# AL!CE **Screenplay by Daria Sherstobitova** **Inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll** --- ## EXT. THE THAMES — OXFORD — 1862 — DAY An oar cuts through the water. A boat moves through the misty river. Inside are **LEWIS CARROLL, 30**, his friend **REVEREND ROBINSON DUCKWORTH**, and the three **LIDDELL SISTERS**. **ALICE LIDDELL**, in a blue dress, sits near the bow. **SUPER:** *4th July 1862, Oxford.* **LEWIS** Today, I think, we shall have a very particular sort of tale. **ALICE LIDDELL** Will there be any nonsense in it? **LEWIS** Oh yes. Once upon a time, there was a girl... The camera rises toward the pale blue sky. --- ## EXT. BROOKLYN WATERFRONT — DAY Modern-day **ALICE, 18**, films two young rappers on her phone: **TWEEDLEDUM**, heavy-set, and **TWEEDLEDEE**, skinny. Both are loaded with gold chains. Alice raises the phone. **ALICE** Rolling... Action! The rappers begin. **RAPPERS** Tweedleduuum... Tweedledeeeee... Tweedledee loses the rhythm. **TWEEDLEDUM** What's up with you, man? Alice lowers the phone, annoyed. **ALICE** One last time. **TWEEDLEDUM** You said “one last time” last time. **TWEEDLEDEE** And your dad cut you off. **ALICE** I don't care. I'm finishing this film, so come on. She raises the phone again. The rappers restart. **RAPPERS** Tweedledum and Tweedledee Agreed to have a rap battle; For Tweedledum said Tweedledee Dropped a diss about his rattle. The camera pushes into Alice's phone. --- ## INT. ALICE'S ROOM — DAY The same footage is now playing on her laptop. In the AI-generated version, the rappers are covered in pots and pans like improvised armour. The cookware clangs rhythmically with the track. Alice clicks **GENERATE**. A beep. **OUT OF CREDITS. TOP UP.** **ALICE** Out of credits. Of course. The door opens. Alice looks up. Her **FATHER** enters in pyjamas. **FATHER** Alice, you bought credits with my card again? **ALICE** I'll pay you back. When I win the festival... **FATHER** Not another cent on my card. **ALICE** Dad, I can't just quit now. He hesitates for a moment. **FATHER** You need to focus on college. It's time to grow up. He closes the door. Alice collapses onto the bed. Her eyes fill with tears. **ALICE** It would be awfully silly, I suppose... to drown in my own tears. The camera pulls back. The room is now flooded. Only Alice's shoulders and head remain above the surface. Her laptop sits underwater on her knees, its screen still flickering: **OUT OF CREDITS.** A gigantic **MOUSE** swims past her. --- ## EXT. THE THAMES — OXFORD — 1862 — DAY The same gigantic mouse swims past Lewis's boat. Duckworth stops rowing and turns to Lewis. **DUCKWORTH** Are you making this up as you go along? Lewis watches the mouse pass. **LEWIS** Well... Alice Liddell jumps up excitedly. **ALICE LIDDELL** I want more nonsense! --- ## INT. NEW YORK HOOKAH LOUNGE — NIGHT Modern Alice reclines on a huge round red cushion beside her **FRIEND**, who wears an oversized glossy green puffer jacket. **ALICE** I want more nonsense. Her friend hands her the hookah mouthpiece. Alice takes a drag. **ALICE** And money. **FRIEND** There's this Rabbit. They say he invests in movies. **ALICE** Really? What kind? **FRIEND** Promising ones. Alice exhales smoke. **ALICE** Mine's very promising. Where do I find him? **FRIEND** Downtown. He's always late for something. The cushion grows upward into a gigantic mushroom. Her friend stretches and warps into something resembling a green caterpillar. Alice exhales into the night sky. Inside the smoke, flashes of an imagined future: success, royalty, the city, and a **WHITE RABBIT** who might somehow lead her there. --- ## EXT. NEW YORK STREET — DAY Alice walks through the city. A WHITE RABBIT rushes past. She spots him and runs. Alice catches up and grabs his shoulder. **ALICE** Mr. Rabbit! Do you invest in films? The Rabbit never slows down. **WHITE RABBIT** Walk and talk. **ALICE** I've got a film that's almost finished. **WHITE RABBIT** Okay, so? **ALICE** I just need— The Rabbit suddenly jumps into an open manhole. Alice skids to a stop at the edge. Wind blasts upward from the darkness, whipping her hair and dress. She peers down. **ALICE** Curiouser and curiouser. She jumps. --- ## INT. RABBIT HOLE Alice falls through a dark impossible space. Shelves of textbooks drift past her. She grimaces. **ALICE** Ugh, not school again. Darkness. --- ## EXT. NEW YORK INTERSECTION — DAY Alice lies on the asphalt beside flowers growing directly through the road. She opens her eyes. **ALICE** Where's the Rabbit? The flowers begin to sing, one after another. **FLOWERS** Run all you can Just to stay where you stand. But if you mean to get somewhere at last, You have to run twice as fast. Behind her, the Rabbit races toward a limousine. Alice sees him. **ALICE** Obviously. She jumps to her feet. Her strange black outfit unfolds like petals, transforming into a blue cocktail dress as she runs. --- ## INT. LIMOUSINE — DAY Alice drops into the seat beside the Rabbit and slams the door. The Rabbit turns. **WHITE RABBIT** Who are you? **ALICE** I told you about my film. **WHITE RABBIT** Oh, right. How much has it made? **ALICE** It's not finished yet. **WHITE RABBIT** Come back when it has. **ALICE** If it had, why would I need you? **WHITE RABBIT** I invest in successful projects. You need to grow up. **ALICE** My dad says the same thing. Alice begins to grow. Her body rapidly fills the limousine. An arm bursts out through one window. A leg forces a door open. The terrified Rabbit escapes. --- ## EXT. NEW YORK STREET — DAY The Rabbit runs into traffic. **WHITE RABBIT** Taxi! Taxi! --- ## INT./EXT. TAXI ON THE THAMES — DAY The Rabbit is now inside a yellow New York taxi. At the wheel is a human-sized black **RAVEN** wearing a taxi driver's cap. The taxi is somehow travelling across the Thames like a motorboat. The Rabbit checks his pocket watch. **WHITE RABBIT** Oh my fur and whiskers! The Duchess will get me executed! The taxi passes Lewis's boat beneath a bridge. Everyone in the boat silently raises a hand in greeting. Alice Liddell watches the impossible taxi disappear downriver. **ALICE LIDDELL** What splendid nonsense! --- ## EXT. CENTRAL PARK — DAY Modern Alice walks through the park filming herself on her phone. **ALICE** The Rabbit bailed, but there's someone else here who might have some pull. She discovers an elaborate tea table. At it sit the **MARCH HARE**, the **HATTER**, and a gigantic sleeping mouse. Alice takes the empty chair at the head of the table. **MARCH HARE** You're not allowed here. **HATTER** This is a meeting of the world government. **ALICE** If you're the world government, give me free credits. The Hatter nearly spits out his drink. **HATTER** We'll discuss it at the next meeting. **ALICE** And when's that? **HATTER** When this one's over. Alice rolls her eyes. Above her, the **CHESHIRE CAT** appears on a branch. **CHESHIRE CAT** They are all mad here. Perhaps you can ask the King. Crash zoom into the Cat's grin. --- ## INT. CASINO — NIGHT Alice sits at a poker table. In her hand are the **KING OF HEARTS** and the **QUEEN OF HEARTS**. The King comes alive on the card. **KING OF HEARTS** And what can we do for you, little child? Alice looks at him. **ALICE** What about the credits? The King smiles. **KING OF HEARTS** I've no objection. Go now, kid. Alice pushes every chip she has into the centre of the table. **ALICE** All in. The dealer reveals the final card. **DEALER** Royal flush! Across the table, **HUMPTY DUMPTY**, a sinister gangster surrounded by his entourage, slowly loses his smile. Alice stares at her winning cards, barely able to believe it. Behind her stand Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Tweedledee pulls out a pot and a ladle and smashes them together like cymbals. **CLANG.** --- ## EXT. BROOKLYN BASKETBALL COURT — DAY An ordinary afternoon in a neighbourhood park. A casual two-on-two basketball game is underway. Alice and her Friend sit on a bench beside the court, barely paying attention to the game. **FRIEND** So what about the King? **ALICE** Long story short... I go on with the film. Have funds. Her friend looks at her, surprised. **FRIEND** No way. **ALICE** Yep. Guess it will be about taking down the world government. The sun breaks through the clouds. Alice looks up, shielding her eyes with one hand. High above her, the clouds slowly form the smile of the Cheshire Cat. --- ## INT. LEWIS CARROLL'S BEDROOM — OXFORD — EARLY MORNING Blue summer sky. High above, clouds form the enormous smile of the Cheshire Cat. The camera tilts down, passes through the branches of an old tree and glides past a black raven. Beyond the leaves is an open second-floor window. The camera enters. A deck of playing cards lies on a small table near the window. A gust of wind sends several cards into the air. One drifts across the room and lands on the chest of the sleeping Lewis Carroll. It is the **KING OF HEARTS**. Lewis opens his eyes. He sits up, still holding the card. **LEWIS** Oh, I've had such a curious dream. He rises and walks toward the open window. The raven outside notices him and flies away. Lewis watches it go. His eyes light up. **LEWIS** The Liddell girls will be delighted. The camera continues through the open window and into the trees. Beyond them lies a vast green lawn. Far away, a WHITE RABBIT runs across the grass. For a moment, he looks almost ordinary. Then the light catches the small dark waistcoat on his body. Without stopping, he pulls out a pocket watch, checks it, and disappears behind the trees. **SUPER:** *Dedicated to everyone creating mad stories.* --- ## END CREDITS — RAP REPRISE **RAPPERS (V.O.)** Tweedledum and Tweedledee Agreed to have a rap battle; For Tweedledum said Tweedledee Dropped a diss about his rattle. Then both dropped diss tracks back to back, With bars for clout and fame; Their beef went viral overnight — The whole feed chose a name. The money rolled in from every track, They cashed in on the buzz; Then each went out and bought three more Bright rattles just because. # THE END