1.

THE LEGEND OF THE MATSUMOTO CASTLE

PRODUCTION SCRIPT
March 9, 2020
© 2020 Alexia Ezaru
All rights reserved.
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THE LEGEND OF THE MATSUMOTO CASTLE

CAST

GABRIEL DAVIS Main character

MACKEZNIE VILLIN Main character
JOEL RELISH Main character
NELLIE LEE Supportive character
JOEL’S MOTHER Supportive character
AUDIO LOG Supportive character
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THE LEGEND OF THE MATSUMOTO CASTLE

SCENE ONE: EXT. STREET, AFTERNOON

(GABRIEL, JOEL, NELLIE)
SOUNDS: WIND, CAR DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING, CAR
DRIVING OFF, TRAIN PASSING BY IN THE
DISTANCE, CICADAS NOISE, SUZU WIND CHIMES
GABRIEL: (SPEAKING CASUALLY ON THE PHONE)
The research meeting is going well mum.
(SMALL PAUSE)Yeah, this might be the
closest I’ve ever been to finding a
solution.(SMALL PAUSE)Everything is
going well, don’t worry about me I’m
sleeping enough.(SMALL PAUSE)Yeah, yeah,
I paid the hospital fees before I left
for Japan, so don’t concern yourself
with them. Don’t forget to take your
antidepressants before going to bed.
(SMALL PAUSE)I’ll find the cure for
sure, don’t let the MS beat you mum.
(SMALL PAUSE, HIS VOICE SOFTENS) I love
you too. (HANGS UP, PAUSE, SIGHS DEEPLY)
Now, because of my stupid pride I got
involved into ghost hunting.
SOUNDS: WIND, TRAIN PASAING BY IN THE DISTANCE,
CICADAS NOISE, SUZU WIND CHIMES,
FOOTSTEPS, SCREAMING IN DISTANCE,
CRUSHING SOUND
GABRIEL: What was that? That noise…
SOUNDS: RUSHING FOOTSTEPS
JOEL: (SCREAMING) What the heck?! We almost
got crushed, damn it, are you alright?
Are you hurt anywhere?

NOELLE: (MURMURS) のろい (curse), あくま (devil), ふく

しゅう… (revenge)

JOEL: (SIGHS DEEPLY) You don’t speak English

one bit, do you? I can’t understand a
thing you’re saying.
SOUNDS: BUSHES RUSTLING
JOEL: (ALARMED) What’s that?
GABRIEL: Is everyone alright? I heard a scream
coming from this area.
 4.

JOEL: The tiles fell from up there, it almost

crushed us. This place has a pretty weird
vide to it, man.
GABRIEL: (SIGHS) You should have been more careful,
it’s obvious the tiles would fall since
the building is a few centuries old.
JOEL: (BEING SARCASTIC)Yeah, because I obviously
knew the tiles were gonna fall, at this
moment, right next to us. Are you even
thinking the situation logically?
GABRIEL: (IGNORES THE QUESTIONS) And you?
JOEL: She doesn’t even understand English, and
barely speaks. Be nicer.
GABRIEL: (IGNORES HIM AGAIN) Is she with you?
JOEL: (SIGHS) No, we met in front of the
building. I was trying to get in, but
everything was blocked. She somehow
understood what I was trying to do and
made me follow her. That’s how we got
here.
GABRIEL: So somewhere around here must be another
entrance.
JOEL: Why? Do you wanna get in as well?
GABRIEL: None of your business.
SOUNDS: FOOTSTEPS, BUSH RUSTLING,
JOEL: You know, it’s not a bad thing to be
honest sometimes. Behind that bush, there
is a broken window. It takes you to the
basement-
GABRIEL: Dungeon.
JOEL: What?
GABRILE: It’s a dungeon. This place used to be a
castle a few centuries ago.
JOEL: Dungeon as in prisoners?
GABRIEL: (FRUSTRARED) As in prisoners, torture and
death. What else could happen in a
dungeon?
JOEL: I know that, alright. It’s just weird to
be in a place where people used to be
tortured.
 5.

GABRIEL: (CHALLENGING) Are you too scared to get in

now?
JOEL: (ANNOYED) Don’t mess with me, this kind of
stuff won’t scare me. (SMALL PAUSE) What
are we gonna do with her though?
GABERIEL: Don’t ask me, you’re the one stuck with
her.
JOEL: (ANGRY) Stop being a scumbag and don’t
treat people like that. Your personality
sucks.
SOUNDS: BUSH RUFLING, SPLASHING FOOTSTEPS, VOICE
ECHOOING FROM DISTANCE
JOEL: It seems like you’ll keep following
wherever I go, and you can’t even
understand what I’m saying. I guess I’ll
just take you with me for now.
SOUNDS: BUSH RUFLING, SPLASHING FOOTSTEPS, VOICE
ECHOOING FROM DISTANCE
JOEL: Oy, the scumbag up there, you can be nice
for once and come with us or stick by
yourself.
GABRIEL: (IRRITATED, IN A LOW VOICE) Tsk, like I’d
be afraid in this dilapidated castle.
(SPEAKS LOUDER) Move aside.
SOUNDS: BUSH RUFLING, SPLASHING FOOTSTEPS, VOICE
ECHOOING, TURNS THE LANTERN ON
JOEL: Her hands were really cold for someone
wearing a turtleneck. And she’s quite
pale.
GABRIEL: She must have a poor blood flow and
circulation. Or some other underlying
medical condition like diabetes. If she
had Raynaud's disease it would have been
quite painful, but she’s not showing any
kind of reaction.
JOEL: (SHOCKED) Are you- are you a doctor?
GABRIEL: I’m a biochemist.
JOEL: That’s an unexpected turn of events. I
thought you were just scumbag with a nasty
personality.
GABRIEL: Who has a nasty personality now?
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JOEL: (IGNORES HIS QUESTION) You look quite

young, how old are you?
GABRIEL: Are we done with the useless talk?
JOEL: It’s called informative speech.
GABRIEL: (SIGHS) I thought we’d be able to find an
exit sooner or later. It feels like we’re
walking in circles.
SOUNDS: STOPS SUDDENLY FROM WALKING
JOEL: Yeah, it gets too long- (STOPS ABRUPTLY
FROM SPEAKING) Where did she go?
GABRIEL: She was behind me until now, maybe she
stopped walking.
BACKGROUD MUSIC: SINISTER MUSIC BUILDS UP
SOUNDS: RUSHED SPLASHING FOOTSTEPS FROM DISTANCE
JOEL: Do you think-
GABRILE: (CONFIDENT) No, is not. Ghosts and
spirits, they don’t exist.
SOUNDS: RUSHED SPLASHING FOOTSTEPS FROM DISTANCE,
CHAINS, RUSTY DOORS OPENING
BACKGROUND MUSIC: GETS MORE INTENSE
JOEL: (ALARMED) The lantern is not working
anymore, we should leave.
GABRIEL: Wait a moment-(GETS INTERRUPTED)
JOEL: (ALARMED) No, there’s no time to wa-
(SCREAMES) Something touched my back!
GABRIEL: Moron, that’s why I told you to wait, I
saw her coming back.
JOEL: (PETRIFIED) Were you the one making all
those noises as well?! Don’t just wander
off somewhere- hey! Where are you going
again?!
GABRIEL: (SIGHS) Let’s just follow her, it’s better
than getting separated. The lantern
started working again, too.
SOUNDS: SPLASHING FOOTSTEPS, VOICE ECHOOING, SOUND
OF THE WIND GETS STRONGER
GABRIEL: (SUSPICIOUS) Seems like she knows her way
around here.
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JOEL: She stopped again. (CONFUSED) Hey… is this

supposed to be a door?
SOUNDS: KNOCKING SLIGHTLY ON THE DOOR
GABRIEL: Let’s try to push it together.
JOEL: It doesn’t look like she’s gonna help us.
GABRIEL: I’m not expecting anything from her
anyway. Now, push!
SOUNDS: DOOR OPENING, FLOORBOARDS CRACKING,
CREAKING SOUND, WIND
JOEL: (BREATHELESS) There must be at least a few
thousand steps… I can’t see the end.
SOUNDS: LOUD FOOTSTEPTS SLOWLY FADE OUT, SILENCE,
FOOTSTEPTS GET LOUDER AND LOUDER, FLOOR
CRACKING

SCENE TWO: INT. CASTLE

(GABRIEL, JOEL, NELLIE, MACKEZNIE)

JOEL: Isn’t it strange? The situation we’re in I

mean.
GABRIEL: The fear reaction starts in your brain and
spreads through your body to make
adjustments for the best defence.
JOEL: And you translate that as?
GANRIEL: (SIGHS) If you keep thinking that
something is gonna pop up at any given
moment you’ll be in constant anxiety and
fear, so your body won’t be able to relax.
Just stop thinking like an idiot and face
the reality. Even she’s braver than you.
JOEL: Easy said than done. She’s not doing
anything except for standing- (SURPRISED)
no, wait she started smiling, look!
SOUNDS: MURMURS IN THE DISTANCE, CHALK AGAINST
SURFACE, STEPS
GABRIEL: Wait. (PAUSE/WHISPERS) Try not to make any
sound, someone else is in the room around
the corner.
JOEL: (WHISPERS) How can you tell?
 8.

GABRIEL: Speak less and listen more and you’ll be

able to tell.
AUDIO LOG: …from there on one by one started to get
lost or disappeared—
SOUNDS: FLOOR CRACKING LOUDLY
MACKENZIE: Who’s there?
JOEL: (WHISPERS) Should we run?
GABRIEL: We already got caught, there’s no point in
running away.
SOUNDS: FLOOR CRACKING LOUDLY
GABRIEL: (INTIMIDATING) What are you doing here?

JOEL: Oy, can’t you see that she’s quite young—

(GETS INTERRUPTED)
MACKENZIE: (UNFAZED) It’s fine. I’m here with some
business.
GABRIEL: (SLIGHTLY AMUSED) Business? You look like
you’re at least 18 and you have business
in some abandoned building?
JOEL: (RISES HIS VOICE SLIGHTLY) Why are you so rude
with everyone you meet?
MACKENZIE: Your poor attitude won’t make you feel
superior. And you have no rights to
interrogate, unless you’re a police
officer or we’re in a court. I have no
reason to answer your questions.
JOEL: She put you back in your place, huh. I
like you, what’s your name?
MACKENZIE: Mackenzie. And you must be Joel Relish?
JOEL: (SURPRISED) Do you know me?
MACKENZIE: You face is on every magazine. You have
quite the impact in the entertainment
world. Joel Relish, the supermodel.
JOEL: (SHY) I-I didn’t expect to meet anyone
that knows me.
GABRIEL: (ANNOYED) Don’t tell me you got shy just
because she knows who you are.
MACKENZIE: What’s the name of your misogynist friend,
Joel?
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GABRIEL: I’m Gabriel. And he’s not my friend. We

met outside the building and ended up
going in together. She’s also with us.
MACKENZIE: She?
JOEL: Yeah, she’s right- she’s not here.
(CONFUSED) Gabriel, she’s gone again.
GABRIEL: (SIGHS) She’s probably wandering around
again.
JOEL: I’ll go and look for her. Be right back.

SCENE THREE: INT. CASTLE – THRONE ROOM

(JOEL, NELLIE, JOEL’S MOTHER)
SOUNDS: FOOTSTEPS, FOOR CRACKING
BACKGROUND MUSIC: SUSPENSE MUSIC BUILDS UP
JOEL: Why would she even walk alone in a place
like this? I don’t know what I’m doing
here myself… I was supposed to skip the
photoshoot, not getting involved in this.
(SIGHS) This place creeps me out.
SOUNDS: DOOR CRACKING
JOEL: This is- (SMALL PAUSE) it looks like the
throne room.
SOUNDS: FOOTSTEPS, FOOR CRACKING, ANOTHER PAIR OF
FOOTSTEPS, DOOR SHUTS
JOEL: Who-Who’s there?! Come out! (GULPS)
Gabriel I swear to God if you’re trying to
play with me- (INTERRUPS HIMSELF) Y-you?
(GASPS) Why did you come here? How did you
close the door?

NOELLE: (MURMURS) のろい (curse), あくま (devil), ふく

しゅう… (revenge), のろい (curse), あくま
(devil), ふくしゅう… (revenge)…
BACKGROUND MUSIC: GETS MORE INTENSE
SOUNDS: GIGGLES, EYE FALLING ON THE FLOOR
JOEL: Your neck is bleeding… what happened to
you? (GULPS/ VOICE TREMBELS) No… blood
is coming out of your eye-
(STARTLED/HEAVY BREATHING/VOICE
TREMBLING) her- (FEELS ILL) her eye fell
off- (THROWS UP/COUGHS AFTER/ HEAVY
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BREATHING) You (SMALL PAUSE) who are

you?
SOUNDS: FOOTSPETS GET CLOSER, TRIPS, FALLS ON
THE FLOOR
JOEL: Get away from me!
SOUNDS: STUMBLES WHILE TRYING TO GET UP, HEAVY
BREATHING, GIGGLES
BACKGROUND MUSIC: SILENCE
JOEL: (VOICE TREMBLING) W-why is this here?!
The b-blood… all over my hands
SOUNDS: WHIPING CLOTHES, SCRACHING
JOEL: It’s not coming off, (PANIKING) why it’s
not coming off?! (HEAVY BREATHING)
BACKGROUND MUSIC: MUSIC BOX PLAYING
SOUNDS: VOICE IN DISTANCE (ECHOING), GETS SLOWLY
CLOSER
JOEL’S MOTHER: Joel you, (SCOFFS) I told you so many
times,
JOEL: (VOICE TREMBLING) Mum?
JOEL’S MOTHER: Joel, are you paying attention? How many
times do I have to repeat myself? Look
at you now, all of this happened because
you entered that pointless competition,
and for what? For losing? You humiliated
us Joel, your father and I.
JOEL: Mum, wait- (GETS INTERRUPTED)
JOEL’S MOTHER: I told you Joel, you’ll never reach your
brother’s level. You two are too
different. Look at you, you can’t even
win a stupid contest!
JOEL: Mum, please-
JOEL’S MOTHER: (FEELING DEFEATED) No, it was completely
my fault. It was my fault to trust you
and your abilities. But don’t worry
Joel, I’ll make sure that the door to
the entertainment world will never open
for you ever again.
SOUNDS: HEELS CLICKS AGAINTS THE FLOOR IN
DISTANCE, DOORS OPENING AND CLOSING
BACKGROUND MUSIC: MUSIC BOX FADES OUT
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SOUNDS: RUNNING STEPS, SMASHING INTO THE DOOR,

HITTING THE DOOR
JOEL: (SHOUTING) Mum, please open the door!
Mum! Please don’t leave me behind, I’m
sorry, I’m really… sorry… (VOICE
SOFTENS, SPEAKS MUCH QUIETER, SOBBS) I
know… I know I’m not worthy enough. I’ll
never be in my brother’s league, but
that’s different now. I worked my back
off, and if you ever looked in my
direction… at least once, you would’ve
known that I made it. (SMALL PAUSE/
SOBBS) Your useless son made it. So,
please look at me…
SOUNDS: WHISPERS FADE IN, FOOTSTEPS COMING
CLOSER, HITTING THE DOOR
BACKGROUD MUSIC: SUSPENSE MUSIC BUILD UP
JOEL: (PANIKING/SHOUTING) Mum! Please, help
me! Open the door, I need you… I really
do…
BACKGROUD MUSIC: FADES OUT
SOUNDS: FOOTSTEPS GET CLOSER AND STOP
JOEL: I’m sorry.
SOUNDS: GIGGLE FADING OUT

SCENE FOUR: INT. CASTLE

(GABRIEL, MACKEZNIE)
GABRIEL: (CONFUSED) Did you hear that?
MACKENZIE: No. Shouldn’t you go look for your
friend?
GABRIEL: (IRRITATED) He’s not my- (SIGHS) You
know what, never mind. He’ll return when
he finds her.
MACKEZNIE: Who’s her?
GABRIEL: She was with him when I got there, but
since she can’t understand a word, she’s
saying we don’t know anything about her.
The girl kept following us and he let
her, but if you were to ask me, she’s
very unusual, quite an odd one. It
looked like she knew her way around this
place.
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MACKENZIE: Hmmm, an interesting bunch for sure.

GABRIEL: How about you, I heard another voice
besides yours when we got closer to the
room.
MACKENZIE: (HESITANT/SIGHS) While I was exploring
the second floor, I found it under a
table.
GABRIEL: An audio log? Looks quite old, it’s
surprising it still works. Is this the
reason why you came all the way back?
MACKENZIE: Yeah, the woman speaking mentioned some
interesting things about this place. I
did find the audio log on the second
floor, but she begins speaking before
entering the castle.
GABRIEL: It makes more sense to record from the
beginning doesn’t it?
MACKENZIE: You’re right, but that’s not what I
found suspicious.
GABRIEL: What is it?
MACKEZNIE: When I listened to the end bit of the
recording, she mentioned that she
entered the throne room, which is
somewhere on this floor and that’s when
it stopped.
GABRIEL: But you found the audio log on the
second floor… (PAUSE) The only logical
explanation is that someone else found
it before you and left it there.
MACKENZIE: That could be as well, but I had a
strange feeling since I started listened
to it. (SIGHS) Anyways, there is big
hall on the third level, but the floor
is quite unstable due to the high level
of humidity, so it might break if I go
there.
GABRIEL: How… How do you know all of this? Did
you manage to go past the second floor?
MACKEZNIE: Compared to some people who are just
wandering around, I actually did my
research on this place. I know every
single room on every single floor and
the history behind everything that
happened in here.
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SOUNDS: STEPS, WIND, FLOOR CRACKING

GABRIEL: And let me guess, all of this for ‘some
business’?
MACKENZIE: (SIGHS) It’s for my book.
GABRIEL: You write?
MACKEZNIE: (SARCASTIC) I sing.
GABRIEL: (CONFUSED) What?
MACKENZIE: (SIGHS) Mackenzie Villin. Did you hear
of that name before?
SOUNDS: FLOOR CRAKING, STOPS WALKING
GABRIEL: (GASPS/SHOCKED/PAUSE/) M-Mackenzie
Villin?! That Mackenzie Villin? The one
who wrote ‘The Broken Mirror’?!
MACKENZIE: (UNINTERESTED) Something like this.
GABRIEL: (STUTTERS/SHY) I’m a big fan of your
work… all work. (OVERWHELMED) Your books
are incredibly- (GETS INTRERUPTED)
MACKENZIE: Do you think this is the right moment to
talk about this?
GABRIEL: (PAUSE/EMBARRASSED) Right… sorry.
MAZCKENZIE: (CHANGES THE TOPIC) I was gonna ask you
a while ago, but it didn’t seem you
noticed either. Your footprints, why are
they soaked in blood?
BACKGROUND MUSIC: CREEPY MUSIC FADES IN
GABRIEL: (CONFUSED) What do you mean by blo-
(PAUSE) This… is it really blood?
MACKENZIE: I thought it was quite weird, since the
smell it’s pretty strong, but you didn’t
notice. Your nose seems to be
familiarised with it by now. Another
thing that’s been bothering me, you said
there are three of you, right? But there
are only two pairs of footsteps. And
Joel’s been gone for quite some time
now.
GABRIEL:
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