Trees.
Ma-Ma nods her approval.
On his console, the Clan Techie hits the ‘Return’ key.
Cut to:
INT. PEACH TREE CONTROL ROOM – CONTINUOUS
A blood-sprayed monitor in the control room, with the body of a Technician sprawled in front of it.
Caleb hauls the body of the man off.
On the bloody monitor, a command screen appears, headed:
DEF CON EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS
The command prompt moves down the screen.
Highlighting, in turn –
FIRE
BOMB
RIOT
CHEMICAL
And finally ending on –
WAR
On WAR, the command prompt stops.
Off-camera, we hear a tap.
And a moment later, a message box appears on the screen.
BLAST SHIELD PROTOCOL INITIATED
INT. PEACH TREE BLOCK ⁄ ENTRANCE – CONTINUOUS
Dredd and Anderson walk Kay towards the south entrance.
The Homeless Man is still there, sitting in the doorway.
DREDD
Warned you. Get up. You’re headed for the cubes.
Dredd is interrupted by a siren, which abruptly starts sounding.
As Dredd looks round, cut to:
EXT. PEACH TREE BLOCK – CONTINUOUS
The outside of the block.
Moving down as, over every window we pass …
… a lead-lined shutter suddenly slams down.
The Peach Tree hologram flickers. And dies.
EXT. PEACH TREE BLOCK ⁄ SKATEPARK – CONTINUOUS
In the skatepark bolted on to the side of Peach Trees, the shutter comes down, trapping the Skaters outside.
SKATER 1
What the fuck?
Skater 2 pointlessly bangs his fist against the slab of metal.
SKATER 2
Hey! What’s going on? Open up!
INT. PEACH TREE BLOCK ⁄ ENTRANCE – CONTINUOUS
At the south entrance, just ahead of where Dredd, Anderson and Kay are standing, a two-metre thick blast door slams down with incredible speed.
The Homeless Man, unlucky enough to be directly beneath it, is crushed as it drops.
His body vanishes beneath the concrete block, and a beat later, blood seeps out.
EXT. PEACH TREE BLOCK ⁄ ATRIUM ROOF – CONTINUOUS
At the top of the atrium, a massive metal shutter is closing, blocking out the light from the sky above.
It looks like an eclipse.
INT. MA-MA’S BASE ⁄ CCTV ROOM – CONTINUOUS
The Clan Techie hands Ma-Ma a handset.
CLAN TECHIE
You’re patched in.
INT. PEACH TREE ATRIUM – CONTINUOUS
Dredd, Anderson and Kay have returned to the atrium.
Across the atrium floor, as the roof shutters close, twin shadows are moving across the floor.
Dredd, Anderson and Kay stand in the middle of the narrowing band of light.
All around them, people react with confusion and panic.
ANDERSON
What’s going on?
Kay seems to have an idea.
He says nothing, but the barest smile appears on the corner of his lips …
… as the roof shutters finally connect, and slam shut.
And the narrowing band of light winks out.
And the siren suddenly stops.
A moment of silence.
The whole building is now in a twilight of emergency lighting.
Then a sudden feedback whine comes over the block-wide Tannoy.
Piercing. Rising fast to a deafening level, which echoes around the atrium, making people jam their hands over their ears …
… until it abruptly cuts out.
And Ma-Ma’s voice comes in.
MA-MA
Peach Trees. This is Ma-Ma.
The statement hangs a moment. Everywhere, everyone is frozen.
MA-MA
Somewhere in this block are two judges. I want them dead. And until I get what I want, the block is locked down.
As she talks, we move around the atrium. Seeing the confusion and fear on people’s faces.
MA-MA
All Clan, every level, hunt the judges down. Everyone else, clear the corridors and stay the fuck out of our way until the shooting stops. If I hear about anyone helping the judges, I’ll kill them and the next generation of their family.
She pauses a moment, to make sure the point is rammed home. Then:
As for the judges, sit tight, or run. Makes no difference. You’re mine.
The Tannoy cuts out.
Now, all across the balconies, above and below, and from the atrium floor, every single person is looking at Dredd and Anderson.
A beat.
Then:
DREDD
… We’d better move.
INT. STAIRWELL
Dredd and Anderson move up the staircase, dragging Kay behind.
Dredd is talking into his radio.
DREDD
Control, we have a situation developing in Peach Trees.
He gets only static back.
Control. Do you copy?
Static.
ANDERSON
(nervous)
My comms are down too.
DREDD
The shielding must be blocking our transmissions. We’ll head for the med centre.
In the stairwell, Dredd looks up.
Clan are coming from above.
Dredd looks down.
Clan are coming from below.
CLAN MEMBER
(shouts)
THEY’RE HERE!
DREDD
Rookie. Call it.
ANDERSON
… Sir?
DREDD
Call it. You’re on assessment.
ANDERSON
(flustered)
Sir – multiple armed targets. Obstructed line of sight. Gas grenades.
DREDD
Respirators.
Dredd and Anderson pull respirators from their belts.
DREDD
(to Kay)
Advise you hold your breath.
From their utility belts, Dredd and Anderson pull out grenades.
They prime them and throw them. Dredd up. Anderson down.
Gas plumes behind them as they arc through the air.
INT. STAIRWELL – CONTINUOUS
As Dredd and Anderson fight their way through the gas cloud, and the choking, vomiting Clan …
… cut to:
INT. JAPHET’S APARTMENT – CONTINUOUS
A man, Japhet, with Clan tattoos, is pulling apart his kitchen.
He has a Beretta 9mm stuffed into the back of his trousers.
JAPHET
Shit, shit, shit.
He finds a box of bullets in the back of a drawer.
Checks it. There are three rounds inside.
Three fucking rounds! Is that all we’ve got?
Japhet takes out the clip and starts sliding in the rounds.
His fingers are shaking.
His wife, Cathy, watching from the
kitchen doorway, holding their young baby, is watching, horrified.
CATHY
You’re going to take on two judges with an antique gun and three bullets?
JAPHET
They probably aren’t even on our level.
CATHY
Then just stay in here! Let the others get them!
Japhet slides the clip home.
CATHY
Please, Japhet!
JAPHET
What the fuck do you want me to do? Call Ma-Ma and ask if I can sit this one out? I’d be better off fighting the judges.
Japhet pushes past his wife.
Then turns.
Looks at her.
JAPHET
Lock the door. Don’t open it, whatever happens.
He’s gone.
CATHY
(quiet)
Oh God.
INT. LEVEL TWENTY-SIX ⁄ CORRIDOR
We track Japhet as he runs down the corridor.
As he runs, other Clan are exiting from apartments, carrying firearms of various types.
MAN
(exiting apartment)
Japhet!
JAPHET
Where we headed?
MAN
Big Joe said the med centre!
INT. OUTSIDE MEDICAL CENTRE – CONTINUOUS
Japhet and the others join up with the crowd gathering outside the closed security doors of the med centre.
In the middle of the crowd is Big Joe.
Big Joe is huge. He has a SAW machine gun in one hand and an ammo box in the other.
BIG JOE
I want the North and East corridors totally covered! Sal is covering West and South! Spread out the hardware!
Big Joe lifts his SAW, and fires a burst into the ceiling.
We’re going to shoot these judges into hamburger and hand them to Ma-Ma on a plate.
Cut to:
INT. DOORWAY – CONTINUOUS
On the other side of the area outside the med centre there is a door.
Slightly ajar.
Through it, a sliver of Judge’s helmet.
Dredd, observing the scene.
INT. ACCESS CORRIDOR – CONTINUOUS
Dredd and Anderson are hidden in an access corridor.
Low lit.