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Aishwarya Rai | Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, born 1 November 1973, is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994. Rai has acted in over 40 films in Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali. | Photo: Archives | Related: Aishwarya Rai, Bollywood, Indian, actress |
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Attn: Development Executive at Universal Pictures, whomever that may be
RE: Film version of Wonder Woman
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am submitting this treatment to you in the interest of developing my big screen version of Wonder Woman, the iconic DC Comic heroine. This is by no means a finished product; I am quite open to any suggestions you may have, though I am extremely confidant that my interpretation will garner not only box office triumph, but critical praise far and wide. This is a skeletal treatment and it has not been formatted for dialogue, but I trust you will be able to follow the story line clearly, as one might a story board presentation. You can intersperse various existential motifs throughout the narrative to slap on more artistic credibility: flashback scenes of Wonder Woman and The Cheetah in Themyscira and the psychological ramifications of unrequited love; the desperate conditions in the warehouse, etc. I could, of course, write these myself, for an additional fee. PayPal is acceptable, but I generally prefer suitcases filled with cash. I firmly believe that, with my help, you and your studio will achieve cinematic glory; you certainly don't want another "Hulk" on your hands.
Daylight [Or dusk]
A broad shouldered, big boned Amazon woman of nebulous ethnic distinction [Aishwarya Rai or maybe Megan Fox, if we want to lock down the Indian demographic] storms [Or crawls? Via a network of secret underground passages?] in to the smoldering ruins of the Acme Grommet Corporation [Or the Hotel Chevalier? Whatever makes a more foreboding lair]. She is strategically disheveled, her patriotically colored bustier and hot pants ensemble [designed by Gaultier? Vivienne Westwood?] is torn in a claw-mark pattern just under her skyward pointing breasts; her face is besmirched with grime in such a way that it accentuates her razor sharp cheek bones; her hair is tousled in a manner that suggests post-coital disarray.
Suddenly a beam collapses and plummets right towards her. Lightning fast, she glances dispassionately at the falling beam and does an aerial back handspring out of danger. The cracking sound of slow tempo sarcastic applause fills the air. "I'm impressed, Wonder Woman," says a disembodied voice. Pan up, we see her arch nemesis The Cheetah [Scarlett Johansson? Keira Knightley?] perched insouciantly on a rafter. "You should put those gymnastic skills to better use, like in the touring company for Bring it On the Musical [tie in for Universal; send memo to marketing]." "Can't sing," Wonder Woman says with a sly smile. "But I'm more than willing to dance with you, bitch."
Wonder Woman leaps up towards The Cheetah's perch, only to be swiftly kicked in the face. She somersaults back, bounces off a pillar, clutches onto a railing and swings back upward high-bar style and kicks the beam out from underneath The Cheetah [Google human body dynamics to check if this is remotely possible]. The Cheetah falls to the ground and bounces up to Wonder Woman's dangling leg and grabs on. She jerks Wonder Woman down and pins her to the ground. "You sanctimonious little troll," The Cheetah says. "Thinking you can lecture me on employee best practices." Wonder Woman gasps for air. "You were using developmentally disabled Sudanese refugee children to manufacture e-coli tainted breast implants in an asbestos filled warehouse on the edge of a nuclear power plant," Wonder Woman rasps. "Surely even you're not so emotionally bankrupt that you can't see that is at the very least a public relations nightmare." The Cheetah slaps Wonder Woman repeatedly in the face. "Damn you! I lost everything when you raided my warehouse! Well I'm not explaining this to Wau Ming Yip. You made this bed, and now you and I and those little brats can lie in it together FOREVER!" The Cheetah activates a remote on her belt. The digital clock starts ticking. Wonder Woman looks at the belt, then looks at The Cheetah, then looks at the belt, etc. "What have you done? Where are those children?" Wonder Woman fumbles at her waist for her lasso of truth. It's gone. The Cheetah smiles. "What's the matter? Lose something?"
Outside
An ethnically diverse crowd has gathered. Civilians dive out of the way in an ethnically diverse manner as military transport vehicles, police cars and fire trucks careen to the front of the mob. Steve Trevor [Ryan Reynolds? Terrence Howard?], four star [General? Navy Seal? Assassin? Is there such a thing as a four star Navy Seal?], leaps out of a transport vehicle and tries to rush into the building. He is stopped by the commanding officer [Captain? Lieutenant? Sergeant? Google military ranks]. "Dammit Trevor, we have this under control. This is my jurisdiction, we're maneuvering above ground and have a squad
“I am extremely confidant that my interpretation will garner critical praise far and wide.
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rappelling into the top floor. We've deployed every agent we've got for this mission. It's under control. Stand down." Trevor shoves him aside. Seven agents draw their weapons and point them at Trevor's head. "Dammit Captain, Wonder Woman is in there by herself. The Cheetah's got children stashed all throughout the building. I have to get in there, now!" The Captain restrains him "Dammit Trevor, I got the memo too. We've got infrared on the children. The agents are filtering in below ground. I repeat, it is all under control." Trevor writhes in the Captain's grasp. "Dammit Captain, I've got to get this to Wonder Woman!" Trevor pulls out the lasso of truth and shows it to the Captain. The Captain looks at the lasso, then looks at Trevor, then looks at the agents. "Dammit, Captain," Trevor shrieks. "THERE'S NO TIME!" The Captain nods at the agents and they let Trevor scramble into the building.
Back inside
"You're in quite a pickle, Wonder Woman," The Cheetah purrs [Make a note to the actress to purr as much as possible, else the cat metaphor won't be clear]. "But you were always head-strong, even as a child. Weren't you, Diana?" Wonder Woman stares quizzically at The Cheetah. "We all would have been far better off, you know. We would have been rich, the children would have a sense of purpose, low cost breast implants would have flooded the market. It all could have been ours. But you got in the way with your righteousness and do-goodery. Now we all have to die." Wonder Woman looks her right in the eye. "It doesn't have to be this way," Wonder Woman says hesitantly. "Let the children go. I promise, I won't try to escape. Just tell me where the children are." "Oh, you're so damned superior, aren't you?" The Cheetah snaps. "Nobly go down with the mad woman and leave yourself a god-like legacy?" Out of the corner of her eye, Wonder Woman sees Trevor sneaking around the exposed support beams. "If anything, I'll throw you out right before the bomb goes off," The Cheetah continues obliviously. "Everyone will think you're just a pathetic little coward. So shut up. Moreover, your outfit is hideous."
Suddenly, the lasso sails across the room, encircles The Cheetah and jerks her off of Wonder Woman. "Hideous?" Wonder Woman says to The Cheetah. "This is [Betsy Johnson? Stella McCartney?]." She kneels down. "Where are the children?" "I…feel…compelled…to… disclose…everything…," stammers The Cheetah. "I… always…loved…you…went crazy when you left Themyscira with…that…tool." Wonder Woman is flabbergasted. "But, who are you?" "You... never… paid… attention… I… was… fat." Trevor kicks The Cheetah in the face. "Dammit, THERE'S NO TIME!" Wonder Woman looks at Trevor. "Aw, Steve—harsh." The Cheetah spits out a mouthful of blood.
"They're…in…the...chamber…in…the…floor…of…the…utility…closet," The Cheetah gasps.
Wonder Woman and Trevor rush to the secret chamber and pull the frightened children out one by one [Make sure children are appropriately cute and doll-like]. The duo hustles the children into the waiting arms of the agents. Suddenly, Wonder Woman turns back. Trevor grabs her by the arm. "I have to get The Cheetah. I have to make her disarm the explosives," Wonder Woman shouts over the noise of the hovering aircrafts. "Dammit, THERE'S NO TIME!" Trevor screams. Wonder Woman wrenches herself from his grasp and runs back into the building. She finds The Cheetah still fettered, and weeping. "You have to tell me how to disarm the bombs, Cheetah," she pleads. The Cheetah looks up at Wonder Woman, her face filled with love and regret. "I…don't…know…how..," she sobs. "They're… distributed…everywhere…it's…over." Wonder Woman jerks the belt off of The Cheetah, unties her lasso, slings her over her shoulder and runs out of the building as the digital beeping becomes more frenzied. Just as they reach the door, The Cheetah breaks free and runs back inside. The waiting crowd unanimously screams "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" as the bomb detonates, sending Wonder Woman flying across the pavement.
Trevor breaks past the military enclosure and rushes to Wonder Woman, who is lying in a daze. Trevor takes her in his arms. "Say something," he says. "Tell me if you're hurt." "She's dead," Wonder Woman whispers. "She was in love with me. She was one of my kind. How did I not see that?" "She was evil. She endangered hundreds of children and killed thousands more. She's gone. It's over," he says. "But she loved me. She couldn't be all bad." Trevor just sighs.
In the distance and unbeknownst to our heroes, we see the slim, spotted figure of The Cheetah glancing back at Wonder Woman through the flames, just before she darts off into the night [or possibly dawn. Whatever].