(Ominous, droning music is the only sound we hear as we fade up to a slow motion shot of a MOTHER and SON walking out of a store inside of a mall. Cut to a shot of a PRIEST exiting another store.)

VOICEOVER
Six strangers were out for a simple day of Christmas shopping.

(A hip-looking TEEN boy wearing headphones bops along in the mall. A DOCTOR carrying a cooler stops to tie his shoes. An attractive YOUNG WOMAN walks toward the escalator.)

VOICEOVER
They thought they had their days all planned out, but there was one thing they didnıt plan on...

(The SHOPPERS are now all on the escalator except for the YOUNG WOMAN. We see a close up shot of her foot stepping on.)

VOICEOVER
... getting on the wrong escalator!

(CUT To a wide shot of the SHOPPERS lurching to a halt as the escalator suddenly stops.)

TEEN
What the - ?

SON
Mommy, why aren't we moving?

MOTHER
(Putting her arm around him) I don't know son, I donıt know.

(The PRIEST is shown performing the sign of the cross.)

TEEN
Somebody get us off of this thing!

YOUNG WOMAN
Nobody panic; we're going to be all right.

DOCTOR
How? How are we going to get off?

YOUNG WOMAN
I donıt know....

VOICEOVER
Now, their only hope is a maverick mall security guard who does things his own way.

(Cut to HEAD of security and BRUCE WILLIS walking quickly down a hallway.)

HEAD
No way. It's too dangerous. I am not letting you on that escalator.

BRUCE
I don't recall asking your permission.

HEAD
As long as you work for me, you do things my way.

BRUCE
Somebody's got to get those people off that thing.

HEAD
If you get on there, youıre out of a job!

BRUCE
(Grabs HEAD by the collar and slams him up against the wall) Consider this my official resignation.

VOICEOVER
Bruce Willis stars in... Escalator!

(BRUCE approaches the top of the Escalator.)

BRUCE
Make room, I'm getting on.

YOUNG WOMAN
Are you crazy? Weıre stuck here. You'll just be stuck with us.

BRUCE
Lady, it's my job to keep this mall safe... and everyone in it. I'm getting on.

(Close up of Bruce's foot as he lifts it off the ground. Close up of the MOTHER looking on nervously. Close up of the foot moving over the highest step of the escalator. Close up of the DOCTOR.)

DOCTOR
Careful, man.

(MCU of Bruce wobbling slightly. The YOUNG WOMAN reaches out and grabs BRUCE's hand. CU of BRUCE's foot stepping onto the escalator.)

PRIEST
He's on!

VOICEOVER
Your heart will completely stop... just like... the escalator!

PRIEST
I do hope you find a way to get us out of here soon. I have a Christmas mass to deliver at midnight.

MOTHER
I have to get the Christmas gifts ready.

DOCTOR
(Raising the cooler) If I don't get this heart to the hospital in the next two hours, a little girl wonıt be seeing Christmas tomorrow at all.

BRUCE
Don't worry (dramatic zoom in) Iım getting EVERYBODY off this escalator.

YOUNG WOMAN
But how?

BRUCE
Letıs all just keep a cool head (sitting down) and try to think of something.

(Cut to a long shot of BRUCE and the SHOPPERS all sitting and thinking on the escalator.)

VOICEOVER
Youıll be filled with terror from top to bottom on... the escalator!

TEEN
(Stands) I can't take it anymore! I gotta get off this thing.

BRUCE
(Stands and races toward the TEEN) Hold on, we're going to be all right.

TEEN
(Standing on the railing. Be careful to shoot it at an angle so the viewer cannot tell how high up the TEEN actually is.) Forget it, man. There's only one way offa this thing, and I'm taking it.

BRUCE
(Lunging for him) NO!!

(The TEEN jumps off the railing. BRUCE makes it there too late and futilely reaches after him. CUT to the MOTHER covering her SON's eyes. The YOUNG WOMAN recoils in horror.)

PRIEST
Dear God.

(Cut to a long shot showing the TEEN laying dead on the ground next to the escalator. We see now that he only jumped from the very bottom of the escalator... yet he is dead anyway.)

VOICEOVER
When the Escalator stops, the action begins!

(The music kicks into a driving action movie rhythm as we see a montage of action sequences. BRUCE tears open gifts in the MOTHER's bag to send parachute toy soldiers off the escalator carrying a message. The YOUNG WOMAN crawls along in some strange dark cramped place. BRUCE rushes up the escalator and fights a terrorist off from stepping on. The YOUNG WOMAN finds a control panel in the dark cramped place. BRUCE slides down the escalator railing. The YOUNG WOMAN messes with the controls. The DOCTOR administers first aid to the PRIEST, apparently suffering a heart attack. BRUCE hands the SON over the edge to RESCUE WORKERS. The YOUNG WOMAN connects two severed wires.)

VOICEOVER
This Christmas, terror waits between the second floor and the ground level...

(Cut to really fast zooming in close ups of each of the SHOPPERS ending with the YOUNG WOMAN and then BRUCE. Each cut is accompanied by a dramatic banging.)

VOICEOVER
... Escalator!

copyright 2001 - Monkey and a Typerwriter Productions