Liz Sherman’s Appearances in the Hellboy Script - Scene Two

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Liz Sherman’s Appearances in the Hellboy Script

Scene Two

(Here is the second in a series of cuts from the Hellboy script. These are to serve as a reference for me and for anyone interested in how Del Toro originally wrote Liz. Again, Movie!Liz and Comic!Liz vary greatly, so I used personal digression to make up her unique character traits. The Flashback scene varies a great deal from the scene that ended up in the Director's Cut, which does not show Liz's family at all. )

Myers works at a computer workstation. He brings up a small photograph in an old issue of The Enquirer. The headline: "ARSON SUSPECT NOW WORKING FOR SECRET GOVERNMENT AGENCY" There's a photo of a woman, taken with a telephoto lens. Another clipping: young LIZ, 11, and a photo of a tenement building burned to the ground: TRAGIC EXPLOSION.

A QUICKTIME interview pops up. LIZ, in her early twenties. A caption reads: ELIZABETH SHERMAN, first interview, BPRD, PYROKINETIC. She has a POLAROID camera in her hands. Shoots one at the lens.

LIZ: I don't like the term "firestarter." I just don't. And "Pyrokinesis" sounds like some psychosis or something. I dunno -- maybe that's right. Not being able to let go -- (shrug) Scary. Sometimes you hear so-and-so lost control and just exploded. (beat) They're lucky it isn't true. (looks at the camera) With me -- it is.

INT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL - CORRIDOR - NIGHT
Two strolling ORDERLIES shine their flashlights inside the rooms on both sides of a long corridor.

INT. HOSPITAL - LIZ'S ROOM, MIN. SECURITY WARD - NIGHT
A flashlight beam sweeps Liz's room. It illuminates a CORKBOARD covered with hundreds of Polaroids depicting scenes of everyday life. When the beam of light crosses her face, she turns slowly, still asleep.

As the light fades, the shadows in the room grow deeper. Grigory emerges from a dark corner. He gazes down on the bed, extending his right hand.

GRIGORY: The Master is calling your name now, my girl. We are all part of his plan. You must return to the child... So, once again...

He gently caresses the scar on her forehead. Under his skin, a hideous movement, a writhing rearrangement of muscles. His fingers start to glow.

GRIGORY:...dream of fire.

Liz convulses. A small ripple of heat rises from her forehead.

FLASH BACK TO: EXT. TENEMENT BUILDING COURTYARD - DAY
Somewhere in a smokestack city, grown-ups and kids hang banners and prepare a ragged birthday party in a cement courtyard.

ANGLE - LIZ – CONTINUOUS

Sitting on some tenement steps, LIZ, age 11. Sullen, alone, a gold CRUCIFIX hanging on her chest.

A WOMAN -- Liz's MOTHER -- comes down the courtyard steps, carrying a basket of apples.

MOTHER: (to Liz) Liz!! Liz!! Come on, darling, give Mummy a hand.

Nearby, under a balloon archway, munching candy-coated apples... three KIDS giggle and point at her.

BLONDE KID: Freak!

Liz turns to see them.

BLONDE KID: (to his friend) See? She knows her name.

Liz shies away from them.

BLONDE KID: Go home, you freak. We don't want you here.

They start throwing stones. One hits the steps. Another misses her by inches. A third hits her in the shoulder. Scared, Liz turns but a rock catches her full on the face. She falls down, blood trickling from her forehead, splattering the pavement. She starts sobbing. Another rock sails across, but this time, in mid-air, it catches fire and turns to ash.

A ripple of heat starts crawling up Liz's hands. Soon a pale blue flame rings her entire arm.

LIZ: (sobbing) Not again, please, not again...

Firelight glints off the crucifix.

EXT. TENEMENT COURTYARD - DAY

MOTHER is dunking the apples in a pot of caramel. A heartbreaking cry reaches her ears.

LIZ: Mommy! Mommy!

MOTHER sees...

EXT. TENEMENT COURTYARD - STEPS - DAY

Liz, outlined by licking flames!

LIZ: (panicked) Mommy! Help me! I'm burning!

MOTHER screams, horrified.

LIZ: Help meee!!!

She then explodes. A white-hot supernova engulfs the courtyard. Her mother's body burns like flash paper. Then the rest of the people are --

THE ENTIRE TENEMENT COURTYARD

-- devoured by an explosion of atomic proportions. Benches, people, trees. Everything. The four surrounding apartment blocks collapse as a shock wave hits like a wrecking ball.

The frame whites out. And at ground zero there is but one figure left standing: Liz... a little girl, still crying.

FLASH FORWARD TO:

INT. BELLAMIE HOSP. - LIZ'S ROOM, MIN. SEC. WARD - NIGHT

Liz screams, her back arching, her body now in flames. Her chest glows, silhouetting organs and ribs. The rubber bands on her wrist vaporize.

INT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL - MIN. SEC. WARD - NIGHT

The glow from Liz's room streams into the corridor.

INT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL - SECURITY ROOM - NIGHT

In their glass kiosk, two ORDERLIES are listening to the radio and sharing a pizza. A red light flashes repeatedly on a panel. They silence the radio, grab their batons and get up. A low rumble shakes the room. Through the VIBRATING glass window they see...

CORRIDOR MINIATURE / COMPOSITE

...A BALL OF FLAME pushing inexorably through the corridor. The inside of the glass booth is absolutely silent, making the vision both terrifying and strangely serene.

ORDERLY: Oh my --

INT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL - SECURITY ROOM (SET)- NIGHT

As the glass explodes, the fire ROARS, drowning everything. The orderlies hit the floor, taking cover under a shelf.

EXT. BELLAMIE MENTAL HOSPITAL (MINIATURE) - NIGHT

The top floor blows up. Flame pours out of every window, showering glass into the streets below.