The Abyss script

Key characters

Scene outline

1. 1. UNKNOWN SCENE

   This scene block primarily contains title information, author credits, and revision details for "The Abyss" screenplay, concluding with an instruction for the opening title card and its visual transition.

2. 2. EXT. OCEAN/UNDERWATER -- DAY 3

   The scene opens five hundred feet underwater, where an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine materializes from the deep blue.

3. 3. INT. U.S.S. MONTANA -- DAY 4

   The crew of the U.S.S. Montana tracks an unknown, incredibly fast underwater contact, leading to increasing tension and a dangerous pursuit through a canyon, culminating in the contact accelerating to an impossible speed and the control room lights dimming.

   EXEC, HELMSMAN, CAPTAIN, BARNES, FRANK, NAVIGATOR

4. 4. EXT. U.S.S. MONTANA 5

   A large diffuse light passes under the U.S.S. Montana, followed by an underwater shockwave that slams the sub sideways.

5. 5. INT. U.S.S. MONTANA 6

   The U.S.S. Montana experiences severe turbulence and hydraulic failure, causing the crew to be thrown around and the ship to lose control. As power flickers, the sonarman spots a sheer cliff wall looming directly in their path before hydraulics are restored.

   EXEC, HELMSMAN, CAPTAIN

6. 6. EXT. U.S.S. MONTANA 7

   The U.S.S. Montana collides with a cliff wall, sustaining significant damage as it scrapes along and loses a tail stabilizer.

7. 7. INT. PORT TO TORPEDO ROOM 8

   Seawater floods the torpedo room after the outer tube-doors are torn off, causing immense damage and obscuring everything in white spray.

8. 8. INT. CONTROL RM/ATTACK CENTER 9

   The control room is in chaos as the crew is hurled off their feet, and the Captain orders emergency procedures to lighten the ship and blow all tanks as it rapidly sinks and the torpedo room floods.

   EXEC, NAVIGATOR, HELMSMAN, CAPTAIN

9. 9. EXT. MONTANA 10

   A large submarine is rapidly sinking in Montana, its flooded bow section pulling it down as its body rushes past like a freight train.

10. 10. INT. MONTANA CONTROL ROOM 11

    The command crew of the Montana control room desperately tries to regain control as their vessel rapidly descends, with the Captain ultimately ordering the launch of a buoy as they face losing the ship.

    EXEC, HELMSMAN, CAPTAIN

11. 11. EXT. MONTANA 12

    A tiny transmitter is ejected from a submarine, which then violently crashes onto a ledge, tearing open its pressure hull.

12. 12. INT. MONTANA 13

    The scene uses various quick cuts to show seawater violently flooding and destroying a submarine's interior, sweeping men away.

13. 13. EXT. OCEAN/UNDERWATER 14

    The Montana submarine sinks into the deep ocean, its hull screeching as it descends into the Cayman Trough abyss.

14. 14. EXT. OCEAN SURFACE -- DAY 15

    The scene opens on the stormy Caribbean ocean surface where the Montana's emergency buoy pops up and begins transmitting, followed by a cut to the next scene.

15. 15. EXT. OCEAN/20 MILES AWAY -- DAY 16

    Three Navy Sea King helicopters approach and land on the Benthic Explorer, a deep-sea drilling support ship, where Naval officers and personnel disembark and the company man Kirkhill greets Commodore Demarco.

16. 16. INT. BENTHIC EXPLORER/BRIDGE -- DAY 17

    On the Benthic Explorer's bridge, McBride and Bendix observe invaders, while a video screen shows divers working in the deep ocean. DeMarco and McBride discuss the divers' extreme depth, and DeMarco orders them to go even deeper, with Kirkhill adding an instruction to contact Brigman.

    COMMODORE DEMARCO, LELAND MCBRIDE, KIRKHILL

17. 17. EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY (TOTAL DARKNESS) 18

    The scene introduces the Deepcore II oil-drilling platform 1700 feet underwater, where rig foreman Bud Brigman communicates with two divers, Catfish and Bird-Dog, who are working outside. Bud teases them about their slow pace, to which Catfish responds sarcastically about the cold conditions.

    BUD, CATFISH DE VRIES

18. 18. INT. DRILL ROOM 20

    Bud enters the noisy drill room, where Jammer informs him that the new company man, Kirkhill, is on the line, prompting Bud to express his disdain for Kirkhill before instructing Perry to clean up the area and then exiting.

    JAMMER WILLIS, BUD

19. 19. INT. CORRIDOR/TOOLPUSHER'S OFFICE 21

    Bud is called urgently to pick up a topside line, and upon entering his office and answering the phone, he becomes increasingly agitated while listening to the caller.

    BUD, P.A.

20. 20. INT. CORRIDOR/CONTROL MODULE 22

    In the control module, ROV pilot Hippy observes a diver outside until Bud bursts in, agitated, and activates a diver recall siren, ordering all divers out of the water.

    BUD

21. 21. EXT. DEEPCORE/CHRISTMAS TREE A22

    Underwater, Flatbed pilot One Night and diver Sonny exchange playful banter while working, but are interrupted by a recall from Bud, leading to more lighthearted dialogue and a physical joke.

    LISA STANDING, SONNY

22. 22. EXT. DEEPCORE/UNDER SUB-BAY 23

    A flatbed carrying Sonny moves under the Deepcore rig, rising towards the water's surface in a chamber, followed by Little Geek.

23. 23. INT. SUB-BAY/MOONPOOL 24

    Divers emerge from the moonpool into the sub-bay, cold and curious about being recalled, before Bud arrives to inform the crew that they must shut down the rig and prepare to move for a matter of national security.

    LISA STANDING, FINLER, CATFISH DE VRIES, JAMMER WILLIS, BUD, SONNY

24. 24. INT. DEEPCORE/COMMAND MODULE 25

    DeMarco briefs the Deepcore crew about a sunken nuclear submarine, the USS Montana, and requests their assistance for a rescue operation due to an impending storm. Bud expresses strong reservations about his crew's qualifications and safety, while Kirkhill offers significant bonuses to incentivize participation.

    LISA STANDING, COMMODORE DEMARCO, KIRKHILL, ALLEN CARNES, FINLER, CATFISH DE VRIES

25. 25. INT. DEEPCORE/COMMAND MODULE AND CORRIDOR 26

    In the Deepcore command module, Bud watches as crew members express their apprehension about Lindsey's reaction to an upcoming event, anticipating her anger.

    JAMMER WILLIS, LISA STANDING

26. 26. EXT. OCEAN -- DAY 27

    A Navy Sea King helicopter flies through a stormy ocean under massive thunderheads, with the sea below being whipped by the storm.

27. 27. INT./EXT. SEA KING 28

    A team of Navy SEALs and Deepcore engineer Lindsey are in a helicopter struggling through a storm to reach the Benthic Explorer; after the pilot refuses to land, the SEALs fast-rope to the ship, and Lindsey, challenged by Coffey, reluctantly follows.

    LIEUTENANT COFFEY, PILOT

28. 28. EXT. BENTHIC EXPLORER/HELIPAD 29

    Lindsey and Coffey fast-rope onto the Benthic Explorer's helipad during a storm, with Lindsey's nylons ruined, as an air-crewman lowers equipment cases before the chopper departs.

29. 29. EXT. OCEAN BOTTOM 30

    The scene opens on the dark ocean bottom as shafts of light appear, revealing the Flatbed towing the Deepcore, which uses its own thrusters to assist.

30. 30. INT. DEEPCORE/CONTROL MODULE 31

    Bud pilots the Deepcore, maneuvering it through the seafloor, while McBride appears on a monitor to inform the crew that Hurricane Frederick is approaching.

    LELAND MCBRIDE

31. 31. INT. EXPLORER BRIDGE -- DAY 32

    Bud makes a comment about hurricane names via video, then Lindsey enters the bridge, wet and angry, catching McBride's attention.

    BUD

32. 32. INT. DEEPCORE/CONTROL MODULE 33

    Bud has a tense video call with Lindsey, who is angry about her rig being taken, but Bud defends his actions by stating he follows orders. After Bud abruptly ends the call, Hippy teases him about Lindsey's use of his full name, revealing their past relationship.

    LINDSEY, BUD, ALLEN CARNES

33. 33. EXT. EXPLORER DECK/LAUNCH WELL 34

    Amidst a stormy sea, Lindsey takes charge of the submersible launch, directing the crew and personally boarding Cab Three as it is lifted and swung into the turbulent launch well.

    LINDSEY

34. 34. INT. EXPLORER BRIDGE/D.O.C. 35

    Kirkhill observes something concerning outside the Explorer Bridge, then urgently instructs Lindsey to exit Cab Three because Bates is taking it down.

    KIRKHILL

35. 35. INT. CAB THREE 36

    Lindsey takes control of the sub, explaining that Bates is sick and she has more experience, while the SEALs are being tossed around. Coffey urges her to make a decision, and Lindsey challenges Kirkhill to act.

    LINDSEY, LIEUTENANT COFFEY

36. 36. INT. EXPLORER BRIDGE/D.O.C. 37

    DeMarco, impatient, demands his team be put in the water. Kirkhill reluctantly agrees, and McBride gives the clearance for launch.

    COMMODORE DEMARCO, KIRKHILL, LELAND MCBRIDE

37. 37. INT./EXT. CAB THREE 38

    Lindsey activates a lever, releasing Cab Three into the water, which then freefalls and descends into the darkness, guided by an umbilical cable.

    LINDSEY, LELAND MCBRIDE

38. 38. EXT./INT. FLATBED 39

    One Night is driving a flatbed truck at night, single-handedly managing the vehicle while drinking coffee and listening to music to combat white-line fever.

39. 39. INT. CONTROL MODULE 40

    Bud and Hippy enter the control module and sing a line from a song.

    BUD/HIPPY

40. 40. EXT. DEEPCORE 41

    The Deepcore rig, brightly lit, traverses a desolate landscape while singing is heard in the distance.

41. 41. EXT. OCEAN DEPTHS/CAB THREE 42

    A submersible named Cab Three descends into the ocean depths towards Deepcore, with Lindsey making radio contact with Hippy.

    LINDSEY, ALLEN CARNES

42. 42. INT. DEEPCORE/CONTROL MODULE 43

    Bud stops singing and reacts with a stricken expression upon hearing Lindsey's voice, realizing she is present.

    LINDSEY, BUD

43. 43. EXT./CAB THREE/DEEP CORE 44

    Lindsey maneuvers Cab Three to execute a 180-degree turn and dock with the rig, successfully mating its lockout hatch with the pressure collar.

44. 44. INT. DEEPCORE/COMPRESSION CHAMBER/GAS CONTROL STATION 45

    Lindsey and the SEALs enter a compression chamber, where Catfish initiates pressurization, and Lindsey briefs the team on High-Pressure Nervous Syndrome, causing some friction with Coffey.

    LINDSEY, MONK, LIEUTENANT COFFEY, CATFISH DE VRIES

45. 45. INT. GAS CONTROL STATION -- HOURS LATER 46

    Inside a gas control station, Catfish brags about his fighting abilities to Hippy and Jammer, who respond with sarcastic remarks about his past claims.

    JAMMER WILLIS, ALLEN CARNES, CATFISH DE VRIES

46. 46. INT. PRESSURE CHAMBER 47

    Lindsey attempts to open an equipment case with her foot, getting a glimpse of a small black metal box inside, before Coffey slams it shut and warns her about her curiosity.

    LIEUTENANT COFFEY

47. 47. INT. GAS CONTROL STATION/CHAMBER DOOR -- LATER 48

    Catfish opens the chamber hatch, allowing the SEALs to exit, and Coffey briefly reveals a slight tremor in his hand before joining them.

    CATFISH DE VRIES

48. 48. INT. CORRIDOR 49

    Lindsey bumps into Jammer in the corridor and exchanges pleasantries before Coffey arrives and curtly instructs Jammer to show them the dive prep area, leading Lindsey to comment on the SEALs' demeanor.

    LINDSEY, JAMMER WILLIS, LIEUTENANT COFFEY

49. 49. INT. COMMAND MODULE 50

    Lindsey enters the command module, interrupting Hippy's interaction with a rat, and has a tense exchange with Bud before contacting "One Night" over the radio.

    LINDSEY, BUD

50. 50. INT. FLATBED 51

    One Night mimes puking before greeting Lindsey with sickening sweetness.

    LISA STANDING

51. 51. INT. COMMAND MODULE 52

    Lindsey inspects the sonar shack, then argues with Bud who criticizes her for being there during the storm, before she leaves and he follows, with Hippy taking over his position.

    LINDSEY, BUD

52. 52. INT. CORRIDOR/LADDER-WELL/LEVEL ONE LANDING 53

    Bud catches up with Lindsey during her inspection, where they exchange words about her necessity on the rig, with Lindsey asserting her value and Bud responding sarcastically, before she opens a hatch to a noisy machine room.

    LINDSEY, BUD

53. 53. INT. MACHINE ROOM 54

    Lindsey works diligently in a loud machine room, adjusting equipment, while Bud attempts to engage her in a conversation about her feelings for him, which she deflects by emphasizing her commitment to the project.

    LINDSEY, BUD

54. 54. INT. BUD'S ROOM 55

    Bud offers Lindsey his bunk, leading to a tense conversation about their past relationship and current romantic entanglements, which culminates in Lindsey angrily shutting Bud out and expressing her frustration alone in the room.

    LINDSEY, BUD

55. 55. INT. QUARTERS/HEAD 56

    Bud attempts to remove and dispose of his wedding ring in the toilet but reconsiders, retrieving it and washing his hands, which remain stained blue. He expresses his frustration with a single word.

    BUD

56. 56. EXT. DEEPCORE 57

    The Deepcore platform stops and settles onto the ocean floor, resembling a spacecraft landing, while the Flatbed detaches and returns to its berth.

57. 57. INT. SUB-BAY 58

    The crew receives a pre-dive briefing in the sub-bay, discussing the location of the Montana and the risks of radiation, leading to a tense exchange between Coffey and Bud about leadership. Monk then demonstrates a new liquid breathing system using Hippy's pet rat, amazing the crew.

    LIEUTENANT COFFEY, MONK, FINLER, ALLEN CARNES, CATFISH DE VRIES, BUD

58. 58. EXT. DEEPCORE/DROPOFF 59

    Lindsey leads two other cabs, piloted by Hippy and One Night, as they depart Deepcore and begin their descent over a cliff-like drop-off, performing a radio check and confirming their positions.

    LINDSEY, LISA STANDING, ALLEN CARNES

59. 59. EXT. FLATBED 60

    Divers, including Bud and his civilian crew, are riding on a flatbed, preparing for a deep dive. They discuss the extreme depth of the drop-off before Coffey orders them to stop chattering.

    JAMMER WILLIS, LIEUTENANT COFFEY, BUD, CATFISH DE VRIES

60. 60. INT./EXT. CAB ONE 61

    Lindsey, piloting Cab One, uses instruments to locate a target underwater, eventually discovering the massive screw of the Montana.

    LINDSEY, BUD, LIEUTENANT COFFEY

61. 61. EXT. MONTANA/SUBMERSIBLES 62

    Submersibles explore the sunken Montana submarine, taking radiation readings and documenting its massive hull. They locate a midship hatch, and a team prepares to exit their submersible to approach it.

    LIEUTENANT COFFEY, LISA STANDING, WILHITE, ALLEN CARNES, BUD, LINDSEY

62. 62. INT. CAB THREE 63

    Hippy and Perry prepare to launch the Little Geek ROV, equipped with a neutron-counter, into the water. Monk gives an instruction, and Hippy speaks to Perry and the ROV before deploying it and guiding it towards the Montana's hatch.

    MONK, ALLEN CARNES

63. 63. EXT. MONTANA HATCH AREA 64

    The SEALs open a hatch, and Monk enters a narrow escape trunk to open an inner hatch, which is flooded. After opening it, he exits, and Hippy sends an ROV into the hatch.

    MONK

64. 64. EXT./INT. CAB ONE/MISSLE DECK 65

    As Cab One and Flatbed move along the hull, they discover damaged Trident missile tubes with intact warheads, leading to a discussion among Coffey, Lindsey, and Schoenick about the immense destructive power of the 192 tactical nukes.

    LINDSEY, LIEUTENANT COFFEY, SCHOENICK

65. 65. INT. CAB THREE 66

    The scene opens with a video feed from a camera exploring an engine room, as Monk asks Hippy for a reading, which Hippy reports is twitching but still below the safe line.

    MONK, ALLEN CARNES

66. 66. EXT. MONTANA MIDSHIP HATCH 67

    Monk enters the Montana midship hatch, instructing others to follow, and is joined by Wilhite and Schoenick as they proceed into a dark corridor.

    MONK

67. 67. EXT. MONTANA/BOW SECTION 68

    The team approaches the heavily damaged bow section of the Montana submarine, which is described as a massive, torn hull. Coffey and Bud lead the team into the wreck through a large breach, with Bud instructing them to proceed cautiously and stay on the line.

    BUD, LIEUTENANT COFFEY

68. 68. INT. MONTANA/FORWARD BERTHING SECTION 69

    Bud and Coffey enter the forward berthing compartment of the Montana, finding it twisted and disheveled with floating debris, and Coffey checks sealed doors for flooding.

69. 69. INT. ENGINE ROOM 70

    Monk leads his team through a corridor and a hatch into the engine room, where they observe flooded machinery.

70. 70. INT. COMPANIONWAY/CONTROL ROOM AND ATTACK CENTER 71

    Coffey's team navigates a damaged control room, encountering dead bodies and retrieving a missile key, while Bud attempts to calm his distressed crew before Coffey sends them further into the ship.

    BUD, LIEUTENANT COFFEY, SONNY, CATFISH DE VRIES

71. 71. INT. CORRIDOR/ROOMS 72

    Bud instructs his team to stay on the current deck and secure a line, then he and Jammer descend through an open hatch to the level below while Catfish hooks onto Bud's line.

    BUD

72. 72. EXT./INT. CAB ONE 73

    Lindsey, in her submersible, circles the hull of a dead leviathan, documenting and photographing it with her strobes.

73. 73. INT. COMMUNICATIONS CENTER 74

    Coffey opens a wall safe in the communications center and retrieves code books, classified documents, orders, and missile arming keys, placing them in a pouch at his waist.

74. 74. INT. CORRIDOR 75

    Bud and Jammer navigate a narrow corridor and various rooms within a submarine, finding only anonymous bodies and no signs of life.

75. 75. INT. MISSLE COMPARTMENT 76

    Bud and Jammer explore a missile compartment, where Jammer discovers a dead seaman covered in crabs, causing him to panic; Bud calms him down and instructs him to stay put while Bud continues further into the compartment.

    JAMMER WILLIS, BUD

76. 76. INT. COM-ROOM 77

    Coffey efficiently sets thermite grenades on electronic gear in the Com-Room, causing the circuits to melt in an intense glare.

77. 77. INT. MISSLE COMPARTMENT 78

    After his lights fail and he encounters a mysterious glowing entity, Jammer panics and suffers a seizure, prompting Bud and the crew to rescue and stabilize him before evacuating him from the missile compartment.

    FINLER, CATFISH DE VRIES, JAMMER WILLIS, BUD, SONNY

78. 78. INT./EXT. CAB ONE & MONTANA SAIL 79

    Lindsey's submersible experiences a power failure and a close encounter with a mysterious, glowing ovoid object that quickly disappears into the deep, after which Bud urgently calls her for a diver emergency.

    LINDSEY, BUD

79. 79. INT. DEEPCORE INFIRMARY -- AN HOUR LATER 80

    In the Deepcore infirmary, Jammer lies unconscious in a coma while Monk, acting as a medic, informs Bud that there's little he can do for his condition, leaving Bud consumed by guilt.

    MONK, BUD

80. 80. INT. CONSOLE MODULE 81

    The SEALs debrief with DeMarco via closed-circuit video about a Russian bogey, leading DeMarco to confirm Phase Two, which causes visible tension among the SEALs, especially Coffey.

    COMMODORE DEMARCO, LIEUTENANT COFFEY

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