Airplane 2: The Sequel script

Key characters

Scene outline

1. 1. UNKNOWN SCENE

   This scene block presents the title page of the screenplay, including the movie title, writer's credit, and production draft information, concluding with the opening transition 'FADE IN:'.

2. 2. EXT. JUNGLE - DAY

   An American adventurer, accompanied by two gunbearers, hacks his way through a dense jungle, revealing overgrown stone letters that spell "AIRPLANE II."

3. 3. EXT. GANTRY - NIGHT

   The scene opens on a gantry at night, where the Jupiter shuttle is prepared for flight, with an on-screen superimposition indicating the location and year as Houston, 2002.

4. 4. INT. MISSION CONTROL ROOM - STOCK FOOTAGE

   The scene is set in a mission control room, featuring stock footage of Houston Control accompanied by a voice-over with technical jargon.

5. 5. INT. TERMINAL - WIDE ANGLE STOCK SHOT

   The scene opens with a wide-angle shot of a crowded modern terminal, where a public address announcement directs all lunar departures to concourse lounge 'B'.

   P.A.

6. 6. EXT. TERMINAL - STOCK FOOTAGE - NIGHT

   The scene opens with stock footage of heavy traffic at LAX, where futuristic miners unload a truck while a P.A. announcement directs them. Two miners pass nuns, and Father O'Flanagan shares a passionate kiss with a young nun, prompting a humorous remark from an older nun.

   P.A., OLDER NUN

7. 7. INT. CONTROL ROOM

   A guide explains the control room's operations to a tour group, while a controller communicates with a lunar shuttle, confirming its programming and lock.

   CONTROLLER 1, GUIDE

8. 8. INT. LUNAR SHUTTLE COCKPIT - NIGHT

   Three crew members in a lunar shuttle cockpit watch as their shuttle approaches a lit landing strip, and the Captain makes a comment to the co-pilot.

   CAPTAIN

9. 9. INT. MISSION CONTROL

   After the Controller steps away from his video unit, a kid from a tour group turns the screen into a video game.

10. 10. INT. LUNAR SHUTTLE

    The crew of a lunar shuttle is violently tossed from side to side as they attempt to regain control of the ship.

11. 11. EXT. NIGHT SKY

    A Lunar shuttle is seen careening out of control towards a terminal in the night sky.

12. 12. INT. CONTROL ROOM

    In a control room, a kid plays a video game, causing real-world explosions and sirens, while remaining oblivious to the chaos around him as controllers panic.

13. 13. EXT. TERMINAL - NIGHT

    Bud Kruger and the Commissioner discuss the Mercury shuttle's launch, with Kruger arguing for more testing while the Commissioner insists on the scheduled launch.

    Bud Kruger, COMMISSIONER

14. 14. INT. TERMINAL

    Kruger and the Commissioner discuss the political pressures surrounding safety regulations as they ride an escalator. Kruger wants to address the board about safety, but the Commissioner advises him to be aware of the political realities.

    Bud Kruger, COMMISSIONER

15. 15. INT. TERMINAL - SECOND LEVEL

    Kruger and the Commissioner are in a terminal, where Kruger buys cigarettes and the Commissioner buys a newspaper. Kruger then expresses his concern about being held responsible if there's a mistake.

    Bud Kruger

16. 16. INT. TERMINAL - SHOESHINE STAND

    Kruger and Commissioner get their shoes shined while a man next to them reads a newspaper and unknowingly gets his white shoes polished black, as Commissioner discusses political pressure with Bud.

    COMMISSIONER

17. 17. INT. TERMINAL

    Kruger and the Commissioner descend an escalator, where Kruger instructs the Commissioner to inform various parties that the press is investigating his front office.

    Bud Kruger

18. 18. EXT. TERMINAL

    Kruger and the Commissioner discuss their complex responsibilities regarding different groups, with Kruger wishing for a simpler solution before they depart in their limo.

    COMMISSIONER, Bud Kruger

19. 19. INT. MISSION CONTROL

    In Mission Control, a Controller announces "condition green" for launch, while Dr. Rumack examines another Controller whose face is bright green, humorously prescribing pills and water.

    CONTROLLER, Doctor Rumack

20. 20. EXT. GANTRY - CLOSEUP OF SHUTTLE - NIGHT

    The scene opens with a dramatic space theme and a camera crash, then shifts to workers on a gantry performing maintenance on a shuttle. A panel explodes, and a worker urgently calls for assistance on a walkie-talkie.

    WORKER

21. 21. EXT. TERMINAL - NIGHT

    Simon and Elaine arrive at a terminal for the Mercury Shuttle, encountering a businessman selling roses and a man with a suitcase on a leash, while discussing their engagement and future career plans.

    Simon Kurtz, Elaine Thompson, BUSINESSMEN, BUSINESSMAN

22. 22. EXT. REAR OF TERMINAL BUILDING - NIGHT

    Sarg, a tuxedo-clad man on his car phone, learns his wife Marge wants a divorce due to his work obsession and her fifteen-year affair, prompting him to cause a massive explosion before driving away with a flashing Lava lamp on his car.

    MARGE, Sarg

23. 23. INT. SARG'S CAR - ON THE MOVE - NIGHT

    While driving, Sarg has a flashback of his wife, Marge, in bed with multiple athletes, and then a brief, somewhat detached conversation with her about his work and their relationship.

    MARGE, Sarg

24. 24. EXT. TERMINAL, PASSENGER ARRIVAL AREA - NIGHT

    At a terminal, the Wilson family prepares for a trip to Mercury, where a porter cruelly pranks young Jimmy about shooting his puppy, and a separate, unusual passenger in an S&M cage is also prepared for transport.

    JOHN, P.A., PORTER, JIMMY, ALICE, MAN WITH CAGE

25. 25. EXT. GANTRY - NIGHT

    Sarg investigates faulty wiring on a shuttle, suspecting corruption, while Kruger, in an office with young boys, dismisses his concerns and orders the ship fixed.

    Bud Kruger, Sarg, ALL BOYS

26. 26. EXT. GANTRY - NIGHT

    Sarg complains to a worker about Ted Striker's truthful test-pilot report leading to his banishment, then dramatically spits a cigar chunk, causing an explosion that blows the worker out of frame.

    Sarg

27. 27. EXT. WILD BLUE YONDER - DAY

    A jet fighter streaks across the sky in the wild blue yonder.

28. 28. INT. JET - DAY

    Ted Striker, a pilot, is flying a jet at high speed, casually drinking beer and shooing away a bird that lands on his plane.

29. 29. EXT. FIGHTER - DAY

    A fighter plane performs a barrel roll during the day.

30. 30. INT. FIGHTER - DAY

    The scene opens inside a fighter jet during the day, where Ted is covered in beer.

31. 31. EXT. SMALL LATIN-AMERICAN LANDING STRIP - DAY

    The scene opens on a small Latin-American landing strip in South America, specifically Palukaville, in 2002, as Striker's fighter jet lands.

32. 32. EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF RIO MONTENEGRO - DAY

    A close-up shot reveals a welcome sign for Rio Montenegro, which includes its population and a humorous, unusual rule about torturing hours.

33. 33. INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY

    In a hot hotel room, a sweating Ted reflects on his past as a war hero and his subsequent fame and downfall through a series of voiceovers and superimpositions, culminating in the room's destruction by a powerful fan.

    TED, VOICE

34. 34. EXT. TOWN SQUARE - DAY

    A peasant boy runs through a chaotic town square, passing bizarre sights and military interrogations where a peasant is shot, before he runs into a hotel.

    SOLDIER, BOY, PEASANT

35. 35. INT. HOTEL LOBBY

    An American couple argues with a hotel desk clerk after losing their "American Excess" travelers' checks, prompting a cynical response from the clerk.

    YOUNG WOMAN, YOUNG MAN, CLERK

36. 36. INT. HOTEL ROOM

    Ted, a former test pilot, laments his past career and current predicament, only to be interrupted by a boy named Jose who informs him that the XR-2300 Mercury shuttle, which Ted knows to be flawed, is being launched.

    TED, BOY

37. 37. EXT. HOTEL MONTENEGRO

    Ted races out of the Hotel Montenegro, calls a taxi, causing a massive car crash, and then instructs the driver of a taxi at the bottom of the pile to take him to Houston, Texas, providing a map.

    DRIVER, TED

38. 38. EXT. TERMINAL, PASSENGER ARRIVALS - NIGHT

    A young man and his parents arrive at a terminal with high hopes for a new life, only to have their belongings spill, while Ted's taxi arrives in a chaotic state with an astronomical fare.

    DRIVER, PORTER, TED, SON

39. 39. INT. TERMINAL

    Stella Barrington pushes her dying father, Dr. Cyrus Barrington, through a bustling terminal where he is recognized by porters. Meanwhile, Ted searches for mission control to stop a Mercury shuttle flight, encountering various bizarre characters and events at different ticket lines and an unhelpful information counter where the agent is eventually shot with an arrow.

    MAN, AGENT, BUSINESSMAN 1, TERRORIST 1, TED, PORTER

40. 40. INT. TERMINAL - ANOTHER AREA

    Elaine and Simon are preparing for the Mercury mission when they are confronted by Ted, who has escaped from a mental institution and warns them that the mission is not safe. Simon dismisses Ted's concerns and pulls Elaine away, leaving Ted to experience a flashback.

    Simon Kurtz, Elaine Thompson, TED, FRANK

41. 41. INT. ROCKET HANGAR

    Ted, a test pilot, attempts to expose faulty rocket wiring to Simon, who instead has Ted forcibly sedated for alleged mental instability, only for Ted to later be seen muttering to himself and approached by a nurse named Stella.

    Simon Kurtz, TED, JACOBS, NEWSIE, STELLA, Elaine Thompson

42. 42. INT. TERMINAL - OUTSIDE DRUGSTORE

    Simon tells Elaine he's going into a drugstore where a druggist offers him various illicit substances, while outside, Ted approaches Elaine to reconcile, but she rejects him, explaining her need for Simon's stability and fearlessness amidst a bizarre scene with a woman and a donkey.

    Simon Kurtz, Elaine Thompson, TED, DRUGGIST

43. 43. INT. DRUGSTORE

    Simon receives "ANTI-FEAR PILLS" from the Druggist, and after taking them, he walks straight through a plate glass window without any fear.

    Simon Kurtz, DRUGGIST

44. 44. INT. TERMINAL

    Ted tries to convince Elaine to listen to him about going to mission control, but she dismisses him, suggesting he return to the hospital, which triggers another flashback for Ted.

    Elaine Thompson, TED

45. 45. INT. MENTAL HOSPITAL

    Ted, a patient in a mental hospital, is visited by his ex-wife Elaine, who tries to convince him to accept his illness and undergo electro-shock therapy. Elaine then reveals she is leaving him for Simon and accidentally administers electro-shock to Ted when attempting to turn on the radio before she leaves.

    MAN, TED, NURSE, Elaine Thompson, VOICE

46. 46. INT. TERMINAL - OUTSIDE BOOKSTORE

    Frank Morgan and his mistress Jane Dennis discuss his divorce from Carol, with Jane expressing concern about Carol's potential for violence. Carol then appears, shoots Frank, causing several people to faint, and flees as a newspaper headline about senseless murder dramatically increases.

    JANE, FRANK, CAROL

47. 47. INT. TERMINAL - ANOTHER AREA

    Ted encounters an elderly woman and then a murder scene where Detective Hallick's attempts to investigate a bizarre series of killings are comically thwarted by his literal-minded police force.

    TED, SERGEANT, DETECTIVE HALLICK, MRS. GOOCH, PHOTOGRAPHER

48. 48. INT. MISSION CONTROL - EXECUTIVE OFFICE

    Kruger informs the Commissioner about a recent murder and insists on pulling pilot Clarence Oveur from his lunar flight, despite the Commissioner's reservations about Oveur's questionable record, which is revealed to involve polka music.

    JACOBS, Bud Kruger, COMMISSIONER

49. 49. INT. TERMINAL

    In a terminal, Captain Oveur is approached by Simon, who urgently tells him they need to leave. As they walk away, they pass two Hari Krishna agents.

    Simon Kurtz, HAIR KRISHNA, Captain Oveur

50. 50. INT. MISSION CONTROL ROOM

    In the Mission Control Room, Controller 1 announces the launch countdown, while NASA workers at a lunch table are startled by a misheard command and sit back down.

    CONTROLLER 1

51. 51. INT. TERMINAL

    Simon explains dry cleaning and amphibians to Oveur, who questions his need to explain everything. Simon then spots Ted and tells Oveur he needs to take care of something before meeting on board.

    Simon Kurtz, Captain Oveur

52. 52. INT. MISSION CONTROL HEAD OFFICE - RECEPTION

    Ted urgently tries to see Bud Kruger at Mission Control, but after a frustrating exchange with the Receptionist and a failed attempt to find a door, he is suddenly knocked unconscious by a Doctor and dragged out of the office.

    TED, RECEPTIONIST

53. 53. INT. MISSION CONTROL ROOM

    In the Mission Control Room, controllers are at their monitors as CONTROLLER 1 announces over the P.A. that they are T-minus fifty minutes and counting, instructing to commence loading passengers requiring special boarding assistance.

    CONTROLLER 1

54. 54. EXT. TERMINAL - LOADING AREA

    Ground crew members lift passengers stacked on a luggage tram and heave them onto a conveyor belt leading to a ship.

55. 55. INT. TERMINAL

    Joe Salucci, a nervous man, bids his wife goodbye at a terminal before heading to a sex clinic in Des Moines. His wife gives him money and an envelope, then publicly embarrasses him by shouting about his sexual impotence as he leaves.

    WIFE, Joe Salucci

56. 56. INT. TERMINAL STORAGE ROOM

    Ted is tied to a chair in a storage room, surrounded by packing crates, one of which humorously references Jimmy Hoffa, as he attempts to free himself.

57. 57. INT. TERMINAL GIFT SHOP

    Joe Salucci tries to purchase a time bomb from a gift shop cashier, while Dr. Benjamin Spock causes a candy machine to explode, leading to an exclamation from a man in a kilt.

    SCOTT, Joe Salucci

58. 58. INT. TERMINAL CORRIDOR

    Joe Salucci, appearing stressed, closes his attache case, discards a 'Des Moines' ticket while keeping a 'Mercury' ticket, and then hurries off after taking a last drag from his cigarette, which rolls under a storage room door.

59. 59. INT. STORAGE ROOM

    Ted, tied to a chair, watches as a cigarette ignites oil rags, causing flames to spread towards several oil drums, one labeled "EXPLOSIVE" and others with dramatic labels.

60. 60. INT. TERMINAL OUTSIDE STORAGE ROOM

    A nervous couple discusses space travel safety when a storage room door explodes, causing one to faint, while a man named Ted emerges, finds his desired flight sold out, and approaches a scalper.

    DAVE, SCALPER

61. 61. INT. SHUTTLE COCKPIT - MORNING

    Simon introduces Captain Oveur as the new captain, replacing Frank Morgan who was murdered, to the shuttle crew members Mr. Unger and Mr. Dunn, who then exchange formal greetings.

    Simon Kurtz, MR. DUNN, MR. UNGER, DUNN, Captain Oveur, UNGER

62. 62. INT. TERMINAL SECURITY CHECK AREA - "MERCURY GATE"

    Terrorists navigate a security checkpoint, asking a Guard for directions, while Mrs. Gooch is frisked, a Dentist examines a boy's teeth, and the Bergman family discusses their impending doom at the "Mercury Gate."

    CHILD 2, CHILD 1, SVEN, DENTIST, GUARD, KRISTA

63. 63. INT. COCKPIT

    While a car wash is in progress, Oveur and Unger check controls, an attendant cleans the cockpit and experiences anti-gravity, and Elaine encounters an issue with a computer switch.

    Elaine Thompson, UNGER, DUNN, Captain Oveur

64. 64. INT. BOWELS OF R.O.K. COMPUTER

    Inside the R.O.K. computer, a circuit board shorts, leading to sparks and a fire.

65. 65. INT. COCKPIT

    Oveur expresses concern about the weather and asks Unger for a temperature reading, to which Unger responds with "Ninety-eight point six" after removing a thermometer from his mouth.

    UNGER, Captain Oveur

66. 66. INT. MISSION CONTROL ROOM

    Controllers in a mission control room discuss an incoming fog from the west, with one controller requesting a density reading. Another controller dramatically recites a quote about fog, prompting a comment about its "heaviness."

    CONTROLLER 1, CONTROLLER 2, CONTROLLER 3

67. 67. INT. SHIP DOOR

    Flight attendant Mary welcomes various passengers aboard a ship, including Stella and her dying father, a suspicious Joe, and the "Okies," one of whom, Henry, delivers a lengthy political monologue. A Psychiatrist then confronts Ted, telling him he needs to admit he is sick, with the words echoing.

    MARY, PSYCHIATRIST, HENRY, Joe Salucci, STELLA

68. 68. EXT. TARMAC - DAY

    Sarg spots Ted Striker, expresses a bad feeling about the mission after eating fish, and then, following a sound of throwing up, a huge explosion fills the frame.

    Sarg, WORKER

69. 69. INT. COCKPIT

    Inside the cockpit, fog rolls past the window as Oveur states they will be ready to launch once the fog clears.

    Captain Oveur

70. 70. EXT. RUNWAY

    An English Bobby passes a woman in 19th-century costume, who is then strangled by a caped man emerging from the fog.

71. 71. INT. CABIN

    Passengers board a cabin, and Mary, a flight attendant, takes a man's suit bag, which she then hangs in a closet where it dramatically drops like an execution, accompanied by a scream and thud.

    MAN, MARY

72. 72. INT. COCKPIT

    Unger looks out the cockpit window and remarks that the weather appears to be clearing.

    UNGER

73. 73. EXT. SKY - DAY (STOCK)

    The scene depicts dramatic stock footage of clouds parting and the sun appearing, accompanied by a clarion trumpet crescendo.

74. 74. INT. CABIN - OUTSIDE COCKPIT DOOR

    Ted confronts Elaine outside the cockpit, attempting to stop the flight, but Elaine, despite the plane taking off, locks herself inside the cockpit to prevent him from entering.

    Elaine Thompson, TED, MARY

75. 75. INT. COCKPIT

    In the cockpit, Simon and Oveur prepare for a countdown, with Oveur reporting readiness over the radio, while Elaine appears visibly agitated. The scene concludes with a close-up on Elaine's face before transitioning.

    Simon Kurtz, Captain Oveur

76. 76. EXT. HOSPITAL GROUNDS - DAY

    Dr. Rumack and Elaine walk through increasingly chaotic hospital grounds filled with wheelchairs, discussing a patient's worsening condition. Dr. Rumack comically demonstrates the patient's brain problem by removing a patient's skull and brain.

    Elaine Thompson, Doctor Rumack

77. 77. EXT. HOSPITAL GROUNDS - GARDEN AREA - DAY

    Rumack and Elaine discuss Ted's mental state in the hospital garden, where Ted is frantically destroying plants and building a mud pile, believing he's solving a shuttle problem, much to Elaine's distress.

    Doctor Rumack, Elaine Thompson, TED

78. 78. INT. COCKPIT

    Elaine takes her seat in the cockpit as Controller 1 begins the countdown, prompting Oveur to initiate ignition for launch.

    CONTROLLER 1, Captain Oveur

79. 79. EXT. SHIP

    The scene opens on the exterior of a ship where steam is seen spewing from its engines.

80. 80. INT. CONTROL ROOM

    The scene opens in a control room where Controller 1 announces a 'T' minus thirty seconds countdown. The camera then pans across several controllers, including one in prison stripes speaking to his wife.

    CONTROLLER 1

Dialogue examples