HOT ZONE

HOT ZONE  

Screen story & screenplay by

Jim V. Hart

Based on "Crisis in the Hot Zone"

by Richard Preston

"You might call AIDS the revenge of

the rain forest..."

Richard Preston

"These diseases are true emergers.

Humans have truly stumbled into

these occult agents."

Dr. Karl Johnson

"We've got company!"

Han Solo
　

BLACKSCREEN:

LEGEND: IN 1976, OUTBREAKS OF LETHAL HEMORRHAGIC

FEVER CAUSED BY THE DEADLY EBOLA VIRUS

OCCURRED AMONG HUMANS IN ZAIRE, AFRICA.

318 CASES RESULTED IN 290 DEATHS --

91% FATALITIES

A SIMULTANEOUS OUTBREAK IN SUDAN, 800 KM

THROUGH THE JUNGLE REPORTED 250 CASES

RESULTING IN 150 DEATHS --

53% FATALITIES

EBOLA IS CALLED A "SLATE WIPER" FOR HUMANS.

THERE IS NO KNOWN CURE. ONCE INFECTED,

THE VIRUS KILLS ITS HOST IN 7 DAYS...

FIRST COME THE HEADACHES...

BLACKSCREEN: PRESENTATION TITLES

FADE IN:

AERIAL POV - LANDSCAPE - LIVING ORGANISM

Rivers, teeming with microscopic life thread like

spaghetti through a geography of living cells. Invaders.

Territory is overrun. The view is like an aerial recon

photo of an alien land -- at war.

SUPER: CATEGORY - FILOVIRUS

STRAIN - EBOLA ZAIRE (Z)

FATALITY - 88% KILL RATIO

SURVIVORS - 12% IMMUNE ANTIBODY

CURE NONE - NONE

MATCH DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. AERIAL POV - LANDSCAPE - AFRICAN TERRAIN - DAWN

Rivers, gleaming in the sun, thread like spaghetti through

a geography of jungle terrain, perfectly matching the

patterns of the virus landscape.

SUPER: ZAIRE, AFRICA - EBOLA RIVER REGION - SEPT. - 1976

A Fokker light air transport descends into view.

THE JUNGLE - LOOKING UP - CONTINUING ACTION

As the transport busses overhead, AFRICAN GREEN MONKEYS,

hundreds of them, frolic and chatter in the trees.

A BIG MALE watches inquisitive. The plane's SHADOW passes

over him. The Male opens its mouth frighteningly wide; a

"threat display." Four HUGE FANGS flash at the intruder.

FLYING POV - CONTINUING ACTION

Twenty five feet above the Ebola River.

EXT. REMOTE AIRSTRIP - AT THE RIVER'S EDGE - DAWN

The Transport touches down and stops on the empty field.

THE TRANSPORT - CARGO DOORS OPEN

A Land Rover emerges. Then another. "WORLD HEALTH

ORGANIZATION" emblems on the side panels. We see a SIX

PERSON MULTINATIONAL EPIDEMIC TEAM inside.

Hermetically sealed hospital isolator stretchers with its

own air supply sticks out the back of each. A casualty

inside can't infect the world outside.

CUT TO:

INT. CARGO HOLD - POV THROUGH DOORS

We see the Rovers speeding into the bush. Cargo doors

close. Engines rev.

OUTSIDE - THE TRANSPORT TAXIS

Picking up speed.

HIGH ANGLE - THE TREETOPS - CONTINUING ACTION

The plane BARELY CLEARS the trees sending Green Monkeys

scattering in all directions. Their angry cries echo;

"KRA KRA KRA!!!"

END MAIN TITLES

CUT TO:

A GREEN MONKEY - ROASTING ON A STICK

THE VIEW SHIFTS TO REVEAL:

EXT. EBOLA RIVER - FERRY CROSSING - MORNING

A handful of ZAIREAN POLICE guard the primitive landing.

REFUGEE VILLAGERS camp along the banks in the b.g.

One POLICEMAN passes out half-cooked monkey.

The POLICE CAPTAIN chews on a bloody haunch, licking his

fingers. The Ferry Bell RINGS O.S.

Now a jeep HORN HONKS O.S. approaching --

THEIR POV - THE EBOLA RIVER

The primitive Ferry parts the mist. Four wooden canoes

held together by a plank deck. FERRYMEN buck the current

with long poles.

KARL JOHNSON EMERGES from the mist. He stands on the hood

of the lead Rover WEARING A FULL FACE RESPIRATOR. A

creature from another planet.

WITH THE FERRY - APPROACHING

CHUCK REESE (22) honks at the wheel. He wears a full

respirator. All the team members wear respirators.

REESE

(in French)

Do not shoot. Do not shoot.

American Doctor! Doctor!

JOHNSON - CLOSER

He raises his respirator staring right into the guns -- At

30, he's already a legendary field virologist.

He surveys the scene like a military general as the Ferry

lands.

JOHNSON

(in French)

Johnson. Center for Disease Control.

U.S.A. -- We're headed to the

Yambuku Mission.

He points to his armband; CDC shield -- U.S. flag.

Police respond yelling threats at the frightened Ferrymen

and banging their weapons on the Rovers.

REESE - INSIDE THE ROVER

He is about to soil his trousers. The two Norwegian Team

members whisper in their language.

REESE

Jesus Christ, these people should be

quarantined. This outbreak is outta

control --

THEIR POV - THE FRIGHTENED VILLAGERS

Meager belongings, hungry children, terrified.

TO JOHNSON

JOHNSON

(in French)

How far to Yambuku?

Silence. The Police Captain approaches menacingly.

CAPTAIN

(in French)

You don't want to go there, Doctor.

There is nothing but death there.

People are dying all along the

river --

SISTER GENEVIEVE, a Belgian Catholic Nurse, approaches

from the Refugee camp. 40's, haggard, suffering

dehydration. She pushes past the Police, unafraid.

SISTER GENEVIEVE

(in French)

Etes-vous Doctor Johnson?

(in English)

-- I am Sister Genevieve from the

Yambuku Mission --

Johnson offers a bottle of Perrier -- Sister chugs it.

SISTER GENEVIEVE

Bless you, Doctor --

JOHNSON

Save the blessings, Sister --

He signals to Reese.

JOHNSON

Reese, get the Sister some salt

tablets and a shot of B12. She's

dehydrating.

Petrified, Reese breaks out the medical kit from the

Rover. A Policeman tracks his every move at gunpoint.

He is so nervous he fumbles the salt tablets and vitamins

dropping them. Sister politely pushes the guns aside and

helps him pick them up.

Johnson watches her. He's impressed by her courage.

JOHNSON

Tell our hosts I need blood samples

-- Sister, tissue samples -- before

this bug burns itself out. I have

to get to Yambuku. If I can find

one survivor, then We, not God, can

maybe cure this thing.

The Captain separates them. He sticks his gun in

Johnson's crotch. He understands English perfectly --

CAPTAIN

(in English)

Do not be coming back this way,

Doctor. Quarantine --

(pointing to the

jungle)

We will shoot you if you try.

Johnson tosses packs of cigarettes to the Police defiantly

and climbs back in the Rover.

THE ROVER - REESE CLIMBS IN

REESE

You are certifiable, Dr. --

Suddenly, Sister Genevieve straightens her habit and jumps

in.

SISTER GENEVIEVE

I shall guide you to Yambuku,

Doctor.