Hugging Face's logo

Datasets:
jbilcke
/
clapper-samples

Modalities:
Text
License:
Dataset card Viewer Files Community
clapper-samples / scripts /Interstellar.txt
jbilcke's picture
jbilcke
Upload 104 files
d37f4ef verified
raw
history blame contribute delete
No virus
244 kB
1.
BLACK. THE GENTLE SOUND OF WIND IN CORN
A row of books. From spaces between them, dust falls.
I N T E R S T E L L A R
ELDERLY FEMALE VOICE
(V.O.)
Sure. Dad was a farmer.
BRIGHT CORN STALKS FILL THE FRAME, SWAYING IN THE BREEZE
ELDERLY FEMALE VOICE
(V.O.)
Like everybody else back then.
The wind is RISING, shaking the plants more FORCEFULLY ...
Insert cut: a WOMAN in her eighties against a dark
background.
ELDERLY WOMAN
Course, he didn’t start that way...
The WIND IS HOWLING, SHRIEKING and we RIP INTO -
1 EXT. THE STRATOSPHERE - DAY 1
BURNING through the fringes of space -
2 INT. COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS 2
A young PILOT fights his BUFFETING craft -
RADIO
(O.S.)
Computer says you’re too tight -
PILOT
I got this -
The Pilot grabs a panicked glance at his instruments -
RADIO
(O.S.)
Crossing the Straights ... shutting
it down, Cooper. Shutting it all
down ...
PILOT
2.
NO! I need the power up -
3 EXT. THE STRATOSPHERE - CONTINUOUS 3
The BLACK and RED SKY starts SPINNING HORRIFYINGLY -
4 INT. COCKPIT - DAY 4
As the controls RIP themselves free, the pilot SHOUTS and
we -
CUT TO:
5 INT. BEDROOM, FARMHOUSE - NIGHT 5
A man WAKES, nightmare SWEATY. This is COOPER.
YOUNG GIRL’S VOICE
(O.S.)
Dad? Dad?
Cooper turns: in the doorway - his sleepy ten-year-old
daughter. This is MURPH.
COOPER
Sorry. Go back to sleep.
MURPH
I thought you were the ghost.
COOPER
There’s no ghost, Murph.
MURPH
Grandpa says you can get ghosts.
COOPER
Maybe Grandpa’s a little too close
to being one himself. Back to
sleep.
MURPH
Were you dreaming about the crash?
COOPER
Back to sleep, Murph.
Murph shuffles back out the door. Cooper moves to the
window. DAWN breaks over an ENDLESS SEA OF CORN ...
3.
ELDERLY FEMALE VOICE
(V.O.)
Corn, sure. But dust. In your ears,
your mouth...
INSERT CUT: AN OLD-TIMER IN CLOSE UP, WATERY-EYED,
DESCRIBES DUST BOWL CONDITIONS.
OLD-TIMER
(V.O.)
Dust just everywhere. Everywhere.
6 EXT. COOPER’S FARM - MORNING 6
An old man, handkerchief across his face, sweeps dust out
of the door onto the porch. This is Grandpa (DONALD).
7 INT. KITCHEN, FARMHOUSE - MORNING 7
Cooper pours himself coffee as Donald puts grits on the
table. TOM, Cooper’s fifteen-year-old son, stuffs his face.
Murph, wet hair, towel around neck, plays with pieces of a
MODEL (a lunar lander).
DONALD
Not at the table, Murph.
MURPH
Dad, can you fix this?
COOPER
(takes pieces, frowning)
What’d you do to my lander?
MURPH
Wasn’t me.
TOM
Lemme guess - your ghost?
MURPH
It knocked it off my shelf. It
keeps knocking books off.
TOM
There’s no such things as ghosts,
dumb-ass -
COOPER
(to Tom)
4.
Hey -
MURPH
I looked it up, it’s called a
poltergeist.
TOM
Dad, tell her.
COOPER
Murph, you know that’s not
scientific.
MURPH
You say science is about admitting
what we don’t know.
DONALD
She’s got you there.
COOPER
(hands her pieces)
Start looking after our stuff.
Donald looks at Cooper, admonishing. Cooper shrugs.
COOPER
Fine. Murph, you wanna talk
science, don’t just tell me you’re
scared of some ghost - record the
facts, analyze, present your
conclusions.
MURPH
Sure.
Cooper gets up, grabs his keys.
DONALD
Hold up.
(Off look.)
Parent-teacher conferences.
’Parent’ - not ’grandparent’.
8 EXT. FARMHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER 8
The kids pile into an old pickup truck, scraping DUST off
the seats. Cooper, coffee in hand, peers at a black cloud.
COOPER
Dust storm?
5.
DONALD
(shakes his head)
Nelson’s torching his whole crop.
COOPER
Blight?
DONALD
They’re saying it’s the last
harvest for okra. Ever.
Cooper stares at the smoke. Uneasy. Gets into the truck.
COOPER
Shoulda planted corn like the rest
of us.
DONALD
Be nice to Miss Hanley. She’s
single.
COOPER
What’s that supposed to mean?
DONALD
Repopulating the Earth - start
pulling your weight.
COOPER
Start minding your business.
9 INT/EXT. PICKUP TRUCK ON DIRT ROAD - MOMENTS LATER 9
Cooper sips his coffee, steering while Murph shifts -
COOPER
Okay, gimme second -
Murph wrestles the long gear stick into second. Cooper
sips.
COOPER
Now third -
Murph struggles to find third - GRIND.
TOM
Find a gear, dumb-ass.
MURPH
Shut up, Tom!
6.
BANG - A TIRE BLOWS OUT. Cooper stops the truck.
TOM
What’d you do, Murph?
COOPER
She didn’t do anything. We lost a
tire is all.
TOM
Murphy’s Law.
MURPH
Shut up, Tom.
Cooper gets out of the truck, checks the flat, turns to
Tom.
COOPER
Grab the spare.
TOM
That is the spare.
COOPER
Okay, patch kit.
TOM
How’m I supposed to patch it out
here?
COOPER
Figure it out. I’m not always going
to be here to help you.
Tom moves to the back of the truck. Murph is there.
MURPH
Why’d you and Mom name me after
something bad?
COOPER
We didn’t.
MURPH
Murphy’s Law?
COOPER
Murphy’s Law doesn’t mean bad stuff
will happen. It means ’whatever can
happen, will happen’. And that
sounded just fine to us.
7.
Murph frowns, hearing something ...
COOPER
What?
Then Cooper hears it, too. A LOW RUMBLE. Cooper GRABS Murph
as a DRONE SOARS low overhead -
COOPER
Come on!
Cooper jumps into the truck - he pulls out a laptop and
antenna hands them to Murph - shouts at Tom -
COOPER
Get in!
TOM
(jack in hand)
What about the tire?
10 INT/EXT. PICKUP TRUCK THROUGH FIELDS - MOMENTS LATER 10
Close on the SHREDDING TIRE as the truck BARRELS through
cornfields. Murph fires up the laptop. Cooper strains to
see through the cornstalks, scanning the horizon -
TOM
There!
To the right, the dark shape of the drone, cruising low
over the fields. Cooper JERKS the wheel - the drone has
long, thin wings like a U-2, but no cockpit.
COOPER
Indian air force surveillance
drone. Solar cells could power an
entire farm.
(To Tom.)
Take the wheel -
Tom takes the wheel - Cooper hands Murph the antenna.
COOPER
Keep it pointed right at it -
Cooper works the laptop - the screen fills with Hindi.
Faster, Tom. I’m losing it.
8.
Tom WEAVES through the corn - they round a corner, almost
HIT a HARVESTER - BANG - the truck loses a wing mirror -
Ahead the drone SOARS, banking, pulling away -
The truck BURSTS out of the corn, Cooper’s nose is in the
laptop.
TOM
Dad?
COOPER
Almost got it. Don’t stop.
In front of them, the drone plummets from view into the
next valley - the path ahead leads to a three-hundred-foot
drop.
TOM
DAD ...
Cooper looks up.
COOPER
Tom!
Tom locks up the brakes. Cooper looks at him - he shrugs.
TOM
You told me to keep going.
Cooper grabs the laptop and opens the door.
COOPER
Guess that answers the ’if I told
you to drive off a cliff’ scenario.
Murph is still pointing the antenna.
MURPH
We lost it.
COOPER
(smiles)
No, we didn’t.
The DRONE SOARS BACK OVER THEM - Cooper is moving his
fingers across the track pad, PILOTING THE DRONE.
As the kids watch, Cooper sends the drone soaring over
them, banking above the valley. Cooper crouches next to
Murph.
9.
COOPER
Want to give it a whirl?
Murph, guided by Cooper, moves her fingers across the track
pad - the massive drone BANKS in response. Murph is in
heaven.
COOPER
Let’s set her down next to the
river.
11 EXT. RIVERBANK - MOMENTS LATER 11
The truck limps up to the drone. Cooper and the kids climb
down. Cooper runs a hand along the smooth carbon flank of
the aircraft.
TOM
How long you think it’s been up
there?
COOPER
Delhi mission control went down
same as ours, ten years ago.
TOM
It’s been up there ten years? Why’d
it come down so low?
COOPER
Sun finally cooked its brain. Or it
came down looking for something.
MURPH
What?
COOPER
Some kind of signal. Who knows?
Cooper finds an access hatch. Pries it open. Examines the
black-box brain of the machine.
MURPH
What are you going to do with it?
COOPER
Give it something socially
responsible to do, like drive a
combine.
MURPH
10.
Couldn’t we just let it go? It’s
not hurting anyone.
Cooper looks down at his daughter. Good kid.
COOPER
This thing has to adapt, just like
the rest of us.
12 EXT. COUNTY SCHOOL - DAY 12
The truck pulls up to school, drone fuselage hanging out.
COOPER
How’s this work? You guys come
with?
TOM
I’ve got class. But she ...
Pats Murph on shoulder.
Needs to wait.
Murph glares at Tom as he hops out.
COOPER
Why? What?
MURPH
Dad, I had a thing ... well,
they’ll tell you about it. Just try
and ...
COOPER
Am I gonna be mad?
MURPH
Not with me. Just try not to -
COOPER
Relax, I got this.
Murph pulls out a notebook. Starts drawing a BARCODE.
13 INT. PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE - LATER - MORNING 13
Cooper enters, awkward. The PRINCIPAL (male, fifties) turns
from the window.
11.
PRINCIPAL
Little late, Coop.
(Indicates chair.)
Guess you had to stop off at the
Asian fighter plane store.
COOPER
(sits, smiles)
Actually, sir, it’s a surveillance
drone. With outstanding solar
cells.
Cooper nods at Murph’s teacher, Ms Hanley, thirties,
attractive.
PRINCIPAL
We got Tom’s scores back. He’s
going to make an excellent farmer.
Congratulations.
The Principal slides a paper across the desk.
COOPER
(taken aback)
What about college?
PRINCIPAL
The university only takes a
handful. They don’t have resources
-
COOPER
I’m still paying taxes - where’s
that go? There’s no more armies.
PRINCIPAL
Not to the university. Coop, you
have to be realistic.
COOPER
You’re ruling him out for college
now? He’s fifteen.
PRINCIPAL
Tom’s score simply isn’t high
enough.
COOPER
What’re you? About a thirty-six-
inch waist?
(Beat.)
Thirty-inch inseam?
12.
PRINCIPAL
I’m not sure I see what -
COOPER
You’re telling me you need two
numbers to measure your own ass,
but just one to measure my son’s
future?
Ms Hanley stifles a laugh. The Principal shoots her a look.
PRINCIPAL
You’re a well educated man, Coop. A
trained pilot -
COOPER
And an engineer.
PRINCIPAL
Okay. Well, right now the world
doesn’t need more engineers. We
didn’t run out of planes, or
television sets. We ran out of
food.
Cooper leans back. He’s not going to win this one.
PRINCIPAL
The world needs farmers. Good
farmers, like you. And Tom.
(Smiles benignly.)
We’re a caretaker generation. And
things are getting better. Maybe
your grandchildren -
COOPER
Are we done, sir?
PRINCIPAL
No. Ms Hanley is here to talk about
Murph.
Cooper shifts his gaze to Ms Hanley.
MS HANLEY
Murph’s a bright kid. A wonderful
kid, Mr Cooper. But she’s been
having a little trouble ...
Ms Hanley places a textbook on the desk.
She brought this to school, to show the other kids the
section on the lunar landings ...
13.
COOPER
Yeah, it’s one of my old textbooks,
she likes the pictures.
MS HANLEY
This is an old federal textbook.
We’ve replaced them with corrected
versions.
COOPER
Corrected?
MS HANLEY
Explaining how the Apollo missions
were faked to bankrupt the Soviet
Union.
COOPER
You don’t believe we went to the
moon?
MS HANLEY
(tolerant smile)
I believe it was a brilliant piece
of propaganda. The Soviets
bankrupted themselves pouring
resources into rockets and other
useless machines.
COOPER
’Useless machines’?
MS HANLEY
Yes, Mr Cooper. And if we don’t
want a repeat of the wastefulness
and excess of the twentieth
century, our children need to learn
about this planet, not tales of
leaving it.
Cooper considers this in silence. Looks at Ms Hanley.
COOPER
One of those useless machines they
used to make was called an MRI. And
if we had any of them left, the
doctors might have been able to
find the cyst in my wife’s brain
before she died, rather than
afterwards. Then she could be
sitting here listening to this,
which’d be good, cos she was always
the calmer one ...
14.
Ms Hanley looks at Cooper, embarrassed. Then -
MS HANLEY
I’m sorry about your wife, Mr
Cooper. But Murph got into a fist
fight with several of her
classmates over this Apollo
nonsense and we thought it best to
MS HANLEY
bring you in and see what ideas you
might have for dealing with her
behavior on the home front.
COOPER
Sure. Well, there’s a ball game
tomorrow night, and Murph’s going
through a bit of a baseball phase.
There’ll be candy and soda ...
Ms Hanley looks at him, expectant.
COOPER
I think I’ll take her to that.
Ms Hanley turns to the Principal, not happy.
14 EXT. PICKUP TRUCK OUTSIDE SCHOOL - MOMENTS LATER 14
Murph looks up from her notebook at her dad, expectantly.
MURPH
How’d it go?
COOPER
I, uh ... got you suspended.
MURPH
What?!
COOPER
Sorry.
MURPH
Dad! I told you not to -
The CB radio CRACKLES to life.
CB OPERATOR
Cooper? Boots for Cooper.
COOPER
15.
Cooper.
BOOTS
(over radio)
Coop, those combines you rebuilt
went haywire.
COOPER
Power the controllers down for a
couple minutes.
BOOTS
(over radio)
Did that. You should come take a
look, it’s kinda weird.
15 EXT. FARMHOUSE - DAY 15
Cooper and Murph pass a slow-moving harvester pulling up to
the house, which is surrounded by AUTOMATED FARM MACHINES.
They’ve nosed up to the house like animals at a Nativity.
Boots, the farm hand, approaches -
BOOTS
One by one they been peeling off
from the fields and heading over.
Cooper pops open the cabin to a harvester. Checks the auto
pilot hooked up to the controls.
BOOTS
Something’s interfering with their
compass ...
Cooper jumps down and heads to the front door. Enters.
BOOTS (O.S.)
Magnetism or some such ...
16 INT. FARMHOUSE - CONTINUOUS 16
Cooper looks at the kitchen. Nothing. Murph comes in.
MURPH
What is it, Dad?
A small BANG from upstairs. Cooper heads up.
16.
17 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS 17
Murph’s bedroom clearly used to be her mother’s. Cooper, in
the doorway, looks at the wall of BOOKS opposite - several
GAPS. He looks down at some books on the floor.
MURPH
Nothing special about which books.
(Off look.)
MURPH
Been working on it, like you said.
Murph holds up her notebook with its barcode.
MURPH
I counted the spaces.
COOPER
Why?
MURPH
In case the ghost’s trying to say
something. I’m trying Morse.
COOPER
Morse?
MURPH
Yeah. Dots and dashes, used for -
COOPER
Murph, I know what Morse code is. I
just don’t think your bookshelf’s
trying to talk to you.
He leaves. Murph, embarrassed, turns back to the shelf.
18 INT. FRONT PORCH, FARMHOUSE - NIGHT 18
Donald hands Cooper a beer.
COOPER
Had to reset every compass clock
and GPS to offset for the anomaly.
DONALD
Which is?
COOPER
17.
No idea. If the house was built on
magnetic ore, we’d’ve seen this the
first time we switched on a
tractor.
Donald nods. Sips.
DONALD
Sounds like your meeting at school
didn’t go so well.
COOPER
(sighs)
We’ve forgotten who we are, Donald.
Explorers, pioneers. Not
caretakers.
Donald nods, thoughtful. Weighs up his words.
DONALD
When I was a kid it felt like they
made something new every day. Some
gadget or idea. Like every day was
Christmas. But six billion people
... just try to imagine that. And
every last one of them trying to
have it all.
He turns to Cooper.
This world isn’t so bad. And Tom’ll do just fine - you’re
the one who doesn’t belong. Born forty years too late, or
forty years too early. My daughter knew it, God bless her.
And your kids know it. ’Specially Murph.
COOPER
We used to look up and wonder at
our place in the stars. Now we just
look down and worry about our place
in the dirt.
DONALD
Cooper, you were good at something
and you never got a chance to do
anything with it. I’m sorry. But
that’s not your kids’ fault.
Cooper looks up at the stars above.
OLD-TIMER (V.O.)
May 14th. Never forget. Clear as a
bell. You’d never think ...
18.
INSERT CUT: THE OLD-TIMER REMEMBERS. CUT TO A SECOND OLD-
TIMER ...
SECOND OLD-TIMER
When the first of the real big ones
rolled in ... I thought it was the
end of the world.
19 EXT. BASEBALL FIELD - LATE AFTERNOON 19
The CRACK of ball off bat - a pop-fly caught to a trickle
of applause. Half-filled stands at what looks like a minor
league game.
DONALD
In my day we had real ball players.
Who’re these bums?
As the team runs in from the field we see: NEW YORK
YANKEES.
COOPER
Well, in my day people were too
busy fighting over food for
baseball, so consider this
progress.
Murph offers Donald some popcorn.
DONALD
Fine. But popcorn at a ball game is
unnatural. I want a hot dog.
MURPH
(confused)
What’s a hot dog?
Cooper sits with Tom a row in front.
COOPER
The school says you’re gonna follow
in my footsteps. I think that’s
great.
TOM
You think that’s great?
MURPH
You hate farming, Dad. Grandpa
said.
Cooper looks at Donald, who shrugs ’sorry’.
19.
COOPER
What’s important is how you feel
about it, Tom.
TOM
I like what you do. I like our
farm.
On the field: the batter hits one along the ground - it
rolls to an infielder’s foot - but the infielder IGNORES
it, STARING up at the sky. The crowd starts to look up ...
OLD-TIMER (V.O.)
You’ve never seen the like. Black.
Just black ...
INSERT CUT: THE OLD-TIMER CHOKES BACK FEAR AS HE REMEMBERS.
Cooper stares at the horizon, where an ENORMOUS BLACK DUST
STORM IS MASSING. People start leaving, tying handkerchiefs
across their faces.
COOPER
Come on, guys.
20 INT/EXT. PICKUP TRUCK - MOMENTS LATER 20
Cooper speeds along as Donald and the kids stuff RAGS into
cracks and vents ... behind them the WALL OF BLACK DUST
ADVANCES, SWALLOWING UP ROADS, BUILDINGS. A nasty SOUND is
developing - the truck ROCKING with GUSTS of wind ...
Suddenly, BLACK DUST ENVELOPS the car, LIGHTNING CRACKLING.
DONALD
It’s a bad one ...
COOPER
Mask up, guys.
Murph and Tom take SURGICAL MASKS out of the glove box.
21 EXT. FARMHOUSE - CONTINUOUS 21
VISIBILITY MERE FEET as the dust storm BRUTALIZES the farm.
The truck CRAWLS up to the house. Cooper leans in to try
and see better ... CRACK - a panel of sheet metal SMASHES
into the windshield - Cooper turns - wrestles Murph out of
the truck as Donald blindly stumbles towards the front door
with Tom ...
20.
22 INT. FARMHOUSE - CONTINUOUS 22
The SHUTTERS BANG as the wind WHIPS around the house,
FORCING JETS OF DUST up through cracks in the window
frames, floorboards ... Donald SLAMS the door. Murph is
COUGHING ... Cooper looks around. Sees dust coming from
upstairs.
COOPER
Did you both shut your windows?
Tom nods. Murph looks at Cooper. Runs for the stairs.
COOPER
Wait -
23 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS 23
Cooper gets to the doorway. Murph stands in the middle of
the room, STARING. Cooper SHUTS the window. The dust hangs
in the relative quiet. Murph is staring, TRANSFIXED, at
LINES where dust is FALLING UNNATURALLY FAST, STREAMING
DOWN through the air, collecting on the floor in a PATTERN
-
MURPH
The Ghost.
Cooper STARES at dust collecting like snow on power
lines...
COOPER
Grab your pillow, sleep in with
Tom.
24 EXT. FARMHOUSE - DAWN - MORNING 24
Calm. Dust settled.
25 INT. TOM’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS 25
Murph slips out of bed, wrapped in her blanket. Pads down
the hall, peeks in her bedroom door at -
26 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS 26
Cooper sits, staring at the PATTERN of dust: thick radial
lines, like a CIRCULAR BARCODE. Murph sits down next to her
dad. They STARE at it together. He holds up a coin ...
21.
COOPER
It’s not a ghost ...
Cooper tosses the coin across a line. It SHOOTS at the
floor -
It’s gravity.
27 INT. SAME - LATER 27
Donald pokes his head in.
DONALD
I’m dropping Tom, then heading to
town ...
(Looks at dust pattern.)
You wanna clean that up when you’ve
finished praying to it?
Cooper reaches for Murph’s notebook. Starts writing ...
28 INT. KITCHEN, FARMHOUSE - LATER 28
Murph fills a glass of water. Picks up a plate of
sandwiches.
29 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS 29
Follow Murph into the room, to find Cooper standing there.
COOPER
I got something.
Cooper is pointing to the thick and thin radial lines -
COOPER
Binary. Thick is one, thin is zero
- it’s numbers ... number pairs...
He holds up the notebook to show Murph the number pairs.
Coordinates.
30 INT. KITCHEN, FARMHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER 30
Cooper and Murph pore over MAPS. Cooper TOSSES one aside,
lays it out on the table. Finds a spot. Looks up at Murph
...
22.
31 EXT. FARMHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER 31
Cooper packing his truck - sleeping bag, flashlight ...
MURPH
You can’t leave me behind!
COOPER
Grandpa’s back in two hours.
MURPH
You don’t know what you’re going to
find -
COOPER
That’s why I can’t take you.
32 INT. KITCHEN, FARMHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER 32
Cooper grabs the maps and a bottle of water. He calls up -
COOPER
Murph?
Nothing.
COOPER
Murph, just wait here for Grandpa.
Tell him I’ll call him on the
radio.
33 INT/EXT. PICKUP TRUCK ON ROAD - MOMENTS LATER 33
Cooper drives, map spread on the wheel, looks for a pen -
reaches over to the passenger wheel well - lifts a BLANKET
- Murph is there -
COOPER
JESUS!
The truck WOBBLES as Cooper regains control.
COOPER
Murph, what are you doing?!
Murph is LAUGHING as she climbs into the passenger seat -
COOPER
It’s not funny -
23.
But Murph’s laugh is infectious.
MURPH
You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t
for me.
Cooper hands Murph the map.
COOPER
Fair enough. Make yourself
useful...
The pickup cruises down the road, heading for the
MOUNTAINS.
34 EXT. PLAINS APPROACHING MOUNTAINS - DUSK 34
The tiny pickup is dwarfed by the darkening foothills.
35 EXT. DIRT ROAD OFF MOUNTAIN PASS - NIGHT 35
Cooper pulls up to a gate in chain-link fence. Murph is
asleep next to him.
COOPER
Murph. Murph.
Murph wakes.
COOPER
I think this is as far as we get.
Murph glances out at the fence. Closes her eyes again.
MURPH
Why? You didn’t bring the bolt-
cutters?
COOPER
I like your spirit, young lady.
Cooper gets out of the truck, retrieves his bolt-cutters
and comes up to the fence. He looks up and down the road.
Nothing. He reaches out and puts the jaws of the cutters -
WHAM! SPOTLIGHTS IN COOPER’S EYES - A HARSH ELECTRIC VOICE
-
VOICE
24.
STEP AWAY FROM THE FENCE.
Cooper drops the cutters, puts his hands in the air -
COOPER
Don’t shoot! My child is in the
car! I’m unarmed! My daughter is -
Murph watches, terrified as, with a ZAP, Cooper DROPS.
Murph SCRAMBLES back along the seat as MASSIVE FOOTSTEPS
APPROACH.
The door is WRENCHED open - a BLINDING LIGHT
VOICE
DON’T BE AFRAID.
Murph SCREAMS.
36 INT. BRIGHT, INDUSTRIAL ROOM - LATER 36
Cooper comes to, sitting in a chair. Opposite him is an
ARTICULATED MACHINE. A VOICE emanates from its side.
MACHINE
How did you find this place?
COOPER
Where’s my daughter?
MACHINE
You had the coordinates for this
facility marked on your map. Where
did you get them?
Cooper leans in to the machine.
COOPER
WHERE’S MY DAUGHTER?!
Cooper’s scream REVERBERATES. Cooper sizes up the machine.
MACHINE
You might think you’re still in the
Marines, but the Marines don’t
exist anymore, pal. I’ve got grunts
like you mowing my grass ...
The Machine RISES to its full height.
MACHINE
25.
How did you find us?
COOPER
But you don’t look like a lawnmower
to me ... you, I’m gonna turn into
an overqualified vacuum cleaner -
FEMALE VOICE (O.S.)
No, you’re not.
Cooper turns to see a businesslike woman in her thirties.
WOMAN
Tars, back down, please.
The machine, TARS, sinks back down.
COOPER
You’re taking a risk using ex-
military for security. They’re old,
their control units are
unpredictable ...
WOMAN
Well, that’s what the government
could spare.
COOPER
Who are you?
WOMAN
Dr Brand.
COOPER
I knew a Dr Brand once. But he was
a professor -
WOMAN (BRAND)
What makes you think I’m not?
COOPER
And nowhere near as cute.
BRAND
You think you can flirt your way
out of this mess?
COOPER
(honest, scared)
26.
Dr Brand, I have no idea what this
mess is. I’m scared for my little
girl and I want her by my side.
Then I’ll tell you anything you
want to know. Okay?
Brand considers this. Turns to Tars.
BRAND
Get the principals and the girl
into the conference room.
(To Cooper.)
Your daughter’s fine. Bright kid.
(Rises.)
Must have a very smart mother.
37 INT. UNDERGROUND FACILITY - MOMENTS LATER 37
Cooper follows Brand into a corridor. Tars LURCHES behind.
COOPER
It’s pretty clear you don’t want
visitors - why not let us back up
from your fence and be on our way?
BRAND
It’s not that simple.
COOPER
Sure it is. I don’t know anything
about you or this place.
BRAND
Yes, you do.
Brand ushers Cooper through a door into a conference room -
38 INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - CONTINUOUS 38
Where an OLD MAN is crouched down, talking to Murph.
MURPH
Dad!
Murph runs into Cooper’s arms. The Old Man SMILES at
Cooper.
OLD MAN
Hello, Cooper.
COOPER
27.
(stunned)
Professor Brand?
MAN AT TABLE (DOYLE)
Just take a seat, Mr Cooper.
Cooper and Murph sit at a table where five people are
waiting - a bespectacled man, WILLIAMS, leans forward to
address Cooper.
WILLIAMS
Explain how you found this
facility.
COOPER
Stumbled across it. Looking for
salvage and I saw the fence -
WILLIAMS
You’re sitting in the world’s best
kept secret - you don’t stumble in.
And you certainly don’t stumble
out.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Cooper, please. Cooperate with
these people.
Cooper looks nervously around the room.
COOPER
It’s hard to explain, but we
learned these coordinates from an
anomaly ...
DOYLE
What sort of anomaly?
COOPER
I don’t want to term it
’supernatural’ ... but ...
Cooper is losing them. Williams leans forward. Serious.
WILLIAMS
You’re going to have to, Mr Cooper.
Real quick.
COOPER
After that last storm, it was a
pattern ... in dust ...
MURPH
28.
It was gravity.
All eyes turn to Murph. She’s said the magic word. Doyle
looks at Professor Brand, excited. Turns to Cooper -
DOYLE
Where was this gravitational
anomaly?
COOPER
Look, I’m happy you’re excited
about gravity, but if you want more
answers from us I’m gonna need
assurances -
WILLIAMS
Assurances?
Cooper looks at Murph. Then covers Murph’s ears.
COOPER
That we’re getting out of here ...
and not in the trunk of some car.
Brand laughs. Williams smiles. Cooper looks confused.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Don’t you know who we are, Coop?
COOPER
No. No, I don’t.
BRAND
(points around table)
Williams, Doyle, Jenkins, Smith,
you already know my father,
Professor Brand. We’re NASA.
COOPER
NASA?
PROFESSOR BRAND
NASA. Same NASA you flew for.
Now Cooper is laughing, too. Murph looks around, confused.
39 INT. UNDERGROUND FACILITY - MOMENTS LATER 39
Professor Brand shows Cooper the facility.
COOPER
29.
I heard you got shut down for
refusing to drop bombs from the
stratosphere onto starving people.
PROFESSOR BRAND
When they realized killing other
people wasn’t a long term solution
they needed us back. Set us up in
the old NORAD facility. In secret.
COOPER
Why secret?
PROFESSOR BRAND
Public opinion won’t allow spending
on space exploration. Not when
we’re struggling to put food on the
table.
Professor Brand ushers Cooper through a large door -
40 INT. GREENHOUSE - CONTINUOUS 40
Professor Brand gestures to large PLANTATIONS under glass.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Blight. Wheat seven years ago, okra
this year. Now there’s just corn.
COOPER
But we’re growing more than ever -
PROFESSOR BRAND
Like the potatoes in Ireland, like
the wheat in the dust bowl, the
corn will die. Soon.
Brand enters with Murph. She shows her the greenhouses.
COOPER
We’ll find a way, we always have.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Driven by the unshakable faith that
the Earth is ours.
COOPER
Not just ours, but it is our home.
PROFESSOR BRAND
30.
Earth’s atmosphere is 80 percent
nitrogen. We don’t even breathe
nitrogen.
Professor Brand shows him a blighted stalk.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Blight does. And as it thrives our
air contains less and less
oxygen...
Professor Brand gestures over at Murph ...
PROFESSOR BRAND
The last people to starve will be
the first to suffocate. Your
daughter’s generation will be the
last to survive on Earth.
Cooper looks over at Murph. Then back to Professor Brand.
COOPER
Tell me this is where you explain
how you’re going to save the world.
41 INT. VAST CIRCULAR CHAMBER - LAUNCH FACILITY - MOMENTS 41
LATER
Cooper and Professor Brand enter like ants in a grain silo.
A ROCKET is on a pad, DWARFED by the circular chamber. Far
above, a ring of mirrors reflects the dawn down into the
facility.
PROFESSOR BRAND
We’re not meant to save the world
... we’re meant to leave it.
Cooper stares up at the rocket. He recognizes the
arrangement of two CRAFT at the top.
COOPER
Rangers.
PROFESSOR BRAND
The last components of our one
versatile ship in orbit, the
Endurance. Our final expedition.
COOPER
What happened to the other
vehicles?
31.
PROFESSOR BRAND
The Lazarus missions.
COOPER
Sounds cheerful.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Lazarus came back from the dead -
COOPER
He had to die in the first place.
You sent people out there looking
for a new home ...
Professor Brand nods.
COOPER
There’s no planet in our solar
system that can support life ...
and it’d take them a thousand years
to reach the nearest star - that
doesn’t even qualify as futile ...
Where did you send them, Professor?
PROFESSOR BRAND
Cooper, I can’t tell you any more
unless you agree to pilot this
craft. You’re the best we ever had.
COOPER
I barely left the stratosphere.
PROFESSOR BRAND
This crew’s never left the
simulator. We can’t program this
mission from Earth, we don’t know
what’s out there. We need a pilot.
And this is the mission you were
trained for.
COOPER
Without ever knowing. An hour ago,
you didn’t even know I was still
alive. And you were going anyway.
PROFESSOR BRAND
We had no choice. But something
brought you here. They chose you.
COOPER
Who’s ’they’?
Professor Brand is silent. Cooper wrestles.
32.
How long would I be gone?
PROFESSOR BRAND
Hard to know. Years.
COOPER
I’ve got my kids, Professor.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Get out there and save them.
Cooper considers this. Decides.
COOPER
Who’s ’they’?
42 INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - LATER 42
A man in his forties has the solar system up on the screen.
This is ROMILLY.
ROMILLY
We started detecting gravitational
anomalies almost fifty years ago.
Mostly small distortions to our
instruments in the upper atmosphere
- I believe you encountered one
yourself ...
COOPER
(realizing)
Over the Straights - my crash -
something tripped my fly-by wire -
ROMILLY
Exactly. But the most significant
anomaly was this ...
Cooper stares at an image of Saturn and its moons. Romilly
zooms in on some stars DISTORTED like ripples in a pond.
ROMILLY
A disturbance of spacetime out near
Saturn.
COOPER
A wormhole?
ROMILLY
It appeared forty-eight years ago.
33.
COOPER
Where does it lead?
PROFESSOR BRAND
Another galaxy.
COOPER
A wormhole isn’t a naturally
occurring phenomenon.
BRAND
Someone placed it there.
COOPER
’They’.
BRAND
And whoever ’They’ are, they appear
to be looking out for us - that
wormhole lets us travel to other
stars. It came along right as we
needed it.
DOYLE
They’ve put potentially habitable
worlds within our reach. Twelve, in
fact from our initial probes.
COOPER
You sent probes into it?
PROFESSOR BRAND
We sent people into it. Ten years
ago.
COOPER
The Lazarus missions.
Professor Brand rises and moves to a MEMORIAL, pointing -
PROFESSOR BRAND
Twelve possible worlds. Twelve
Ranger launches carrying the
bravest humans ever to live, led by
the remarkable Dr Mann.
DOYLE
34.
Each person’s landing pod had life
support for two years - but they
could use hibernation to stretch
that, making observations on
organics over a decade or more.
Their mission was to assess their
world, and if it showed promise,
send a signal, bed down for the
long nap, and wait to be rescued.
COOPER
And if their world didn’t show
promise?
DOYLE
Hence the bravery.
COOPER
Because you don’t have resources to
visit all twelve.
DOYLE
No. Data transmission back through
the wormhole is rudimentary, simple
binary ’pings’ on an annual basis
to give some clue as to which
worlds have potential. One system
shows promise.
COOPER
One? Kind of a long shot.
BRAND
One system with three potential
worlds ... no long shot.
COOPER
So if we find a new home, what
then?
PROFESSOR BRAND
That’s the long shot. There’s Plan
A and there’s Plan B. Did you
notice anything strange about the
launch chamber ...
43 INT. LAUNCH FACILITY - MOMENTS LATER 43
Cooper cocks his head, puzzling at the VAST chamber ...
there are structures built SIDEWAYS around the CURVED
walls...
35.
COOPER
This whole facility ... it’s a
vehicle? A space station?
PROFESSOR BRAND
Both. We’ve been working on it, and
others like it for twenty-five
years. Plan A.
COOPER
How does it get off the Earth?
PROFESSOR BRAND
Those first gravitational anomalies
changed everything - suddenly we
knew that harnessing gravity was
real. So I started working on the
theory - and we start building this
station.
COOPER
But you haven’t solved it, yet.
PROFESSOR BRAND
That’s why there’s a Plan B.
44 INT. LABORATORY - MOMENTS LATER 44
TECHNICIANS work the complex, high-tech lab. Professor
Brand and Cooper follow Brand to a large glass and steel
apparatus.
BRAND
The problem is gravity. How to get
a viable amount of human life off
BRAND
this planet. This is one way - Plan
B. A population bomb. Almost five
thousand fertilized eggs, weighing
in at under 900 kilos.
COOPER
How could you raise them?
BRAND
36.
With equipment on board we incubate
the first ten. After that, with
surrogacy, the growth becomes
exponential - within thirty years
we might have a colony of hundreds.
The real difficulty of colonization
is genetic diversity,
(Indicates vials.)
This takes care of that.
Cooper looks at the equipment. Unenthusiastic.
COOPER
We just give up on the people here?
PROFESSOR BRAND
That’s why Plan A’s a lot more fun.
45 INT. PROFESSOR BRAND’S OFFICE 45
Professor Brand watches Cooper as he gazes over the vast
tracts of ALGEBRA covering every available surface.
COOPER
Where have you got to?
PROFESSOR BRAND
Almost there.
COOPER
Almost? You’re asking me to hang
everything on an ’almost’?
Professor Brand moves close to Cooper.
PROFESSOR BRAND
I’m asking you to trust me.
Cooper looks at the passion in Professor Brand’s eyes.
COOPER
All those years of training - you
never told me.
PROFESSOR BRAND
We can’t always be open about
everything, Coop, even if we want
to be. What can you tell your
children about this mission?
Cooper considers this. Uneasy.
37.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Find us a new home. When you
return, I’ll have solved the
problem of gravity. You have my
word.
46 EXT. FARMHOUSE - LATE DAY 46
Donald, on the porch, gets to his feet as he sees Cooper’s
pickup approaching. The truck pulls up. Murph TEARS past
Grandpa into the house - Donald looks at Cooper,
questioning.
47 INT. HALL OUTSIDE MURPH’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS 47
Cooper tries to open the door, but Murph has stacked a desk
and chair against it -
COOPER
Murph?
MURPH
Go! If you’re leaving, just go!
48 EXT. PORCH - NIGHT 48
Donald looks out at the night, taking it all in.
DONALD
This world never was enough for
you, was it, Coop?
COOPER
I’m not gonna lie to you, Donald -
heading out there is what I feel
born to do and it excites me. That
doesn’t make it wrong.
Donald considers this. Turns to Cooper.
DONALD
It might. Don’t trust the right
thing done for the wrong reason.
The ’why’ of a thing? That’s the
foundation.
COOPER
(sadly)
Well, the foundation’s solid.
(Gestures at landscape.)
38.
We farmers sit here every year when
the rains fail and say ’next year’.
Next year ain’t gonna save us. Nor
the one after. This world’s a
treasure, Donald. But she’s been
telling us to leave for a while
now.
(Stares at the horizon.)
Mankind was born on Earth. It was
never meant to die here.
Donald considers this. Scoops the dust off the rail.
DONALD
Tom’ll be okay. But you have to
make it right with Murph.
COOPER
I will.
DONALD
Without making any promises you
don’t know you can keep.
Cooper meets Donald’s gaze. Looks away, nodding.
49 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - MORNING 49
Cooper’s hand, reaching in, removes the chair from the
desk, barricading the door. Murph is lying on the bed,
turned away. Cooper pushes the desk back gently. Enters,
quietly.
COOPER
You have to talk to me.
Nothing.
COOPER
I have to fix this before I go.
Murph turns, tear-stained, angry cheeks blazing -
MURPH
Then I’ll keep it broken so you
have to stay.
Cooper sits down on the bed next to Murph.
COOPER
39.
After you kids came along, your
mother said something I didn’t
really understand - she said, ’I
look at the babies and I see myself
as they’ll remember me.’ She said,
’It’s as if we don’t exist anymore,
like we’re ghosts, like now we’re
just there to be memories for our
kids.’ Now I realize - once we’re
parents, we’re just the ghosts of
our childrens’ futures.
MURPH
You said ghosts don’t exist.
COOPER
That’s right. I can’t be your ghost
right now - I need to exist.
Because they chose me. They chose
me, Murph. You saw it. Murph sits
up.
Points at the shelves. The gaps.
MURPH
I figured out the message ...
(Opens her notebook.)
It was Morse code ...
COOPER
Murph -
MURPH
One word. You know what it is?
Cooper shakes his head sadly. Murph holds out her notebook
-
’STAY’. It says ’STAY’, Dad.
COOPER
Oh, Murph.
MURPH
You don’t believe me?! Look the
books! Look at -
Cooper takes his daughter in his arms ...
COOPER
It’s okay, it’s okay ...
Murph buries her head on Cooper’s shoulder, sobbing.
40.
Murph, a father looks in his child’s eyes and thinks -
maybe it’s them ... maybe my child will save the world. And
everyone, once a child, wants to look into their own dad’s
eyes and know he saw how they saved some little corner of
their world. But, usually, by then, the father is gone.
MURPH
Like you will be.
Cooper looks at his daughter. Lies with head, not heart:
COOPER
No. I’m coming back.
MURPH
When?
Cooper reaches into his pocket. Pulls out two WATCHES.
COOPER
One for you. One for me.
Murph takes the watch, curious. Cooper holds up his watch.
When I’m in hyper-sleep, or travel near the speed of light,
or near a black hole, time will change for me. It’ll run
more slowly. When I get back we’ll compare.
MURPH
Time will run differently for us?
COOPER
Yup. By the time I get back we
might even be the same age. You and
me. Imagine that ...
Murph takes this in. Cooper sees he’s made a mistake.
Wait, Murph -
MURPH
You have no idea when you’re coming
back.
Cooper looks at his daughter.
MURPH
No idea at all!
Murph THROWS the watch - TURNS HER BACK.
COOPER
41.
Don’t make me leave like this.
Nothing.
COOPER
Please. I have to go now.
Murph will not turn around. Cooper tries to rest his hand
on the back of her head, but she shakes it off.
COOPER
I love you, Murph. Forever. And I’m
coming back.
Cooper walks slowly out. A BOOK DROPS FROM THE SHELF.
Cooper turns to look at it. Then leaves.
50 EXT. FARMHOUSE - MOMENTS LATER 50
Cooper, mechanical, puts his small bag in the truck.
DONALD
How’d it go?
COOPER
Fine. It was fine.
Cooper turns to Tom. Hugs him. Tight enough for both kids.
I love you, Tom.
TOM
Travel safe, Dad.
COOPER
(indicates farm)
Look after our place, you hear?
TOM
Can I use your truck while you’re
gone?
COOPER
(smiles)
I’ll make sure they bring it back
for you.
Cooper gets in. Starts the engine.
COOPER
Mind my kids for me, Donald.
42.
Donald nods. Cooper pulls out.
51 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS 51
Murph jumps off the bed, GRABS the watch, RUNS downstairs.
52 INT. PICKUP TRUCK - CONTINUOUS 52
As Cooper drives he lifts the blanket in the wheel-well
where Murph hid last time. Nothing. And we hear a
COUNTDOWN...
VOICE
(O.S.)
TEN ... NINE ...
53 EXT. FARMHOUSE - CONTINUOUS 53
Murph RACES out of the house, watch in hand -
MURPH
Dad?! DAD?!
VOICE
(V.O.)
EIGHT ... SEVEN ...
But Cooper is a dust trail far down the road.
VOICE
(O.S.)
SIX ... FIVE ...
Murph SOBS as her grandpa puts his arms around her ...
54 INT/EXT. PICKUP TRUCK ON DUSTY PLAIN - CONTINUOUS 54
As Cooper drives away tears roll down his cheeks
VOICE
(O.S.)
FOUR ... THREE ... TWO ... ONE ...
55 INT. LAUNCH FACILITY - DAY 55
VOICE
(O.S.)
43.
IGNITION.
FIRE SHOOTS FROM THE BASE OF THE ROCKET ... The rocket
RISES slowly from the pad, up into the sky ...
56 INT. RANGER COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS 56
Cooper, in his space helmet, lets the FORCE of the rocket
vibrate through him ...
VOICE
(O.S.)
Stage one ... SEPARATION.
Cooper starts to see the Earth’s curve through the
window...
VOICE
(O.S.)
Stage two ... SEPARATION.
And Cooper shakes loose the bonds of Earth.
57 EXT. UPPER ATMOSPHERE - CONTINUOUS 57
The rocket RIPS upwards into the sky.
58 INT. RANGER COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS 58
Cooper glances around the vibrating, cramped cockpit -
Brand, Doyle, Romilly, Tars. Tars spots Cooper’s glance -
TARS
All here, Mr Cooper. Plenty of
slaves for my robot colony.
Cooper looks at him, confused.
DOYLE
They gave him a humor setting so
he’d fit in with his unit better.
He thinks it relaxes us.
COOPER
A massive, sarcastic robot. What a
great idea.
TARS
I have a cue light I can turn on
when I’m joking, if you like.
44.
COOPER
Probably help.
TARS
You can use it to find your way
back to the ship after I blow you
out the airlock.
Tars looks at Cooper. A beat. An LED turns on. Cooper
shakes his head.
COOPER
What’s your humor setting, Tars?
TARS
One hundred percent.
Cooper turns to the instruments -
COOPER
Take it to seventy-five, please.
EARTH ORBIT - CONTINUOUS
The Rangers streak across the Earth, settle into a low
orbit.
59 INT. RANGER COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS 59
Quiet. Cooper stares down at the continents sliding by. He
looks over at Brand who is doing the same, abstracted.
COOPER
We’ll get back.
She stares at the land. The oceans.
It’s hard. Leaving everything. My kids ... your father ...
BRAND
We’re going to spend a lot of time
together ...
COOPER
(nods)
We should learn to talk.
BRAND
And when not to.
(Off look.)
Just trying to be honest.
45.
COOPER
Maybe you don’t need to be that
honest.
(Turns to Tars.)
Tars, what’s your honesty
parameter?
Tars DISENGAGES from the floor and MOVES to the rear
airlock -
TARS
Ninety percent.
COOPER
Ninety? What kind of robot are you?
TARS
Absolute honesty isn’t always the
most diplomatic, or safe form of
communication with emotional
beings.
Cooper turns to Brand. Shrugs.
COOPER
Ninety percent honesty it is, then.
Brand looks at Cooper. Can’t help smiling.
VOICE
(over radio)
Sixty seconds out...
60 EXT. EARTH ORBIT - CONTINUOUS 60
The Rangers approach a RING MODULE, fire retro-thrusters
and slide gracefully into the center of the ring - the last
piece of a large modular craft: the U.S.S. ENDURANCE. Four
LANDERS (including the Rangers) are nestled inside the ring
module.
61 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - MOMENTS LATER 61
Brand, Doyle and Romilly, following Tars, FLOAT through the
cramped cabins, powering up. Tars powers up a second
articulated machine, CASE.
DOYLE
Cooper, you should have control.
46.
62 INT. COCKPIT, ENDURANCE (RANGER) - CONTINUOUS 62
Cooper checks instruments -
COOPER
Talking fine. Ready to spin?
63 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 63
Doyle and Romilly are strapped in - Brand grabs a handhold
-
64 INT. COCKPIT, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 64
BRAND
(over radio)
All set.
Cooper hits a switch ...
65 EXT. EARTH ORBIT - CONTINUOUS 65
Thrusters silently fire on the Endurance. It starts
ROTATING.
66 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 66
The crew members settle in as gravity is established.
Romilly is clearly struggling to find his sea legs in the
rotating ship.
BRAND
You okay there?
ROMILLY
Yup. Just need a little time -
BRAND
There should be Dramamine in the
hab pod.
67 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - LATER 67
The crew listen to Professor Brand over the video link -
PROFESSOR BRAND
47.
(on screen)
I miss you already. Amelia, be
safe. Give my regards to Dr Mann.
BRAND
I will, Dad.
PROFESSOR BRAND
(on screen)
Things look good for your
trajectory. We’re calculating two
years to Saturn.
ROMILLY
That’s a lot of Dramamine ...
Cooper thinks about two years. What it means to his kids.
COOPER
(on screen)
Keep an eye on my family, sir.
Specially Murph. She’s a smart one.
PROFESSOR BRAND
(on screen)
We’ll be waiting when you get back
...
68 INT. COCKPIT, ENDURANCE - LATER 68
Cooper and Doyle flick switches and check instruments -
PROFESSOR BRAND
(V.O.)
... A little older. A little wiser.
But happy to see you ...
69 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 69
Brand, Romilly, Tars and Case strap in.
PROFESSOR BRAND
(V.O.)
’Do not go gentle into that good
night ...’
70 INT. COCKPIT, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 70
Cooper turns to Doyle. HITS the thrusters.
48.
71 EXT. EARTH ORBIT - CONTINUOUS 71
Endurance’s main engines FIRE. The craft PUSHES out of
orbit -
PROFESSOR BRAND
(V.O.)
’Rage, rage against the dying of
the light.’ God speed, Endurance.
The craft accelerates away from Earth.
72 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - DAY 72
The crew sets up their CRYO-BEDS. Cooper looks out at the
diminishing Earth floating in the void. Brand joins him.
COOPER
So alone.
BRAND
We’ve got each other - Dr Mann had
it worse.
COOPER
(points at Earth)
I meant them. Look at that perfect
planet. We’re not gonna find
another one like her.
BRAND
No. This isn’t like looking for a
new condo - the human race is going
to be adrift ... desperate for a
rock to cling to while they catch
their breaths. We have to find that
rock. Our three prospects are at
the edge of what might sustain
human life.
Brand shows him a blurry image of a dark blue planet.
BRAND
Laura Miller’s first. She started
our biology program.
She shows him a red world, just a tiny dot.
And Wolf Edmunds is here.
Cooper hears something in her voice.
49.
COOPER
Who’s Edmunds?
BRAND
(fondly)
Wolf’s a particle physicist.
COOPER
None of them had family?
BRAND
No attachments. My father insisted.
They knew the odds against ever
seeing another human being. I’m
hoping we surprise at least three
of them.
COOPER
Tell me about Dr Mann.
Brand replaces the screen image for a grainy, white orb.
BRAND
Remarkable. The best of us. My
father’s protégé. He inspired
eleven people to follow him on the
loneliest journey in human history.
Scientists, explorers ... That’s
what I love - out there we face
great odds. Death. But not evil.
COOPER
Nature can’t be evil?
BRAND
Formidable, frightening - not evil.
Is a tiger evil because it rips a
gazelle to pieces?
COOPER
Just what we bring with us, then.
BRAND
This crew represents the best
aspects of humanity.
COOPER
Even me?
Brand looks at him. Smiles.
BRAND
Hey, we agreed, ninety percent.
50.
Brand moves to her cryo-bed. Cooper looks out at space.
BRAND
Don’t stay up too late. We can’t
spare the resources.
COOPER
Hey, I’ve been waiting a long time
to be up here -
BRAND
You are literally wasting your
breath.
Cooper nods at her. Joins Tars.
COOPER
Show me the trajectory again.
TARS
Eight months to Mars, then counter-
orbital slingshot around -
Brand’s cryo-bed darkens.
COOPER
(whisper)
Tars? Was Dr Brand -
TARS
Why are you whispering? You can’t
wake them.
COOPER
Were Dr Brand and Edmunds ...
close?
TARS
I wouldn’t know.
COOPER
Is that ninety percent, or ten
percent ’wouldn’t know’?
TARS
I also have a discretion setting.
COOPER
So I gather ...
(Rises.)
COOPER
But not a poker face.
51.
Tars watches Cooper head for the comm. station. He sits
down to record a message. Awkward. Stuck. He dives in -
COOPER
Hey, guys. I’m about settle down
for the long nap, so I figured I’d
send you an update ...
73 EXT. OUTER SPACE - CONTINUOUS 73
The Endurance slips away from the small blue planet ...
COOPER
(V.O.)
The Earth looks amazing from here
... you can’t see any of the dust -
74 EXT. CORNFIELDS - DAY 74
A line of dust slides across the shimmering horizon.
COOPER
(V.O.)
Hope you guys are doing great. This
should get to you okay ...
75 EXT. FRONT PORCH, FARMHOUSE - DAY 75
Donald watches two approaching vehicles kick up dust.
COOPER
(V.O.)
Professor Brand said he’d make sure
of it. Guess I’ll say good night.
Donald recognizes Cooper’s truck ... Murph BURSTS out of
the house -
MURPH
(quiet)
Is it him?
DONALD
I don’t think so, Murph.
Donald rises to meet the truck. Professor Brand gets out.
PROFESSOR BRAND
You must be Donald. Hello, Murph.
52.
MURPH
Why’re you in my dad’s truck?
PROFESSOR BRAND
He wanted me to bring it for your
brother.
Silence. Professor Brand reaches into his briefcase.
PROFESSOR BRAND
He sent you a message -
Murph TURNS and goes back into the house. Donald takes a
disc from Professor Brand.
DONALD
Pretty upset with him for leaving.
PROFESSOR BRAND
If you record messages, I’ll
transmit them to Cooper.
Donald nods. Professor Brand looks up at the house.
Murph’s a bright spark. Maybe I could fan the flame.
DONALD
She’s already making fools of her
teachers. She should come make a
fool out of you.
Professor Brand smiles. Donald looks up into the blue.
Where are they?
PROFESSOR BRAND
Heading towards Mars ...
76 EXT. MARS - DAY 76
The Endurance streaks away from Mars ...
PROFESSOR BRAND
(V.O.)
Next time we hear from Cooper,
they’ll be coming up on Saturn.
77 EXT. SATURN - DAY 77
53.
The Endurance settles into an orbit around the ringed
giant.
TOM
(O.S.)
But they said I can start advanced
agriculture a year early ...
78 INT. COMMUNICATIONS BOOTH, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 78
Cooper, blanket around his shoulders, watches a highly
compressed video of Tom -
TOM
Got to go, Dad. Hope you’re safe up
there.
Tom makes way for Donald:
DONALD
I’m sorry, Coop, I asked Murph to
say hi, but she’s stubborn as her
old man. I’ll try again next time,
stay safe.
The video cuts out. Cooper gets up, puts a pair of EAR BUDS
in his ears and heads into -
79 INT. HAB POD, RING MODULE - LATER 79
Cooper enters. Romilly is staring out the window.
COOPER
You good, Rom?
Romilly looks at Cooper.
ROMILLY
It gets to me, Coop. This tin can.
Radiation, vacuum outside -
everything wants us dead. We’re
just not supposed to be here.
Cooper looks at him, sympathetic.
COOPER
We’re explorers, Rom, on the
greatest ocean of all.
Romilly bangs on the side of the ship.
54.
ROMILLY
Millimeters of aluminum. That’s it.
And nothing within millions of
miles that won’t kill us in
seconds.
COOPER
A lot of the finest solo yachtsmen
couldn’t swim. They knew if they
went overboard that was it, anyway.
This is no different.
Romilly considers this. Cooper passes him his ear buds -
COOPER
Here -
And the sounds of a THUNDERSTORM wash over Romilly, sounds
that take us to ...
80 EXT. SPACE - CONTINUOUS 80
The Endurance is a tiny speck before the ringed gassy
giant.
81 INT. NAVIGATION, RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 81
Cooper looks over Doyle’s shoulder - he’s flicking through
images of star fields, distorted as if through a fish-eye
lens.
COOPER
From the relay probe?
DOYLE
It was in orbit around the wormhole
- each time it swung around we got
images of the other side of the
foreign galaxy.
COOPER
Like swinging a periscope around?
DOYLE
Exactly.
COOPER
So we’ve got a pretty good idea
what we’re gonna find on the other
side?
55.
DOYLE
Navigationally.
Brand approaches.
BRAND
We’ll be coming up on the wormhole
in less than forty-five. Suit up.
82 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - LATER 82
Cooper straps in, peering out at the inky blackness past
Saturn. Romilly joins him there, excited.
COOPER
(over radio)
Strap in - I’m killing the spin ...
83 EXT. SATURN - CONTINUOUS 83
As the Endurance streaks past Saturn, it stops rotating,
headed for a DISTORTED BLUR of stars.
84 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 84
ROMILLY
There!
He points at the SPHERICAL blur of stars.
ROMILLY
That’s it! That’s the wormhole!
COOPER
Say it, don’t spray it, Rom.
ROMILLY
Cooper, this is a portal, cutting
through spacetime -
(Points.)
We’re seeing into the heart of a
galaxy so far away we don’t even
know where it is in the universe.
Cooper stares at the wormhole as they approach: a massive
spherical lens into another galaxy.
COOPER
It’s a sphere.
56.
ROMILLY
Of course it is. You thought it
would be just a hole?
COOPER
No ... well, in all the
illustrations -
Romilly grabs a piece of paper, draws two points, far apart
-
ROMILLY
In the illustrations they’re trying
to show you how it works -
He pokes a hole in one point with his pen ...
ROMILLY
So they say ’You wanna go from here
to there but it’s too far? A
wormhole bends space like this ...’
He folds the paper over and jams the pen through the second
point, connecting them.
ROMILLY
’So you can take a shortcut across
a higher dimension.’ But to show
that, they’ve turned three-
dimensional space ...
(Gestures around.)
Into two dimensions.
(Hold up paper.)
Which turns the wormhole into two
dimensions ... a circle.
(Indicates hole in
paper.)
But what’s a circle in three
dimensions?
COOPER
A sphere.
ROMILLY
Exactly.
(Points out window.)
It’s a spherical hole ...
Cooper marvels at the concept. And at the looming sphere
...
ROMILLY
57.
And who put it here? Who do we
thank?
COOPER
I’m not thanking anyone till we get
through it in one piece.
85 EXT. WORMHOLE - CONTINUOUS 85
As the Endurance SWINGS around the wormhole, the view of
the foreign galaxy SWINGS in opposition, like an ENORMOUS
SHAVING MIRROR ... it’s extremely disorienting.
The Endurance fires retro-thrusters to slow, descending
towards the wormhole ...
86 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 86
Cooper is at the controls. Doyle is next to him.
COOPER
Any trick to this?
DOYLE
No one knows.
COOPER
(glances at Doyle)
But the others made it, right?
DOYLE
At least some of them.
COOPER
Thanks for the confidence boost.
Cooper stares down into the vast lens of the wormhole.
Everybody ready to say goodbye to our solar system?
ROMILLY
(over radio)
To our galaxy ...
Cooper pushes the sticks forward, nosing down and letting
gravity PULL them towards the center of the wormhole ...
87 EXT. WORMHOLE - CONTINUOUS 87
58.
The Endurance reaches the surface of the wormhole. As it
crosses the threshold it becomes apparent that THERE IS NO
SURFACE ... the craft simply passes into the space of the
distortion, its own warped reflection flickering towards it
as if the ship were leaning into a giant shaving mirror ...
88 INT. COCKPIT - CONTINUOUS 88
Cooper and Doyle stare at the distortion of space ahead ...
89 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 89
Brand and Romilly look out at reflections bordering the
bulk - a space beyond our three dimensions ...
90 EXT. WORMHOLE - CONTINUOUS 90
The Endurance moves through a TUNNEL OF DISTORTED
REFLECTIONS, seeming to gather more and more dizzying
speed, but getting no closer to the far mouth, as if on an
accelerating treadmill -
91 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 91
Cooper, awestruck, checks his instruments -
DOYLE
They won’t help you in here. We’re
cutting through the bulk - space
beyond our three dimensions ...
(Checks his equipment.)
All we can do is record and
observe.
92 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 92
Brand JUMPS - a shape in the air in front of her is
BENDING, warping to form ripples in spacetime inside the
cabin - Romilly STARES at the distortion -
ROMILLY
What is that?!
Brand watches the distortion move towards her -
BRAND
I think - I think it’s them.
59.
ROMILLY
Distorting spacetime? Don’t -!
Brand is reaching out towards the warped space - it MOVES
towards her, DISTORTING her hand - but Brand is not in pain
...
93 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 93
Cooper and Doyle watch the tunnel mouth STREAK towards
them, a mass of stars and nebulae GROWING ...
94 EXT. FAR SIDE OF THE WORMHOLE - CONTINUOUS 94
The Endurance slides out of the wormhole.
95 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 95
Suddenly, the instruments are chirping -
DOYLE
We’re ... here.
Cooper and Doyle look out at the new galaxy ...
96 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 96
Brand’s hand is back to normal. She stares at her fingers.
ROMILLY
What was that?
Brand flexes her fingers, delighted.
BRAND
The first handshake.
97 EXT. FAR SIDE OF THE WORMHOLE - CONTINUOUS 97
The cosmos is more CROWDED here - STAR upon STAR, NEBULAE
...
98 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - LATER 98
Doyle calls up data on a workstation -
60.
DOYLE
The lost communications came
through -
BRAND
How?
DOYLE
The relay on this side cached them.
Doyle flicks through data -
Years of basic data - no real surprises. Miller’s site has
kept pinging thumbs up, as has Mann ... but Edmunds went
down, three years ago.
BRAND
Transmitter failure?
DOYLE
Maybe. He was sending the thumbs up
right till it went dark.
ROMILLY
Miller still looks good?
Doyle nods. Romilly is drawing on a whiteboard -
She’s coming up fast ... with one complication - the planet
is much closer to Gargantua than we thought.
COOPER
Gargantua?
DOYLE
A very large black hole. Miller’s
and Dr Mann’s planets orbit it.
BRAND
And Miller’s is on the horizon?
ROMILLY
A basketball around the hoop.
Landing there takes us dangerously
close. A black hole that big has a
huge gravitational pull.
Cooper glances around the concerned faces -
COOPER
Look, I can swing around that
neutron star to decelerate -
61.
BRAND
It’s not that, it’s time. That
gravity will slow our clock
compared to Earth’s. Drastically.
COOPER
How bad?
ROMILLY
Every hour we spend on that planet
will be maybe ... seven years back
on Earth.
COOPER
Jesus -
ROMILLY
That’s relativity, folks.
COOPER
We can’t drop down there without
considering the consequences.
DOYLE
Cooper, we have a mission - COOPER
That’s easy for you to say - you
don’t have anyone back on Earth
waiting for you, do you?
DOYLE
You have no idea what’s easy for
me.
BRAND
Cooper’s right. We have to think of
time as a resource, just like
oxygen and food. Going down there
is going to cost us.
Doyle steps up to the screen, points out three planets.
DOYLE
Look, Dr Mann’s data is promising,
but we won’t get there for months.
Edmunds is even further. Miller
hasn’t sent much, but what she has
sent is promising - water, organics
...
BRAND
62.
You don’t find that every day.
DOYLE No, you do not. So think
about the resources it would take
to come back here ...
They look at each other, considering. Cooper turns to
Romilly -
COOPER
How far off the planet do we have
to stay to be out of the time
shift?
Romilly indicates a spot on his white board.
ROMILLY
Just back from the cusp.
COOPER
So we track a wider orbit of
Gargantua, parallel with Miller’s
planet but a little further out ...
take a Ranger down, grab Miller and
her samples, debrief and analyze
back here
BRAND
That’ll work.
COOPER
No time for monkey business down
there - Tars, you’d better wait up
here. Who else?
ROMILLY
If we’re talking about a couple
years - I’d use that time to work
on gravity - observations from the
wormhole. That’s gold to Professor
Brand.
COOPER
Okay. Tars, factor an orbit of
Gargantua - minimal thrusting -
conserve fuel - but stay in range.
TARS
Don’t worry, I wouldn’t leave you
behind ...
(Swivels around.)
Dr Brand.
She smiles at him.
63.
99 EXT. BLACK HOLE, GARGANTUA - DAY 99
A black sphere sucking light from the cosmos, visible by
its distorting effect on the light of stars behind it -
squeezed into a GLOWING, CURVED HORIZON. The Endurance
approaches.
100 INT. RANGER COCKPIT - DAY 100
Cooper looks out at Gargantua. Doyle peers over his
shoulder
DOYLE
A literal heart of darkness ...
Brand points to a small glowing planet nearer the
blackness.
BRAND
There’s Miller’s planet.
Cooper turns to Case, the machine riding shotgun.
COOPER
Ready?
CASE
Yup.
COOPER
Don’t say much, do you?
CASE
Tars talks plenty for both of us.
Cooper chuckles as he throws a final switch -
COOPER
Detach -
101 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 101
The Ranger DETACHES from the ring module, like an X-1 from
a B-29, FIRES retro-thrusters to slow and ... DROPS -
102 EXT. THE BLACK HOLE, GARGANTUA - DAY 102
The Ranger SHOOTS down towards Gargantua -
64.
103 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 103
Cooper is in awe at their acceleration -
COOPER
(into radio)
Romilly, you reading these forces?
104 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 104
Romilly studies data, marveling.
ROMILLY
Unbelievable.
(Looks out at Gargantua.)
If we could see the collapsed star
inside, the singularity, we’d solve
gravity.
105 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 105
Cooper looks down at the eerie blackness sliding beneath -
COOPER
No way to get anything from it?
ROMILLY
(over radio)
Nothing escapes that horizon. Not
even light. The answer’s there,
just no way to see it.
106 EXT. GARGANTUA - CONTINUOUS 106
The Ranger looks tiny as it STREAKS over the blackness,
high above the GLOWING HORIZON. It is approaching Miller’s
planet, a gleaming dark-blue world ...
107 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 107
Cooper studies his trajectory.
CASE
This is fast for atmospheric entry.
Should we use the thrusters to
slow?
COOPER
65.
We’re gonna use the Ranger’s
aerodynamics to save the fuel.
CASE
Air brake?
COOPER
Wanna get in fast, don’t we?
CASE
Brand, Doyle, get ready.
108 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 108
The Ranger STREAKS down towards the planet. It starts to
encounter the STRATOSPHERE -
109 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 109
The craft starts to HOWL and SHAKE. Cooper studies the
curving horizon, concentrating -
CASE
We should ease -
COOPER
Hands where I can see them, Case!
Only time I ever went down was a
machine easing at the wrong moment
-
CASE
A little caution -
COOPER
Can get you killed, same as
reckless.
DOYLE
Cooper! Too damn fast!
COOPER
I got this.
Cooper squeezes the shaking controls with white knuckles -
CASE
Should I disable the feedback?
COOPER
No! No, I need to feel the air ...
66.
110 EXT. STRATOSPHERE, MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 110
The Ranger glows WHITE HOT, slicing through FLAT CLOUDS -
111 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 111
Cooper peers out at the razor-like layers of cloud -
COOPER
Do we have a fix on the beacon?
CASE
Got it. Can you maneuver?
COOPER
Gotta shave more speed. I’ll try
and spiral down on it -
Doyle looks at Brand, nervous. She takes a breath.
112 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 112
The Ranger CUTS through cloud formations, BURSTING out into
CLEARER AIR, HIGH ABOVE AN ENDLESS OCEAN -
113 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 113
The crew peer at SPARKLING WATER, streaking below them -
DOYLE
Just water.
BRAND
The stuff of life ...
CASE
Twelve hundred meters out.
Cooper BANKS sharply, eases down.
BRAND
It’s shallow. Feet deep ...
114 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 114
The Ranger is low now, kicking up backwash -
67.
115 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 115
CASE
Seven hundred meters ...
Cooper peers ahead -
COOPER
Wait for it ...
CASE
Five hundred meters ...
Cooper YANKS the stick -
COOPER
Fire!
116 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 116
The Ranger’s retro-rockets FIRE - killing the craft’s speed
just feet from the surface. Water SPRAYS UP as the Ranger
SLEWS diagonally, gear is lowered, the Ranger drops, its
landing gear holding it just above the shallow water.
117 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 117
Everyone BOUNCES with the impact. Then BREATHES.
BRAND
Very graceful.
COOPER
No. But it was very efficient.
(Looks at them.)
What’re you waiting for? Go!
Brand and Doyle hurry out of their harnesses, helmets on.
Case moves to the hatch. With a CRACK, the hatch opens and
LIGHT and SPRAY whip inside ...
118 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - MOMENTS LATER - DAY 118
Case climbs quickly from the craft, knee deep in the water.
Brand and Doyle follow. Case TRACKS the beacon.
CASE
68.
This way, about two hundred meters.
Brand and Doyle peer into the distance. Smooth, ankle-deep
water to the horizon, where a distant MOUNTAIN RANGE LOOMS.
They start splashing towards it in their heavy spacesuits
...
DOYLE
(panting)
The gravity’s punishing ...
BRAND
Floating through space too long?
CASE
One hundred and thirty percent
Earth gravity.
119 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 119
Cooper listens to their chatter, IMPATIENT.
COOPER
(under his breath)
Come on ...
120 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 120
Doyle falls behind. Brand pushes on. Ahead, Case stops.
CASE
Should be here.
Brand joins him, searching the shallows for some sign of
Miller’s mission. She looks up, confused.
BRAND
If the signal’s coming from here -
Case DROPS to his knees THRASHING under the water, like a
bear fishing. Doyle arrives -
DOYLE
What’s he doing?
121 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 121
Cooper notices something. In the distance. The mountains -
69.
122 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 122
Case WRENCHES a piece of DAMAGED EQUIPMENT from the sea
bed.
BRAND
Her beacon ...
Case starts lugging the beacon to the Ranger.
DOYLE
Wreckage. Where’s the rest ...?
BRAND
Towards the mountains!
She starts moving fast towards some FLOATING OBJECTS.
123 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 123
Cooper is staring out at the horizon -
COOPER
Those aren’t mountains ...
124 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 124
Brand pauses -
COOPER
(over radio)
They’re waves -
Brand looks closer - the ’mountains’ are moving, tiny lines
of white sea spray are blowing from the tops ...
125 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 125
Cooper looks the other direction ... there is a MOUNTAIN
WAVE BEARING DOWN ON THE SHIP ...
126 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 126
Brand is searching the wreckage -.
COOPER
(over radio)
Brand, get back here!
70.
BRAND
We need the recorder -
Doyle looks from Brand to Case, who is loading the beacon.
Beyond him Doyle sees the mountain wave approaching -
DOYLE
Case, go get her!
127 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 127
Cooper hits the dash, frustrated.
COOPER
Dammit! Brand, get back here!
128 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 128
Brand sloshes along, checking DEBRIS -
BRAND
We can’t leave without her data -
COOPER
(over radio)
You don’t have time!
Case is back at Doyle.
DOYLE
Go, go!
Case takes off towards Brand, who is trying to lift a piece
of equipment from the water. She drops it and moves on -
129 EXT. RANGER - CONTINUOUS 129
Cooper swings open the hatch, stands in the doorway,
peering out at the approaching mountain waves - turns back
to Brand -
COOPER
Get back here! Now!
Brand has pulled something heavy from the wreckage - she
SLIPS, the wreckage PINNING her down ... She looks back at
the Ranger - sees the mountain wave THOUSANDS OF FEET HIGH
ALMOST UPON THEM -
71.
BRAND
Cooper, go! Go! I can’t make it!
Cooper looks at Case RACING towards her -
COOPER
Get up, Brand!
BRAND
GO! GET OUT OF HERE!
Case THROWS her onto his back and starts running. Doyle
stands, mesmerized by the sheer liquid mountain face ...
COOPER
Doyle! Come on! Case has her!
Doyle turns, starts sloshing back, the water RUNNING
against his ankles now ... Two hundred yards behind, Case
POUNDS through the shallows, Brand on his back -
Cooper looks up at the EVER CLOSER MOUNTAIN WAVE - jumps
inside.
130 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 130
Cooper powers up, as the wall of liquid fills his view.
COOPER
Come on, come on ...
He sees the water right upon them - RUNS back to the hatch.
Doyle is at the foot of the ladder, Case RUNNING FAST.
DOYLE
Go!
Case JUMPS up the ladder, THROWS Brand inside - TURNS for
Doyle. The Ranger TILTS, RISES - DOYLE IS RIPPED FROM
CASE’S HAND - WATER RAGES ACROSS THE OPEN HATCH -
COOPER
Shut the hatch!
Case shuts the hatch. Cooper is throwing switches -
COOPER
Power down! Power down! We have to
ride it out!
(To Brand, furious.)
72.
We are not prepared for this!
131 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 131
Doyle is DRAGGED under and away. The Ranger is SUCKED
SIDEWAYS up the face of the mountain -
132 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 132
Brand and Cooper are thrown across the cockpit. Case GRABS
Brand, pulls her into her seat - Cooper holds on as the
craft ROLLS and ROLLS -
133 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 133
The Ranger reaches the top of the wave, rocks upright -
134 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 134
Cooper drops into his seat as the water pours off the
canopy -
135 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 135
The Ranger tilts over the backside of the wave, SURFING for
a second then PITCHING FORWARD - TUMBLING DOWN 8,000 FEET
...
136 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 136
They hang on for dear life, THRASHED MERCILESSLY -
137 EXT. MILLER’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 137
The Ranger comes AGROUND as the wave leaves it behind ...
138 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 138
The craft comes to rest. Cooper jumps to the controls,
powers up the electrics. The engines won’t respond -
139 EXT. RANGER - CONTINUOUS 139
73.
The gear LIFTS the Ranger. Water FLOODS out -
140 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 140
Cooper tries the engines again. Nothing.
CASE
Too waterlogged. Let it drain.
COOPER
(hits console)
GODDAMN!
BRAND
I told you to leave me.
COOPER
And I told you to get your ass back
here! Difference is, only one of us
was thinking about the mission -
BRAND
Cooper, you were thinking about
getting home - I was trying to do
the right thing!
COOPER
Tell that to Doyle.
Quiet. Cooper looks down at the clock. Bitter.
How long to drain, Case?
CASE
Forty-five to an hour.
Cooper shakes his head. Pulls his helmet off.
COOPER
The stuff of life, huh? What’s this
gonna cost us, Brand?
BRAND
A lot. Decades.
Cooper rubs his face. Mind reeling. Trying to breathe.
COOPER
What happened to Miller?
BRAND
74.
Judging by the wreckage, she was
broken up by a wave soon after
impact.
COOPER
How could the wreckage still be
together after all these years?
BRAND
Because of the time slippage. On
this planet’s time, she landed here
just hours ago. She might’ve only
died minutes ago.
Case indicates the beacon.
CASE
The data Doyle received was just
the initial status, echoing
endlessly.
Cooper takes this in. Breathes hard. Takes off his gloves.
COOPER
We’re not prepared for this, Brand.
You’re a bunch of eggheads without
the survival skills of a boy-scout
troop.
BRAND
We got this far on our brains -
farther than any humans in history
-
COOPER
Not far enough. And we’re stuck
here till there won’t be anyone
left on Earth to save -
BRAND
I’m counting every second, same as
you, Cooper.
Cooper takes this in. They’re in the same boat.
COOPER
Don’t you have some clever way we
jump into a black hole and get back
the years?
She shakes her head, dismissive.
COOPER
75.
Don’t just shake your head at me -!
BRAND
Time is relative - it can stretch
and squeeze - but it can’t run
backwards. The only thing that can
move across dimensions like time is
gravity.
COOPER
(thinks)
The beings who led us here ... they
communicate through gravity ...
Brand nods.
COOPER
Could they be talking to us from
the future?
BRAND
(considers)
Maybe ...
COOPER
Well, if they can -
BRAND
Look, Cooper, they’re creatures of
at least five dimensions - to them
time may be just another physical
dimension. To them the past might
be a canyon they can climb into and
the future a mountain they can can
climb up ... but to us it’s not,
okay?
Brand pulls her helmet off. Looks Cooper in the eyes.
BRAND
I’m sorry, Cooper. I screwed up.
But you knew about relativity.
COOPER
My daughter was ten. I couldn’t
explain Einstein’s theories before
I left.
BRAND
Could you tell her you were going
to save the world?
COOPER
76.
No. I wasn’t much of a parent, but
I understood the most important
thing - let your kids feel safe.
Which rules out telling a ten-year-
old that the world’s ending.
CASE
Cooper?
Case is pointing out at another MOUNTAIN RANGE.
COOPER
How long for the engines?
CASE
A minute or two -
COOPER
We don’t have it!
The mountain wave is approaching. Cooper tries the engines
-
141 EXT. RANGER - CONTINUOUS 141
The rockets COUGH and steam ...
142 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 142
Cooper tries the engines again. Close. But no ignition.
COOPER
Helmets on!
The wave is upon them ...
COOPER
Blow our cabin oxygen through the
main thrusters. We’ll spark it -
Case hits a button - a HISS and SHRIEK of gas escaping ...
Brand seals her helmet just as the cockpit DEPRESSURIZES -
COOPER
Come on, now ...
Cooper hits the engines - they BLAST TO LIFE -
143 EXT. RANGER - CONTINUOUS 143
77.
A fiery BLAST sends the Ranger clear of the mountain wave.
Down below, Doyle’s body lies in the shallows, about to be
swept up into the next rush of water ...
144 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - DAY 144
Romilly watches as Cooper and Brand enter the Endurance.
BRAND
Hello, Rom.
ROMILLY
I’ve waited years.
COOPER
How many years?
ROMILLY
By now ... it must be -
TARS
Twenty-three years ...
Cooper’s head lowers.
TARS
... four months, eight days.
Cooper turns away.
ROMILLY
Doyle?
Brand’s eyes flicker down. She shakes her head. She grasps
Romilly’s hands, looks up into his eyes, vulnerable -
BRAND
I thought I was prepared. I knew
all the theory. Reality’s
different.
ROMILLY
And Miller?
BRAND
There’s nothing here for us.
Brand looks at Romilly’s wrinkles. His greying beard.
BRAND
78.
Why didn’t you sleep?
ROMILLY
I did a couple of stretches. But I
stopped believing you were coming
back, and something seems wrong
about dreaming your life away. I
learned what I could from studying
the black hole, but I couldn’t send
anything to your father. We’ve been
receiving, but nothing gets out.
She looks up at Romilly, not wanting to ask ...
BRAND
Is he still alive?
Romilly nods. Brand closes her eyes with relief.
ROMILLY
We’ve got years of messages stored
...
Brand opens her eyes, looks for Cooper. He is in the comm.
booth. He SHUTS the privacy curtain. She looks down.
145 INT. COMMUNICATIONS BOOTH, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 145
Cooper studies the machine like it might bite him.
COOPER
Cooper.
COMPUTER VOICE
Messages span twenty-three years -
COOPER
I know.
(Whispers.)
Just start at the beginning.
Cooper leans forward as the screen flickers to life: Tom,
still seventeen, turns on the camera.
TOM
Hi, Dad -
Cooper pauses it. Prepares himself. Lets it run -
TOM
I met another girl, Dad. I really
think this is the one -
79.
Tom holds up a picture of himself and a teenage GIRL.
TOM
Murph stole Grandpa’s car. She
crashed it - she’s okay, though.
Your truck’s still running -
Grandpa said she should steal that
next time. I said if she did it’d
be the last thing she did ...
Cooper leans back ...
146 INT. COMMUNICATIONS BOOTH, ENDURANCE - DAY 146
Cooper is holed up, still watching, unshaved. He’s been
watching for days. On the screen, Tom is in his twenties -
TOM
I’ve got a surprise for you, Dad.
You’re a grandpa ...
Tom holds up an infant wrapped tight in swaddling.
TOM
Congratulations. Meet Jesse.
Cooper smiles a tearful smile.
TOM
Grandpa said he already earned the
’great’ part so we just leave it at
that.
The screen cuts out. Then comes back on. Tom in his
thirties -
TOM
Hi, Dad. I’m sorry it’s been
awhile. What with Jesse and all ...
He stops, emotional.
TOM
Grandpa died last week. We buried
him out in the back forty, next to
Mom and Jesse.
(Looks down.)
Where we’d have buried you, if
you’d ever come back.
(Looks up.)
Murph was there for the funeral. I
don’t see her so much anymore.
80.
(Sighs.)
You’re not listening to this. I
know that. All these messages are
just out there, drifting in the
darkness ... I figured as long as
they were willing to send them
there was some hope, but ...
(Pauses.)
You’re gone. You’re never coming
back. And I’ve known that for a
long time. Lois says - that’s my
wife, Dad - she says I have to let
you go. So I am.
(Reaches up to turn off
camera.)
Wherever you are, I hope you’re at
peace. Goodbye, Dad.
The screen goes black. Tears are streaming down Cooper’s
face. He stares at the black screen, wiping his face. He
starts to get up - the screen flickers to life once more -
A beautiful WOMAN of about forty has turned on the camera -
she looks at us, unsure about this. Makes a start -
WOMAN
Hello, Dad. You sonofabitch.
Cooper peers into the face, recognizing -
COOPER
(whispers)
Murph?
WOMAN (MURPH)
I never made one of these when you
were still responding cos I was so
mad at you for leaving. When you
went quiet, it seemed like I should
just live with my decision. And I
have ...
(Looks around.)
But today’s my birthday. And it’s a
special one because you once told
me -
She stops, unable to speak for a second.
MURPH
You once told me that when you came
back we might be the same age ...
and today I’m the age you were when
you left ...
(Starts crying.)
81.
So it’d be a real good time for you
to come back.
Murph reaches up, switches off the camera and we stay with
her in -
147 INT. COMMUNICATION ROOM, NASA - DAY 147
Murph brings her hand down from the camera. Wipes her
tears.
PROFESSOR BRAND
(O.S., softly)
I didn’t mean to intrude.
Murph turns to see Professor Brand, now ELDERLY, in a
WHEELCHAIR in the doorway.
PROFESSOR BRAND
I’ve never seen you in here before.
Murph rises -
MURPH
I’ve never been in here before.
Murph wheels Professor Brand out into the corridor.
148 INT. CURVING CORRIDOR, NASA - MOMENTS LATER 148
Murph pushes Professor Brand.
PROFESSOR BRAND
I talk to Amelia all the time. It
helps. I’m glad you’ve started -
MURPH
I haven’t. I just had something I
wanted to get out.
149 INT. PROFESSOR BRAND’S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER 149
Professor Brand wheels behind his desk.
PROFESSOR BRAND
I know they’re still out there.
MURPH
I know.
82.
PROFESSOR BRAND
There are so many reasons their
communications might not be getting
through.
MURPH
(smiles gently)
I know, Professor.
PROFESSOR BRAND
I’m not sure which I’m more afraid
of ... they never come back, or
they come back to find we’ve
failed.
She watches his introspection. Brings him back with -
MURPH
Then let’s succeed.
PROFESSOR BRAND
(gestures at formula)
So, back from the fourth iteration,
let’s run it with a finite set.
Murph has picked up a notebook. Pauses.
MURPH
With respect, Professor. We’ve
tried that hundreds of times.
PROFESSOR BRAND
And it only has to work once,
Murph.
She shrugs. Starts to work.
150 INT. LAUNCH FACILITY - LATER 150
Murph and Professor Brand sit, eating sandwiches on a
walkway. WORKERS move about the CIRCULAR CHAMBER, building
more SIDEWAYS INFRASTRUCTURE. Professor Brand looks down,
proud.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Every rivet they drive in could
have been a bullet. We’ve done well
for the world, here. Whether or not
we crack the equation before I kick
-
MURPH
83.
Don’t be morbid, Professor.
PROFESSOR BRAND
I’m not afraid of death, Murph. I’m
an old physicist - I’m afraid of
time.
151 INT. PROFESSOR BRAND’S OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER 151
Murph stands before the algebra. She REALIZES something.
MURPH
Time ... you’re afraid of time ...
CONVINCED, she TURNS -
MURPH
Professor, the equation ...?
He looks up.
MURPH
For years we’ve tried to solve it
without changing the underlying
assumptions about time -
PROFESSOR BRAND
And?
MURPH
And that means each iteration
becomes an attempt to prove its own
proof - it’s recursive. Nonsensical
-
PROFESSOR BRAND
(sharp)
Are you calling my life’s work
’nonsense’, Murph?
MURPH
No, I’m saying you’ve been trying
to finish it with one arm - no,
with both arms tied behind your
back ...
Murph focuses on Professor Brand, suddenly WARY ...
MURPH
... and I don’t understand why.
Professor Brand looks down. Starts wheeling his chair.
84.
PROFESSOR BRAND
I’m an old man, Murph. Could we
pick this up some other time? I’d
like to go talk to my daughter.
Murph nods. Looking at the Professor. Confused.
PROFESSOR BRAND
(V.O.)
Stepping out into the universe, we
must first confront the reality
that nothing in our solar system
can help us ...
152 INT. COMMUNICATIONS BOOTH, ENDURANCE - NIGHT 152
Brand watches her father on screen.
PROFESSOR BRAND
(V.O.)
... then we must confront the
realities of interstellar travel.
We must venture far beyond the
reach of our own life spans. We
must think not as individuals, but
as a species ...
153 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - DAY 153
Romilly, Brand, Cooper, Tars and Case sit in discussion.
COOPER
Tars kept the Endurance right where
we needed her, but it took years
longer than we anticipated ...
Cooper puts both planets on screen - Dr Mann’s ice world,
and Edmunds’ desert planet.
COOPER
We don’t have the fuel to visit
both prospects. We have to choose.
ROMILLY
How? They’re both promising.
Edmunds’ data was better, but Dr
Mann is the one still transmitting.
BRAND
85.
We’ve got no reason to suppose
Edmunds’ results would have soured.
His world has key elements to
sustain human life -
COOPER
As does Dr Mann’s.
BRAND
Cooper, this is my field. And I
really believe Edmunds’ is the
better prospect.
COOPER
(challenging)
Why?
BRAND
Gargantua, that’s why.
(Steps to board.)
Look at Miller’s world -
hydrocarbons, organics, yes. But no
life. Sterile. We’ll find the same
thing on Dr Mann’s.
ROMILLY
Because of the black hole?
BRAND
(nods)
Murphy’s Law - whatever can happen
will happen. Accident is the first
building block of evolution - but
when you’re orbiting a black hole
not enough can happen - it sucks in
asteroids and comets, random events
that would otherwise reach you. We
need to go to further afield.
COOPER
You once referred to Dr Mann as the
’best of us’.
BRAND
He’s remarkable. We’re only here
because of him.
COOPER
And he’s there on the ground
sending an unambiguous message that
we should go to that planet.
Brand is silent. Romilly looks from Brand to Cooper.
86.
ROMILLY
Should we vote?
COOPER
If we’re going to vote, there’s
something you need to know. Brand?
She says nothing.
COOPER
He has a right to know.
BRAND
That has nothing to do with it.
ROMILLY
What does?
COOPER
She’s in love with Wolf Edmunds.
ROMILLY
(to Brand)
Is that true?
BRAND
Yes. And that makes me want to
follow my heart. But maybe we’ve
spent too long trying to figure all
this with theory -
COOPER
You’re a scientist, Brand -
BRAND
I am. So listen to me when I tell
you that love isn’t something we
invented - it’s observable,
powerful. Why shouldn’t it mean
something?
COOPER
It means social utility - child
rearing, social bonding -
BRAND
87.
We love people who’ve died ...
where’s the social utility in that?
Maybe it means more - something we
can’t understand, yet. Maybe it’s
some evidence, some artifact of
higher dimensions that we can’t
consciously perceive. I’m drawn
across the universe to someone I
haven’t seen for a decade, who I
know is probably dead. Love is the
one thing we’re capable of
perceiving that transcends
dimensions of time and space. Maybe
we should trust that, even if we
can’t yet understand it.
Brand looks at Romilly, who can’t meet her eye.
BRAND
Cooper, yes - the tiniest
possibility of seeing Wolf again
excites me. But that doesn’t mean
I’m wrong.
Cooper thinks back to his conversation with Donald.
COOPER
Honestly, Amelia ... it might.
Romilly looks at Brand. It’s clear she’s lost.
COOPER
Tars, set the course for Dr Mann.
Brand is starting to tear up. She turns away.
154 EXT. OUTER SPACE - MOMENTS LATER 154
The thrusters FIRE, pushing the Endurance out of its orbit
of Gargantua.
155 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - LATER 155
Brand is checking her POPULATION BOMB. Cooper enters.
COOPER
Brand, I’m sorry.
BRAND
Why? You’re just being objective.
(Beat.)
88.
Unless you’re punishing me for
screwing up on Miller’s planet.
COOPER
This wasn’t a personal decision for
me.
Brand turns from her equipment. Looks him in the eye.
BRAND
Well, if you’re wrong, you’ll have
a very personal decision to make.
(Off look.)
Your fuel calculations are based on
a return journey. Strike out on Dr
Mann’s planet, and we’ll have to
decide whether to return home, or
push on to Edmunds’ planet with
Plan B. Starting a colony could
save us from extinction.
She closes the population bomb.
BRAND
You might have to decide between
seeing your children again ... and
the future of the human race.
(Smiles bitterly.)
I trust you’ll be as objective,
then.
156 EXT. OUTER SPACE - CONTINUOUS 156
The Endurance sinks past a GLORIOUS NEBULA whose GOLDEN
MISTS DISSOLVE TO ROILING BLACK CLOUDS and we are -
157 EXT. FARMHOUSE - DAY 157
Murph stands with Tom, now late forties. Watching a field
BURN.
TOM
We’ll lose about a third this
season. But next year ... I’m gonna
start working Nelson’s fields.
Should make it up.
MURPH
What happened to Nelson?
Tom glances at her. Don’t ask. Heads for the house.
89.
158 INT/EXT. FARMHOUSE - DUSK 158
Murph at family dinner with Tom, LOIS, and their six-year-
old son COOP.
LOIS
Will you stay the night? We left
your room like it was ...
Murph looks down, awkward ...
MURPH
No, I need to ...
Murph looks upstairs. At Lois.
MURPH
Too many memories, Lois.
She nods. Coop helps Tom clear. As Coop takes Murph’s plate
he starts COUGHING. Looks up at her, sees her concern,
GRINS.
COOP
The dust.
He and Tom head into the kitchen.
MURPH
I have a friend who should look at
his lungs, Lois.
She nods, is about to speak. Tom sits back down.
Pull back to reveal the glowing windows against the
darkening plain, dust clouds rolling across the horizon ...
159 INT. CORRIDOR, NASA - NIGHT 159
Murph hurries down a corridor with a doctor, GETTY.
GETTY
He started asking for you after he
came to, but we couldn’t raise you
-
160 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM, NASA - MOMENTS LATER 160
Murph is at Professor Brand’s bedside. He is hooked up to
machines. Barely breathing.
90.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Murph ... Murph ...
Murph takes his hand with gentle concern.
MURPH
I’m here, Professor.
PROFESSOR BRAND
I don’t have much life ...
(Breathes.)
I have to tell you ...
MURPH
Try to take it easy.
PROFESSOR BRAND
All these ... years. All these
people ... counted on me ...
MURPH
It’s okay, Professor.
PROFESSOR BRAND
I let you ... all you ... down.
MURPH
No. I’ll finish what you started.
Professor Brand looks up into Murph’s eyes, tears welling.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Murph. Good, good Murph. Such faith
... all these years, I told you to
have faith ... to believe ...
MURPH
I do believe -
PROFESSOR BRAND
I needed you to believe your father
was coming back ...
MURPH
I do, Professor -
PROFESSOR BRAND
Forgive me, Murph ...
MURPH
There’s nothing to forgive.
PROFESSOR BRAND
91.
I lied, Murph. I lied to you ...
Murph looks at Professor Brand, confused.
PROFESSOR BRAND
There’s no reason to come back ...
no way to help us ...
MURPH
But Plan A - all this - all these
people ... the equation!
But Professor Brand slowly shakes his head, tears rolling
down. As Murph tries to comprehend, he settles, DRIFTING.
MURPH
(whispers)
Did he know?
Nothing.
MURPH
Did my dad know?!
Nothing.
MURPH
Did he abandon me?!
PROFESSOR BRAND
Do ... not ... go...
She leans in to hear.
PROFESSOR BRAND
Gentle ... into ... into ...
MURPH
NO! NO! Professor, stay! You can’t!
You can’t leave ...
Getty is at her shoulder.
MURPH
You can’t, you can’t, you ...
Getty puts his hand on her shoulder. She sits there. Stuck.
As Professor Brand goes still ...
MURPH
(V.O.)
92.
Dr Brand, I’m sorry to tell you
that your father died today ...
161 INT. COMMUNICATION ROOM, NASA - DAY 161
Murph, controlled anger, sits in front of the camera.
MURPH
He had no pain and was ... at
peace. I’m sorry for your loss.
She reaches to switch off the camera. STOPS. Acid.
MURPH
Did you know, Brand? Did he tell
you ...?
162 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - DAY 162
Murph’s voice rings through the empty ship. Only Case there
to register it.
MURPH
(V.O.)
Did you know that Plan A was a sham
...?! You left us here. To die.
Never coming back ...
Through the window we see the Ranger moving away, towards -
163 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - DAY 163
The Endurance orbits the silvery white globe as the Ranger
heads towards the planet.
164 EXT. STRATOSPHERE - MOMENTS LATER 164
The Ranger drops through layers of large, MOUNTAINOUS
CLOUD.
165 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 165
Cooper and Tars, Brand and Romilly. Cooper peers out,
concerned, studying a heads-up display of CLOUD DENSITY ...
166 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 166
93.
The Ranger cuts through one cloud, banks left and SCRAPES
AGAINST THE NEXT ’CLOUD’, PANELS TEARING FROM THE WING -
THE CLOUDS ARE ACTUALLY SOLID ICE FORMATIONS ...
167 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 167
Cooper banks away from the ICE, glancing out at the damage
-
168 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 168
The Ranger moves cautiously through the ’cloudscape’ like a
ship through an ice field ...
169 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 169
Romilly and Brand put their helmets on. Tars indicates the
beacon’s position. Cooper looks, BANKS the Ranger.
170 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 170
The Ranger’s gear lowers as it comes to rest, tentatively,
at the base of what looks like a large CUMULUS CLOUD.
171 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - LATER 171
Cooper leads them up the ICE CLOUD. From a distance, they
are walking on a cloud. Tars brings up the rear.
Cooper crests a ridge. SPOTS something. He starts down
towards a dirty orange dot in the cloudscape.
172 EXT. DR MANN’S POD - MOMENTS LATER 172
Cooper is there. The others arrive at the large metal pod -
WEATHERED and DAMAGED over the years, half buried in ice.
Nearby, various WIRE MARKERS stick out of the ice. Tars
starts digging out the hatch.
173 INT. DR MANN’S POD - LATER 173
A CRACK of COLD LIGHT, as the outer hatch is wrenched open.
94.
Cooper steps through the airlock, into a CRYPT-LIKE SPACE -
Cooper’s hand sweeps ice from the nameplate of a cryo-
chamber, ’DR MANN’.
Tars fires up the cryo-chamber. The ice starts to melt.
Cooper, helmet off, CRACKS the lid, pushes it back,
revealing a figure in a plastic shroud. Cooper rips the
seal ...
Dr Mann’s eyes flicker open. He watches Cooper, breathing,
focusing - reaches up with TREMBLING hands - GRABS Cooper -
PULLS himself up, CHEEK AGAINST CHEEK - SOBBING - hands
desperately CARESSING Cooper’s face. Cooper holds him
tight.
COOPER
(whispering)
It’s okay. It’s okay.
174 INT. SAME - LATER 174
Dr Mann sits, blanket over his shoulders, sipping from a
steaming cup. He looks at their faces, marveling.
DR MANN
(cracked, parched)
Pray you never learn just how good
it can be to see another face.
(Shaky sip.)
I hadn’t much hope to begin with.
After so much time, I had none. My
supplies were exhausted. The last
time I went to sleep, I set no
waking date.
(Looks at them all.)
You have literally raised me from
the dead.
COOPER
(smiles)
Lazarus.
DR MANN
(nods)
And the others?
ROMILLY
I’m afraid you’re it, sir.
DR MANN
So far, surely?
95.
COOPER
With our situation, there’s not
much hope of any other rescue.
This hits Dr Mann hard. He looks down at his tea.
BRAND
Dr Mann, tell us about your world.
DR MANN
(smiles gently)
My world. Yes. Our world, we hope.
Our world is cold, stark ...
175 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - DAY 175
Dr Mann leads the others up to the summit of a cloud.
DR MANN
(V.O.)
But undeniably beautiful ...
From the top, they watch the planet’s pale sun setting.
DR MANN
The days are sixty-seven cold
hours, the nights are sixty-seven
far colder hours ...
They make their way back into the shelter.
DR MANN
(V.O.)
The gravity is a very pleasant 80
percent of Earth’s. Up here, where
I landed, the ’water’ is alkali and
the ’air’ has too much ammonia in
it to breathe for more than a few
minutes ...
Brand checks readings on Dr Mann’s instruments.
176 INT. DR MANN’S POD - NIGHT 176
The crew are captivated by Dr Mann ...
DR MANN
96.
But down at the surface, and there
is a surface ... the chlorine
dissipates and the ammonia gives
way to crystalline hydrocarbons and
breathable air. To organics.
Possibly even to life.
(Off looks.)
Yes. We may be sharing this world.
BRAND
(giddy)
These readings are from the
surface?
Brand is reviewing Dr Mann’s piles of data.
DR MANN
Over the years I’ve dropped various
probes.
COOPER
How far have you explored?
DR MANN
I’ve mounted several major
expeditions, but with oxygen in
limited supply, Kipp there had to
do most of the legwork.
Dr Mann indicates a DEFUNCT ARTICULATED MACHINE.
TARS
What’s wrong with him?
DR MANN
Degeneration. He misidentified the
first organics we found as ammonia
crystals. We struggled on for a
time, but ultimately, I
decommissioned him and used his
power source to keep the mission
going.
(Remembers, sadly.)
I thought I was alone before I shut
him down.
TARS
Would you like me to look at him?
DR MANN
No, I think he needs a human touch.
Tars turns to Brand.
97.
TARS
Dr Brand, Case is relaying a
message for you from the comm.
station.
She nods.
MURPH
(V.O.)
... He had no pain and was ... at
peace.
177 INT. DR MANN’S POD - LATER 177
Brand watches Murph’s message on Tars’ data screen.
MURPH
I’m sorry for your loss.
Brand STARES. Cooper is there. Murph reaches up -
BRAND
(abstract)
Is that Murph?
Cooper nods.
BRAND
She’s become a -
MURPH
(acid)
Did you know, Brand? Did he tell
you? That Plan A was a sham ...?!
Cooper looks at Brand, who is shocked.
MURPH
You left us here to set up your
colony. Never coming back ...
Murph does not want to ask, tears are running down her
cheeks -
MURPH
(Small.)
Did my father know? Dad ...?
Cooper stares. Murph’s eyes bore into his ...
COOPER
Did you leave me here to die?
98.
The screen goes dark. Cooper stands there, SHOCKED.
BRAND
Cooper, my father devoted his whole
life to Plan A - I have no idea
what she means -
DR MANN
(O.S.)
I do.
They turn. Dr Mann looks at them with gentle calm.
COOPER
He never even hoped to get people
off the Earth.
DR MANN
No.
BRAND
But he’s been trying to solve the
gravity equation for forty years!
Dr Mann comes over, looks into Brand’s eyes.
DR MANN
Amelia, your father solved his
equation before I even left.
BRAND
Then why wouldn’t he use it?!
DR MANN
The equation couldn’t reconcile
relativity with quantum mechanics.
You need more -
COOPER
More what?!
DR MANN
More data. You need to see inside a
black hole. And the laws of nature
prohibit a naked singularity.
COOPER
(to Romilly)
Is that true?
ROMILLY
If a black hole is an oyster, the
singularity is the pearl inside.
99.
ROMILLY
Its gravity is so strong, it’s
always hidden in darkness, behind
the horizon. That’s why we call it
a black hole.
COOPER
If we could look beyond the horizon
-
DR MANN
Some things aren’t meant to be
known.
(To Brand.)
Your father had to find another way
to save the human race from
extinction. Plan B. A colony.
BRAND
Why not tell people? Why keep
building that damn station?
DR MANN
He knew how much harder it would be
for people to come together and
save the species, instead of
themselves ...
(To Cooper, sympathetic.)
Or their children.
COOPER
Bullshit.
DR MANN
Would you have left if you hadn’t
believed you were trying to save
them? Evolution has yet to
transcend that simple barrier - we
can care deeply, selflessly for
people we know, but our empathy
rarely extends beyond our line of
sight.
BRAND
But the lie. A monstrous lie ...
DR MANN
Unforgivable. And he knew it. Your
father was prepared to destroy his
own humanity to save our species.
He made the ultimate sacrifice.
COOPER
100.
No. That’s being made by the people
of Earth who’ll die because, in his
arrogance, he declared their case
hopeless.
DR MANN
I’m sorry, Cooper. Their case is
hopeless. We are the future.
Cooper REELS. Brand puts her hand on his shoulder -
BRAND
Cooper, what can I do?
He turns to her. Looks her in the eyes.
COOPER
Let me go home.
And the sound of WIND in DRY CORNSTALKS takes us -
178 INT/EXT. PICKUP TRUCK ON DUSTY PLAIN - DAWN 178
Murph drives. Getty next to her. In the distance, several
fields BURN.
GETTY
Are you sure?
MURPH
His solution was correct. He’d had
it for years.
GETTY
It’s worthless?
MURPH
It’s half the answer.
GETTY
How do you find the other half?
Murph points at the sky.
MURPH
Out there? A black hole. Stuck here
on Earth? I’m not sure you can.
They pass vehicles PILED HIGH with belongings and people.
GETTY
101.
They just pack up and leave. What
are they hoping to find?
MURPH
Survival.
(Looks ahead.)
Dammit!
A DUST STORM SWAMPS the truck, killing visibility. Murph
pulls over. Kills the engine. The wind rocks the car.
GETTY
Don’t people have a right to know?
MURPH
Panic won’t help. We have to keep
working, same as ever.
GETTY
Isn’t that just what Professor
Brand ...?
MURPH
(sharp)
Brand gave up on us - I’m still
trying to solve this.
GETTY
So you have an idea?
MURPH
No. I have a ... feeling.
Getty looks at her as she STARES out at the dust.
INSERT CUT: MURPH (TEN), wet hair, towel around neck, turns
and STARES at a book on the floor -
MURPH
(V.O.)
I told you about my ghost ...
She stoops to pick up the toy next to it - a broken LUNAR
LANDER.
MURPH (FORTY) puts her hands on the glass, watching the
sand scrape the car’s window ...
MURPH
My dad thought I called it a ghost
because I was scared of it ...
INSERT CUT: MURPH (TEN) counts the books and gaps.
102.
MARVELING.
MURPH
(V.O.)
But I was never scared of it ...
MURPH (TEN) takes out her notebook and starts drawing lines
to represent the books.
MURPH
(V.O.)
I called it a ghost because it felt
like ...
MURPH (FORTY) turns to Getty.
MURPH
Like a person. Trying to tell me
something ...
The storm is clearing. Murph starts the engine.
MORPH
If there’s an answer here on Earth,
it’s back there, somehow. No one’s
coming to save us.
(Pulls out.)
I have to find it ...
Murph pulls past a pickup piled with worldly goods and
people. She makes eye contact with two filthy kids in the
back ...
And we’re running out of time.
179 EXT. RANGER, DR MANN’S PLANET - DAWN 179
Tars is up on the wing of the Ranger. Case pilots the
LANDER in to land near the Ranger.
180 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 180
Cooper is sitting with his feet on the console.
CASE
(over radio)
What about auxiliary oxygen
scrubbers?
COOPER
103.
They can stay. I’ll sleep most of
the journey.
(Wry.)
COOPER
I saw it all on the way out here.
Romilly comes through the airlock. Removes his helmet.
ROMILLY
I have a suggestion for your return
journey.
COOPER
What?
ROMILLY
Have one last crack at the black
hole ...
Tars enters.
ROMILLY
Gargantua’s an older, spinning
black hole - what we call a gentle
singularity.
COOPER
Gentle?
ROMILLY
They’re hardly gentle, but their
tidal gravity is quick enough that
something crossing the horizon fast
might survive ... a probe, say.
COOPER
What happens to it after it
crosses?
ROMILLY
Beyond the horizon is a complete
mystery - who’s to say there isn’t
some way the probe can glimpse the
singularity and relay the quantum
data? If he’s equipped to transmit
every form of energy that can pulse
- X-ray, visible light, radio -
TARS
Just when did this probe become a
’he’?
104.
Romilly looks from Tars to Cooper, sheepish.
ROMILLY
Tars is the obvious candidate. I’ve
already told him what to look for.
TARS
I’d need to take the old optical
transmitter from Kipp.
COOPER
(to Tars)
You’d do this for us?
TARS
Before you get teary, try to
remember that as a robot I have to
do anything you say, anyway.
COOPER
Your cue light’s broken.
TARS
I’m not joking.
Bing. The light flashes on.
181 EXT. RANGER, DR MANN’S PLANET - DAY 181
Brand and Dr Mann approach Cooper and Romilly at the foot
of the ladder. Cooper addresses Brand -
COOPER
Ranger’s almost ready. Case is on
his way back down with another
load.
BRAND
I’ll start a final inventory.
ROMILLY
Dr Mann, I need Tars to remove and
adapt some components from Kipp.
Dr Mann considers this. Looks at Tars. At Romilly.
DR MANN
He musn’t disturb Kipp’s archival
functions.
ROMILLY
I’ll supervise.
105.
Dr Mann considers this. Nods.
COOPER
We need to pick out a site. You
don’t wanna move the module once we
land it.
DR MANN
I’ll show you the probe sites.
Cooper glances around at the winds picking up -
COOPER
Will conditions hold?
DR MANN
These squalls usually blow over.
You’ve got a long-range
transmitter?
Cooper reaches up to check a box plugged in at his neck.
COOPER
Good to go.
Dr Mann points at a nozzle on his elbow -
DR MANN
Charged?
Cooper checks, thumbs up. Dr Mann sets off, Cooper follows.
182 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - LATER 182
As Cooper follows Dr Mann down a ridge, they see the lander
fly over. Cooper waves, reaches up to his long-range
transmitter -
COOPER
A little caution, Case?
CASE
(over radio)
Safety first, Cooper.
Cooper follows Dr Mann down to the edge of the ice. They
peer down a fifty-foot drop.
DR MANN
Just take it gently -
106.
He steps off, DROPPING - his ELBOW JETS FIRE, slowing his
descent in time for him to land with a THUD. Cooper
follows.
They set out through a massive CANYON of ice ...
DR MANN
Brand told me why you feel you have
to go back -
Cooper STOPS.
COOPER
If this excursion is about trying
to change my mind, let’s turn
around right now.
DR MANN
No. I understand your position.
He turns and starts walking. Cooper follows.
DR MANN
You have attachments. I’m not
supposed to, but even without
family, I can promise you that the
yearning to be with other people is
massively powerful. Our instincts,
our emotions, are at the
foundations of what makes us human.
They’re not to be taken lightly.
The wind WHIPS ice crystals between them ...
183 INT. KITCHEN, FARMHOUSE - DAY 183
Murph introduces Getty to Lois and Coop. Getty pulls out a
STETHOSCOPE and starts examining Coop, Murph slips upstairs
...
184 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - DAY 184
Murph opens the door. Stands in her old bedroom. Feeling
...
COOP
(O.S.)
Mama lets me play in here ...
Murph turns to see Coop. He points at a box on the shelf -
107.
COOPER
I don’t touch your stuff.
185 EXT. LANDER - CONTINUOUS 185
Brand turns away as the lander touches down in a spray of
ice.
186 INT. DR MANN’S POD - CONTINUOUS 186
Romilly watches Tars crouch down beside Kipp and connect
Kipp to his own power. Kipp shows signs of life ...
187 EXT. ICE CANYON, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 187
Dr Mann waits for Cooper catch up. The WIND is picking up -
DR MANN
You know why we couldn’t just send
machines on these missions, Cooper?
COOPER
(breathless)
Frankly, no.
DR MANN
(pressing on)
A trip into the unknown requires
improvisation. Machines can’t
improvise well because you can’t
program a fear of death. The
survival instinct is our single
greatest source of inspiration.
Dr Mann pauses to take a breath. Turns to Cooper.
DR MANN
Take you - a father. With a
survival instinct that extends to
your kids ...
COOPER
That’s why I’m going home, hopeless
or not.
DR MANN
And what does research tell us is
the last thing you’ll see before
you die?
(Off look.)
108.
Your children. At the very moment
of death, your mind pushes you a
little harder to survive. For them.
Dr Mann turns and starts walking out onto a massive ice
field.
188 INT. KITCHEN, FARMHOUSE - DAY 188
Murph brings Coop downstairs. Getty is listening to Lois’
back. He looks up at Murph. GRAVE. Shakes his head ...
GETTY
They can’t stay here.
TOM
(O.S.)
Murph?
Murph turns to see Tom in the doorway.
TOM
What is this ...?
189 EXT. LANDER, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 189
Brand is counting flight cases when a WIND whips ice at her
...
190 INT. DR MANN’S POD - CONTINUOUS 190
Romilly takes his helmet off, PEERING over Tars’ shoulder
at Kipp’s data screen. Confused.
ROMILLY
I don’t understand.
191 EXT. ICE FIELD, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 191
Cooper and Dr Mann are like two ants on a sheet.
DR MANN
The first window’s up ahead -
Cooper peers ahead to an OPENING in the ice. Dr Mann stops
at the edge. Looks around the wind-blasted ice plane.
DR MANN
109.
When I left Earth I felt fully
prepared to die. But I just never
faced the possibility that my
planet wouldn’t be the one. None of
this turned out the way it was
supposed to.
COOPER
Professor Brand would disagree.
Cooper peers over the edge at an enormous CREVASSE ...
Dr Mann RIPS COOPER’S LONG-RANGE TRANSMITTER FROM HIS NECK
-
Cooper TURNS to Dr Mann - who BLASTS him with his ELBOW
JET.
He SLIPS backwards, but avoids going over the edge -
COOPER
What are you doing?!
Until Dr Mann KICKS him. Cooper hits his jets, pushing
himself onto a lower ledge of ice -
192 INT. KITCHEN, FARMHOUSE - DAY 192
Tom confronts Murph while Getty looks on -
MURPH
They can’t stay here, Tom!
GETTY
Not one more day -
Tom TURNS, PUNCHES Getty - who collapses.
LOIS
Tom?!
TOM
Coop, get your aunt’s things -
she’s done here.
MURPH
Tom, Dad didn’t raise you this dumb
-
TOM
110.
Dad didn’t raise us, Grandpa did,
and he’s buried outside with Mom in
our ground. I’m not leaving them -
MURPH
You have to, Tom -
TOM
I’m a farmer, Murph! You don’t give
up on the Earth.
MURPH
No! But she gave up on you! And
she’s poisoning your family.
193 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - DAY 193
Cooper SCRAMBLES to his knees. Dr Mann approaches -
DR MANN
I’m sorry - I can’t let you leave.
COOPER
Why?!
DR MANN
We’re going to need your ship to
continue the mission ... once the
others realize what this place
isn’t.
Cooper’s mind races. He looks around.
COOPER
You faked all the data?
DR MANN
I had a lot of time.
COOPER
Is there even a surface?
DR MANN
I’m afraid not -
Dr Mann KICKS Cooper over the edge, Cooper CLINGS on -
DR MANN
111.
I tried to do my duty, Cooper, but
the day I arrived I could see this
place had nothing. I resisted the
temptation for years ... but I knew
there was a way to get rescued.
COOPER
You fucking coward.
Cooper BLASTS Dr Mann off his feet with his jet - SCRAMBLES
up onto the ice. Dr Mann TACKLES him, they go down,
WRESTLING. WIDER shows us two TINY FIGURES in a VAST
LANDSCAPE, deciding the future of humanity with a BRAWL ...
194 INT. KITCHEN, FARMHOUSE - DAY 194
Murph begs Tom -
MURPH
Please, come with us.
TOM
To live underground, praying Dad
comes back to save us all?
MURPH
He’s not coming back. He was never
coming back. It’s up to us. To me.
TOM
You’re gonna save the human race,
Murph? Really? How? Our dad
couldn’t -
MURPH
HE DIDN’T EVEN TRY!
(Off look.)
He just abandoned us, Tom.
Murph looks around, frustrated. Coop hands Murph the box.
MURPH
Tom, if you won’t come, let them -
TOM
Murph.
(Points at box.)
Take your stuff, and go. Murph
hands the box back to Coop.
MURPH
Keep it.
112.
She leaves. Getty follows.
195 EXT. ICE FIELD, DR MANN’S PLANET - DAY 195
Dr Mann LUNGES at Cooper, who SIDESTEPS him and PINS him
...
COOPER
Stop this!
Dr Mann HEADBUTTS COOPER, FACEPLATE IMPACTS FACEPLATE.
COOPER
Mann! Don’t - you’ll kill us both -
CRACK. Dr Mann SMASHES his helmet into Cooper’s AGAIN AND
AGAIN as he -
DR MANN
SOMEONE’S - GLASS - WILL - GIVE -
WAY - FIRST -!
COOPER
FIFTY-FIFTY YOU KILL YOUR SELF!
STOP!
Dr Mann STOPS. Looks up at Cooper, BREATHING. Both
faceplates have TINY FRACTURES ...
DR MANN
Best odds I’ve had in years -
WHACK - He BUTTS Cooper’s faceplate, which CRACKS
SICKENINGLY. AMMONIA HISSES INSIDE - COOPER ROLLS OFF,
HANDS UP, DESPERATELY TRYING TO PLUG THE LARGE CRACK - Dr
Mann RISES. Checks the fractures in his own helmet. Bends
down to look at Cooper, STRUGGLING, CHOKING -
DR MANN
Please don’t judge me, Cooper - you
were never tested like I was. Few
men have been ...
196 INT/EXT. PICKUP TRUCK ON DUSTY PLAIN - DAY 196
Murph drives. Getty looks over, sympathetic.
GETTY
You did your best, Murph.
She just stares ahead at the road ...
113.
197 EXT. ICE FIELD, DR MANN’S PLANET - DAY 197
With curiosity and FEAR, Dr Mann watches Cooper CRAWL ...
DR MANN
You’re feeling it, aren’t you? That
survival instinct - that’s what
drove me. It’s always driven the
human race, and it’s going to save
it now. I’m going to save it. For
all mankind. For you, Cooper.
Unable to watch any more, he RISES, walking away,
continuing to talk to Cooper via the radio ...
DR MANN
I’m sorry, I can’t watch you go
through this - I thought I could.
But I’m still here. I’m here for
you ...
Dr Mann, hurrying away, listens to Cooper RASPING -
DR MANN
Cooper. When you left, did
Professor Brand read you that poem?
How does it end ...?
Dr Mann hauls himself up a ledge. The wind WHIPS up ice.
DR MANN
(over radio)
’Do not go gentle ...’
Cooper FREEZES. REMEMBERS. TRANSMITTER ...
DR MANN
(over radio)
’... into that good night ...’
Cooper LOOKS around - on the ice ten feet away - the
TRANSMITTER -
198 INT/EXT. PICKUP TRUCK ON DUSTY PLAIN - DAY 198
Murph and Getty drive past a long line of DESPERATE
REFUGEES - glimpsing FACES hardened against insurmountable
odds ...
DR MANN
(over radio)
114.
’... Rage, rage against the dying
of the light.’
199 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - DAY 199
Cooper CRAWLS - CRAWLS - CHOKING - CRAWLING ...
Dr Mann leap/jets up onto the higher ice - glances back at
the floundering figure on the ice with pity and awe.
DR MANN
(whispers)
Cooper ...? Do you see your
children, yet?
Dr Mann hears only CHOKING, GASPING, HACKING. He kills his
radio. Scared. Watches Cooper’s silent thrashing. TURNS.
Cooper GRABS the transmitter - tries to calm his FRANTIC
HANDS - can’t reconnect it with clumsy gloves - pulls glove
off - FREEZING - BITING - WAKING - he gets the connector IN
-
COOPER
BRAND! BRAND!
200 EXT. LANDER - CONTINUOUS 200
Brand is STARTLED by Cooper’s RASPING over her radio -
COOPER
(over radio)
HELP ... ME ... HELP ...
201 INT/EXT. PICKUP TRUCK ON DUSTY PLAIN - CONTINUOUS 201
Murph DECIDES - she SPINS the truck around - floors it back
in the direction they came ...
202 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 202
Brand JUMPS into the lander -
BRAND
Case?!
Case is already FIRING engines -
115.
CASE
I have a fix.
BRAND
Cooper?! Cooper, we’re coming!
203 EXT. ICE PLAIN, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 203
Cooper GASPS -
COOPER
NO AIR - AMMONIA.
BRAND
(over radio)
Don’t talk - breathe as little as
possible. We’re coming -!
204 EXT. CORNFIELDS - DAY 204
Murph PULLS off the road, CUTTING through the corn -
205 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 205
The lander HURTLES through the cloudscape, RECKLESSLY,
DANGEROUSLY FAST, PUNCHING through some clouds, DODGING
others -.
206 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 206
Brand watches Case fly, praying he’s not just guessing -
207 INT. DR MANN’S POD - CONTINUOUS 207
Romilly is crouched next to Tars, perturbed.
ROMILLY
This data makes no sense. Access
the archive -
208 EXT. CORNFIELDS - DAY 208
Murph PULLS UP in a SCREECH of dust - jumps out - GRABS her
spare gas can, THROWING FUEL over the nearby stalks ...
116.
209 EXT. ICE PLAIN, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 209
Cooper FLOPS back onto the ice, STARING SKYWARD ...
INSERT CUT: MURPH (TEN) examines the WATCH Cooper has given
her ... She THROWS it - turns her tear-stained face to
Cooper - Cooper’s eyes water, from poison or memory -
210 EXT. CORNFIELDS - DAY 210
Murph SETS FIRE to the corn ... JUMPS in the truck -
211 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 211
The lander SWEEPS around a towering cumulus, SPIRALING in
on the ICE PLAIN -
212 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 212
Brand POINTS -
BRAND
I see him -
213 EXT. FARMHOUSE - DAY 213
Tom RACES out of the house, JUMPS in Cooper’s old truck,
heading out to the fire ... calling on the radio -
214 EXT. ICE PLAIN, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 214
Through WATERING EYES and WIND-WHIPPED ICE, Cooper glimpses
Brand LEAPING from the lander, elbow jets firing. Brand
RIPS Cooper’s helmet off - THRUSTS an OXYGEN MASK over his
nose and mouth. Cooper GASPS, SUCKING AIR HARD -
COOPER
MANN - WAS - MANN -
BRAND
Dr Mann did this?!
Cooper nods. Brand takes this in - REALIZES -
BRAND
Romilly!
117.
She keys her long-range transmitter -
BRAND
Romilly?! Romilly?!
215 INT. DR MANN’S POD - CONTINUOUS 215
Tars turns back from Kipp.
TARS
It needs a person to unlock its
archival function.
Tars makes way for Romilly, who leans in to the screen. He
glances at his helmet - the radio is SQUAWKING. As he
reaches for his helmet, he places his hand on the screen -
Kipp FLICKERS TO LIFE ... Romilly lifts his helmet -
ROMILLY
Brand -?
Kipp LOOKS UP -
KIPP
Please, don’t make -
And EXPLODES -
216 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 216
Dr Mann hears the explosion - sees a BLACK CLOUD rising
from up the hill. PANIC-STRICKEN -
DR MANN
Dammit, Romilly ...
He switches his radio back on -
BRAND
(over radio)
Come on, Cooper! Couple more steps
-
Dr Mann THINKS - makes for the Ranger.
217 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 217
Brand pulls the mask off Cooper, who looks at Case -
118.
COOPER
What happened to caution?
CASE
Safety first.
COOPER
Brand, I’m sorry. We should’ve
followed your instincts. Mann lied
about this place -
BRAND
(scared)
Oh, no -
218 EXT. FARMHOUSE - DAY 218
Murph SCREECHES up - turns to Getty -
MURPH
Keep watch -
She runs towards the farmhouse.
MURPH
Lois!
219 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - DAY 219
Case spots something on the console.
CASE
There’s been an explosion -
BRAND
Where?
CASE
Dr Mann’s compound.
Case puts the lander into the air.
220 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 220
Dr Mann straps in. Powers up.
221 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 221
119.
The Ranger RISES -
222 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 222
Dr Mann pushes the craft into the air -
223 EXT. DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 223
The lander comes through the black smoke from Dr Mann’s
pod.
Below - a figure BURSTS out of the smoke: Tars, blackened,
burned, but RUNNING ... towards the lander -
224 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 224
Case SWINGS the lander around and HITS the airlock open -
225 EXT. DR MANN’S POD - CONTINUOUS 225
Tars LEAPS UP into the airlock - the lander THRUSTS away -
226 INT. COCKPIT, THE LANDER - CONTINUOUS 226
Cooper looks over at Case -
COOPER
Do you have a fix on the Ranger?
CASE
He’s pushing into orbit -
COOPER
If he takes control of the ship
we’re dead -
BRAND
He’d maroon us?
COOPER
He is marooning us -
227 INT. KITCHEN, FARMHOUSE - DAY 227
Lois and Coop head outside with a few essentials. Murph
heads upstairs ...
120.
228 EXT. FARMHOUSE - CONTINUOUS 228
Getty helps them into the truck, glances nervously at the
distant fire -
GETTY
Come on, Murph!
229 EXT. STRATOSPHERE, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 229
The Ranger ROCKETS upwards ...
230 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 230
Cooper moves up next to Case. Hits the transmitter -
COOPER
Dr Mann? Dr Mann, please respond -
CASE
He doesn’t know the Endurance
docking procedure.
COOPER
The autopilot does.
CASE
Not since Tars disabled it.
Cooper looks into the airlock -
COOPER
Nice. What’s your trust setting?
TARS
Lower than yours, apparently.
Cooper hits the transmitter -
COOPER
Dr Mann?
231 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 231
Dr Mann hears Cooper. Ignores him - looking instead at the
navigation computer.
COOPER
(over radio)
121.
Dr Mann, if you attempt docking -
Dr Mann switches off the transmitter -
232 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - DAY 232
Murph looks at the bookshelves. Spots the box. Moves over
to it and LOOKS INSIDE ...
233 EXT. FARMHOUSE - CONTINUOUS 233
Outside, Getty paces, Lois and Coop sit tight ...
234 EXT. ORBIT, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 234
The Ranger approaches the Endurance ...
235 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 235
Dr Mann pilots the lander alongside the ship. Hits the
autopilot -
COMPUTER VOICE
Auto-docking sequence withheld.
Dr Mann looks at the screen, surprised.
DR MANN
Override.
COMPUTER VOICE
Unauthorized.
Dr Mann thinks. Looks over at the MANUAL DOCKING CONTROLS
...
236 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 236
Cooper peers ahead as they SHOOT up into orbit. Brand looks
- the Ranger is in close to the Endurance -
COOPER
Dr Mann, do not attempt docking. Dr
Mann?
Static.
122.
237 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 237
Dr Mann SCRAMBLES from the controls to the airlock, FOCUSED
...
238 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 238
The Ranger inches closer to an OUTER HATCH of Endurance - A
ROW OF MECHANICAL GRAPPLES tries to connect with Endurance
-
239 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 239
Dr Mann works the docking system, concentrating -
240 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 240
The grapples PULL the Ranger into the Endurance hatch.
241 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 241
A CLANG as the ships come together -
COMPUTER VOICE
Imperfect contact - hatch lockout.
DR MANN
Override.
COMPUTER VOICE
Hatch lockout disengaged.
Dr Mann moves to the airlock control ...
242 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 242
Cooper stares out at the Ranger -
COOPER
Is he locked on?
CASE
Imperfectly.
Cooper grabs the transmitter -
COOPER
123.
Dr Mann! Dr Mann! Do not, repeat do
not attempt to open the hatch! If
you -
243 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 243
In SILENCE Dr Mann looks through the hatch window. Hits the
button opening the outer door -
244 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 244
The outer door of the Ranger SLIDES OPEN. Several grapples
are OPENING AND CLOSING BLINDLY, trying to seal the join -
245 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 245
Cooper looks at Case -
COOPER
What happens if he blows the hatch?
CASE
Nothing good.
COOPER
Pull us back!
Case hits the retro-thrusters.
BRAND
Case, relay my transmission to his
onboard computer, and have it
rebroadcast as emergency p.a. -
BRAND
(hits transmitter)
DR MANN, DO NOT OPEN THE IN--
246 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 246
Silence. Dr Mann takes a breath, reaches for the inner
lever -
BRAND
(over radio)
--PEAT - DO NOT OPEN INNER HATCH!
Dr Mann is STARTLED by the voice. He hits the transmitter -
124.
DR MANN
Brand, I don’t know what Cooper’s
told you, but I’m taking control of
the Endurance, then we’ll talk
about continuing the mission. This
is not my survival, or Cooper’s -
this is mankind’s -
Turns back to the lever ... PULLS IT -
A DEVASTATING RUSH OF AIR YANKS HIM INTO THE AIRLOCK -
247 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 247
The ESCAPING AIR AND DEBRIS push Endurance into a slow SPIN
...
248 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER - CONTINUOUS 248
Dr Mann is HAMMERED by debris as the airlock starts to RIP
APART -
249 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 249
The ship SPINS FASTER AND FASTER - the Ranger is RIPPED
AWAY, FRAGMENTING, SHREDDING THE CLOSEST MODULE OF THE
RING.
250 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 250
They STARE in HORROR as their ship is sent SPINNING OFF ITS
ORBIT TOWARDS THE PLANET -
BRAND
Oh, my God.
Cooper GRABS the sticks - HITS the thrusters -
251 EXT. ORBIT, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 251
The CRIPPLED Endurance is in a FAST FLAT SPIN, heading down
towards the stratosphere -
The lander FLIES after it, DODGING the Ranger debris -
252 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 252
125.
Cooper’s eyes are glued to the Endurance as he flies -
CASE
Cooper, there’s no point using our
fuel to -
COOPER
Just analyze the Endurance’s spin -
BRAND
What’re you doing?!
COOPER
Docking.
253 EXT. ORBIT, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 253
The DIZZYING SPIN of the Endurance as it PLUMMETS towards
the ATMOSPHERE - The lander ROCKETS after it, CLOSING
SLOWLY -
254 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 254
Cooper pours on the power -
CASE
Endurance rotation is 67, 68 RPM -
COOPER
Get ready to match it on the retro-
thrusters -
CASE
It’s not possible -
COOPER
No. It’s necessary.
255 EXT. ORBIT, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 255
The SPINNING ENDURANCE starts to encounter the STRATOSPHERE
- heating up -
256 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 256
Brand looks ahead at the spinning ship -
CASE
126.
Endurance is hitting stratosphere -
BRAND
She’s got no heat shield -!
Cooper checks the lander’s speed against Endurance - pulls
back on thrust as they come in below it -
257 EXT. STRATOSPHERE, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 257
The lander is PERILOUSLY CLOSE to the RED HOT UNDERSIDE of
the SPINNING ENDURANCE. The lander BANKS sideways, bringing
its airlock within FEET of the spinning Endurance -
258 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 258
Cooper looks sideways at the spinning hull -
COOPER
Case, you ready?
CASE
Ready.
Cooper watches the spinning hull, suddenly UNCERTAIN -
CASE
Cooper?
(Off look.)
This is no time for caution.
COOPER
(grins)
If I black out, take the stick -
Tars, get ready to engage the
docking mechanism - Brand, hold
tight -
CASE
Endurance is starting to heat -
COOPER
HIT IT!
Case hits the RETRO-THRUSTERS. The view SPINS -
259 EXT. STRATOSPHERE, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 259
The lander goes into a FASTER AND FASTER SPIN as it, with
Endurance, PLUMMETS towards the planet -
127.
260 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 260
LIGHT FLASHES across their faces as the G-force of the spin
PULLS THEM AGAINST THEIR RESTRAINTS. Cooper STRUGGLES to
stay conscious - they BUFFET AGAINST THE ATMOSPHERE - Tars
opens the airlock - the Endurance hatch above him is now
SLOWLY ROTATING relative to him ...
261 EXT. STRATOSPHERE, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 261
The GLOWING HOT Endurance and the lander PLUMMET, SPINNING
towards the ice planet, whose curvature is FAST
DISAPPEARING -
262 INT. AIRLOCK, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 262
Tars peers up as THE SPIN SPEEDS MATCH. He waits as the
BUFFETING moves the hatches ... THEY LINE UP - he FIRES the
GRAPPLES - they don’t connect - the hatches moved -
263 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 263
Brand loses consciousness - Cooper watches the instruments,
not the dizzying view, on the point of RED OUT -
COOPER
Come on, Tars ... come on ...
264 INT. AIRLOCK, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 264
Tars sees the hatches roll back into ALIGNMENT. He FIRES
AGAIN - this time THE GRAPPLES HOLD -
TARS
GOT IT!
265 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 265
Cooper registers this. Case fires the retro-rockets to slow
the spin.
COOPER
Gen-- gentle, Case ...
266 EXT. STRATOSPHERE, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 266
The two craft, NOW JOINED, start to spin more SLOWLY ...
128.
267 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 267
Cooper eases back into his seat as the G-force lessens -
COOPER
Get ready to pull us up -
The spin is slowing to almost nothing -
268 EXT. STRATOSPHERE, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 268
Parts are RIPPING off the Endurance in the HEAT -
269 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 269
Cooper EASES into POWER on the main thrusters -
COOPER
Come on. You can do it ...
270 EXT. STRATOSPHERE, DR MANN’S PLANET - CONTINUOUS 270
The THRUSTERS on the lander start to DRAG both ships back
up away from the planet, the heat DIMINISHING -
271 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 271
Cooper pulls back on the sticks, RELIEF washing over him.
Brand comes to ... Cooper turns to Case, grinning -
COOPER
Right? And for our next trick ...
CASE
It’ll have to be good. We’re
heading into Gargantua’s pull -
Cooper’s smile fades. He UNBUCKLES -
COOPER
Take her -
272 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - MOMENTS LATER 272
HISSING STEAM - RUSHING AIR - WHIRLING DEBRIS as Tars and
Cooper (in suit and helmet) lock down different BULKHEADS -
129.
Brand (in suit and helmet) FLOATS alongside the POPULATION
BOMB, checking the equipment -
CASE
(over radio)
Cooper, we’re slipping towards
Gargantua - shall I use main
engines?
COOPER
No! Let her slide as long as we can
-
Cooper FLIES over to Tars, who is welding a bulkhead -
COOPER
Give it to me.
TARS
There’s good news and bad news -
COOPER
I’ve heard that one, Tars - just
give it to me straight.
273 INT. SAME - MOMENTS LATER 273
Cooper SCRAMBLES to where Brand is checking her equipment.
COOPER
The navigation mainframe’s
destroyed and we don’t have enough
life support to make it back to
Earth. But we might scrape to
Edmunds’ planet.
BRAND
What about fuel?
COOPER
Not enough. But I’ve got a plan -
let Gargantua suck us right to her
horizon - then a powered slingshot
around to launch us at Edmunds.
BRAND
Manually?
COOPER
That’s what I’m here for. I’ll take
us just inside the critical orbit.
130.
BRAND
And the time slippage?
COOPER
Neither of us can afford to worry
about relativity right now.
BRAND
I’m sorry, Cooper.
They embrace, delicately touching faceplate to faceplate.
274 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 274
The CRIPPLED Endurance FALLS towards the HEART OF DARKNESS
among the stars ...
275 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - DAY 275
Cooper looks ahead at Gargantua. Preparing for battle.
276 EXT. ENDURANCE - MOMENTS LATER 276
The lander DETACHES, shifting its orientation ...
COOPER
(over radio)
Once we’ve gathered enough speed
around Gargantua - we use the
lander 1 Ranger 2 as rocket-
boosters to push us out of the
black hole’s gravity ...
The lander REATTACHES to the rear of the ring module.
277 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER 2 - CONTINUOUS 277
Cooper slides into Ranger 2 - checking the systems.
COOPER
The linkages between landers are
destroyed ...
278 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 278
Tars sits at the controls, running similar checks ...
131.
COOPER
(over radio)
So we’ll control manually. When
Lander 1’s spent, Tars will detach
...
TARS
And get sucked into that black
hole.
279 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 279
Brand and Case listen to Cooper and Tars over the radio.
BRAND
Why does he have to detach?
COOPER
(over radio)
We have to shed mass if we’re gonna
escape that gravity.
TARS
(over radio)
Newton’s third law - the only way
humans have ever figured out of
getting somewhere is to leave
something behind.
BRAND
Cooper, you can’t ask Tars to do
this for us -
280 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER 2 - CONTINUOUS 280
Cooper puts his hands on the controls -
COOPER
He’s a robot, Amelia - I don’t have
to ask him to do anything.
281 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 281
Brand is furious -
BRAND
Cooper, you asshole -
COOPER
(over radio)
132.
Sorry, you broke up a little there.
TARS
(over radio)
It’s what we intended, Dr Brand ...
282 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 282
Tars sits at the controls, ready.
TARS
It’s our last chance to save people
on Earth - if I can find some way
to transmit the quantum data I’ll
find in there, they might still
make it.
283 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 283
Brand considers this.
BRAND
If there’s someone still there to
receive it ...
284 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 284
The Endurance ACCELERATES towards the darkness ...
285 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 285
The black hole’s gravity makes the ship SHUDDER ... Brand,
helmet on, tightens her harness ...
286 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 286
The Endurance STREAKS above the glowing horizon, SKIRTING
the BLACKNESS beneath ...
287 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 287
Tars looks out at the DARK OCEAN ...
288 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 288
133.
The ship orbits the black hole with BLINDING ACCELERATION -
289 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 289
The ship is SHAKING with GRAVITATIONAL ENERGY ...
CASE
MAXIMUM VELOCITY ACHIEVED ...
PREPARE TO FIRE ESCAPE THRUSTERS -
290 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 290
Tars checks his instruments -
TARS
Ready.
291 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER 2 - CONTINUOUS 291
Cooper checks his instruments -
COOPER
Ready.
292 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 292
Brand looks out at the glowing horizon. Glances fearfully
at the darkness below ... Case puts his hand on the button
-
CASE
Main engine ignition in three, two,
one, mark -
Case hits the button -
293 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 293
The MAIN ENGINES FIRE - STRAINING AGAINST GARGANTUA ...
294 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 294
Brand feels the thrusters STRAIN to lift the craft -
CASE
134.
Lander 1 engines, on my mark,
three, two, one, mark -
295 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER - CONTINUOUS 295
Tars hits the button -
TARS
Fire.
296 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 296
Lander 1’s engines FIRE, adding to the thrust. The
Endurance starts RISING away from the darkness ...
CASE
(over radio)
Ranger 2’s engines, on my mark -
three, two, one, mark -
297 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER 2 - CONTINUOUS 297
Cooper hits the button -
COOPER
Fire.
298 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 298
Ranger 2’s engines add a fresh BLAST of fire, pushing the
Endurance higher and higher ... back into the starlight ...
299 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER 2 - CONTINUOUS 299
Cooper, shaking with the thrust, looks at his instruments -
COOPER
That little maneuver cost us fifty-
one years ...!
300 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 300
Brand holds on tight -
BRAND
135.
You don’t sound so bad for a
hundred and twenty!
301 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 301
Lander 1’s engines DIE OUT ...
CASE
(over radio)
Lander 1, prepare to detach, on my
mark ... three ...
302 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 302
Brand looks over at the lander -
CASE
Two ...
303 INT. COCKPIT, LANDER 1 - CONTINUOUS 303
CASE
(over radio)
One ... mark -
Tars hits a switch -
TARS
Detach.
304 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 304
Brand sees Lander 1 DROP, revealing Cooper in Ranger 2 ...
BRAND
Goodbye, Tars ...
TARS
(over radio)
See you on the other side, Coop ...
Something in this makes Brand frown, PUZZLED ...
305 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 305
Lander 1 FALLS behind as the Endurance continues to RISE
...
136.
306 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER 2 - CONTINUOUS 306
Cooper checks his dwindling fuel supply ...
COOPER
Hey, Case? Nice reckless flying.
CASE
(over radio)
Learned from the master.
307 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 307
As Lander 1 FALLS back towards Gargantua, Ranger 2’s
engines DIE OUT ...
308 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 308
Case registers the burnout.
CASE
Ranger 2, prepare to detach -
Brand looks up, SHOCKED -
BRAND
NO!
She UNBUCKLES -
CASE
On my mark -
FLIES to the window looking onto Cooper -
BRAND
What are you doing!
CASE
Three ...
309 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER 2 - CONTINUOUS 309
Cooper looks across at Brand.
COOPER
Newton’s third law - you have to
leave something behind.
137.
CASE
(over radio)
Two ...
310 INT. RING MODULE, ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 310
Brand pushes her helmet up against the window,
BRAND
You told me we had enough power -
CASE
One ...
311 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER 2 - CONTINUOUS 311
Cooper looks at her, fondly -
COOPER
Hey, we agreed - ninety percent.
CASE
(over radio)
Mark ...
Cooper reaches for the button. Takes one last look at Brand
- inside her helmet, Brand is crying, zero-G tears catching
in her eyelashes like melted snowflakes.
Cooper hits the button. But the word catches in his throat
-.
COOPER
Detach -
312 EXT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 312
Ranger 2 DROPS AWAY from the Endurance ...
313 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER 2 - CONTINUOUS 313
Cooper sees the Endurance ACCELERATE AWAY to a bright point
as he FALLS AND FALLS ... Cooper starts to breathe FASTER -
314 EXT. GARGANTUA - CONTINUOUS 314
138.
Ranger 2 PLUMMETS towards blackness as the horizon GLOWS
BRIGHTER and BRIGHTER - distorted starlight, plasma jets
...
315 INT. COCKPIT, RANGER 2 - CONTINUOUS 315
Cooper, trying to control his breathing, uses retro-rockets
to TURN the lander down. He GASPS at the FLAMING HORIZON -
COOPER
(over radio)
Tars? Are you there?
STATIC - Ranger 2 TILTS down - INKY BLACKNESS ahead -
316 INT. ENDURANCE - CONTINUOUS 316
Brand, crying, monitors Cooper’s lonely transmissions ...
317 EXT. GARGANTUA - CONTINUOUS 317
Ranger 2 PLUNGES towards the black hole. We hear Cooper’s
panic breathing get LOUDER and LOUDER until - Ranger 2
SHUDDERS with EXPONENTIALLY RISING GRAVITATIONAL ENERGY as
it CROSSES THE HORIZON - PLUNGING TOWARDS THE SINGULARITY -
ALL WAVELENGTHS OF LIGHT CASCADING WITH HIM - AS WE -
PLUNGE INTO ABSOLUTE ...
WHITE -
Not a whiteout - a SHIMMERING CAVALCADE OF ALL WAVELENGTHS:
LIGHT, SOUND, EVERYTHING ... the SPHERICAL INSIDE OF THE
BLACK HOLE, like a STAR turned INSIDE OUT. COOPER IS
SCREAMING and we CUT to -
BURNING CORN - men fighting a fire, Tom leading, GESTURING
-
318 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - TWILIGHT 318
Murph (forty) sits on the bed, looking into the BOX. She
pulls out the LUNAR LANDER MODEL, looks up at the books ...
GETTY
(O.S.)
Come on, Murph! We don’t have much
time!
139.
319 EXT. GARGANTUA - DAY 319
A BLACK DOT appears, RUSHING TOWARDS US to become - A DARK
SPHERE - we PLUNGE through it into SILENT DARKNESS - a
WHITE SPHERE races towards us -
Just as the wormhole was a spherical hole, THESE SPHERES
ARE HOLES WITHIN HOLES ... we are dropping through A FOUR-
DIMENSIONAL RABBIT HOLE - LIGHT/DARK/LIGHT/DARK/LIGHT/DARK
with BLINDING RAPIDITY - the frequency almost SPEAKING.
Cooper hangs on for dear life -
COMPUTER VOICE
(O.S.)
FUEL CELL OVERLOAD. DESTRUCTION
IMMINENT. INITIATE EJECTION.
Cooper is LAUNCHED out of Ranger 2, which EXPLODES, and,
PULLED to one side, MISSES A WHITE HOLE - PLUNGING INSTEAD
TOWARDS A SMALLER GLASS-LIKE SPHERE -
Cooper slows as he falls towards this sphere, reminiscent
of the wormhole, but the light within is not stars but an
infinity of WORLD LINES - (paths of objects through
spacetime) -
Cooper PLUNGES INTO THE WORLD SPHERE ... As he falls his
SINGLE WORLD LINE stretches behind him - the INFINITE
FUTURES OF HIS WORLD LINE splitting ahead to all the
different possibilities in spacetime -
Cooper himself is now like a ring being pulled down a cone
of fabric. He STARES at the ORDERED CHAOS of world lines
...
As he SLOWS his past and future world lines BREAK UP so
they become like INFINITE REFLECTIONS IN PARALLEL MIRRORS
... Cooper’s world line DROPS into a SMALL, SQUARE TUNNEL -
320 INT. THE TESSERACT - CONTINUOUS 320
Tight enough to feel BLINDINGLY FAST at first, but Cooper
(and his INFINITE OTHERS) is actually SLOWING ... Cooper
DESPERATELY reaches out, KNOCKING the sides of the tunnel,
TRYING to slow himself - GRAPPLING - KICKING ’BRICKS’ out
of
the ’walls’. He finally STOPS. Looks around in the SUDDEN
CALM, FLOATING, catching his breath. He reaches out to the
tunnel wall - CONFUSED -
140.
Each ’brick’ is TIGHTLY PACKED PAPER ... PAGES ... BOOKS -
AS SEEN FROM BEHIND A SHELF ...
Cooper PUSHES against a book - it MOVES SLIGHTLY. Cooper
PUSHES, HARDER AND HARDER AND HARDER -
The book drops out of sight, revealing -
Murph, aged ten, wet hair, towel around her neck, TURNS,
STARTLED by THE BOOK FALLING FROM HER SHELF.
COOPER
Murph? Murph?
She can’t hear him ...
321 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - MORNING 321
Murph (ten) stands there, startled, STARING at the
bookshelves. At the book on the floor, a broken toy beside
it ...
322 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - TWILIGHT 322
Murph (forty) looks at the bookshelves, REMEMBERING ...
323 INT. THE TESSERACT - CONTINUOUS 323
Cooper watches Murph (ten) cautiously approach - she
CROUCHES. Picks something up -
324 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - TWILIGHT 324
Murph (forty) turns the lunar lander in her hands.
Thinking.
325 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - DAY 325
Murph (ten) stands up holding the broken LUNAR LANDER ...
326 INT. THE TESSERACT - CONTINUOUS 326
Cooper watches Murph (ten) examine the two pieces of the
LUNAR LANDER MODEL -
COOPER
141.
MURPH! MURPH!
She turns ... leaves the room ... Cooper floats there,
staring. He LOOKS around - each ’wall’ of the tesseract is
a different view of Murph’s bedroom, so that by rotating he
can effectively orbit her room ...
He claws his way down to the next book wall. PUNCHES out
two books -
Murph’s bedroom, empty. The door opens, Cooper’s EARLIER
SELF is standing there, staring at the room, perturbed.
Murph (ten) joins Cooper, staring at the empty room ...
Cooper LASHES out at the books - kicks a book out - SPOTS -
Murph (ten) closes her door, crying, sliding the desk in
front -
327 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - TWILIGHT 327
Murph (forty) feels the desk. She puts her hand on the back
of the chair, tilts it slightly, remembering -
328 INT. THE TESSERACT - CONTINUOUS 328
Cooper watches Murph (ten) put A CHAIR ON TOP OF THE DESK.
The earlier Cooper nudges the door open -
329 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - EVENING 329
Murph (ten) sees the door NUDGING against the desk and
chair -
MURPH
Just go. If you’re leaving - just
leave now.
330 INT. THE TESSERACT - CONTINUOUS 330
Cooper, the frustrated observer, spins around to see his
EARLIER SELF nudging the door -
COOPER
(to his earlier self)
Don’t go, you idiot!
His Earlier Self shuts the door ...
142.
COOPER
Don’t leave your kids. You goddamn
fool.
Cooper PUNCHES OUT books with all his strength -
COOPER
S ... T ...
Murph (ten) is watching, no longer scared, fascinated -
COOPER
A ... Y ...
Cooper STOPS. Catches his breath. Waits ... Earlier Cooper
lifts the chair off the table to enter.
Cooper watches his earlier self, FRUSTRATED -
COOPER
Stay, you idiot! Tell him, Murph!
Stay ...
As before, Cooper gives Murph the WATCH ... Murph THROWS
THE WATCH and TURNS AWAY ...
COOPER
Murph, tell him again! Don’t let
him leave ...!
331 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - TWILIGHT 331
Murph (forty) picks up the notebook. Opens it. Finds the
word ’STAY’ ... looks up at the books, REALIZING ...
332 INT. THE TESSERACT - DAY 332
Cooper is crying with frustration ...
COOPER
Murph, don’t let me leave ...
Cooper watches as his earlier self heads to the door -
COOPER
STAY!!
Cooper SMASHES a book from the shelf with all his might -
His earlier self turns back. Looks at the book. Then
leaves.
143.
Cooper rests his head against the books, SOBBING.
333 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - TWILIGHT 333
Murph (forty) lowers her notebook, moves to the
bookshelves, IN AWE ...
MURPH
Dad ... it was you. You were my
ghost ...
She is crying. Joyful.
334 INT. THE TESSERACT - DAY 334
Cooper sobs at the back of the books. Lost ...
TARS
(over radio)
Cooper?
Cooper, STARTLED, turns. Tars is not there.
COOPER
You survived.
TARS
(over radio)
Somewhere. In their fifth
dimension. They saved us ...
COOPER
(frustrated)
Who’s ’They’? And why would they
help us?
TARS
(over radio)
I don’t know, but they constructed
this three-dimensional space inside
their five-dimensional reality to
allow you to understand it ...
COOPER
It isn’t working -!
TARS
(over radio)
144.
Yes, it is. You’ve seen that time
is represented here as a physical
dimension - you even worked out
that you can exert a force across
spacetime -
COOPER
(realizing)
Gravity. To send a message ...
Cooper looks around the infinite tunnel, infinite Coopers.
COOPER
Gravity crosses the dimensions -
including time -
Cooper THINKS ... He pulls himself up to a different wall,
starts counting books ...
And you have the quantum data, now -
TARS
(over radio)
I’m transmitting it on all
wavelengths - but nothing’s getting
out ...
COOPER
I can do it -
Cooper HITS a book’s world line, sending a WAVE ...
TARS
(over radio)
Such complicated data ... to a
child ...
COOPER
Not just any child.
335 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - TWILIGHT 335
Murph (forty) stands there, looking at her old notebook -
the page that says ’STAY’ ...
GETTY
(O.S.)
MURPH?! COME ON!
She looks around the room, SEARCHING for an answer ...
145.
336 EXT. THE TESSERACT - DAY 336
Cooper watches Murph (ten) looking out the window ...
TARS
(over radio)
Even if you communicate it here,
she wouldn’t understand its
significance for years ...
Cooper is seized by a sudden anger -
COOPER
Then figure something out!
Everybody on Earth is going to die!
TARS
Cooper, they didn’t bring us here
to change the past.
Cooper hears something in this -
COOPER
We brought ourselves here ...
Cooper PUSHES off, looking through the gaps in the books.
Murph’s bedroom, full of DUST in the DUST STORM -
COOPER
Tars, feed me the coordinates of
NASA in binary ...
Cooper is in the room now, drawing a pattern in the dust
...
Cooper watches Murph (ten) burst into the room. Murph stops
and stares at the dust as Cooper’s Earlier Self comes in
past her, SLAMS the window shut - sees the PATTERN of dust
...
337 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - TWILIGHT 337
Murph (forty) runs her finger along the DUST of the
windowsill ... She turns to look around the room.
Frustrated.
MURPH
Come on, Dad. Is there something
else here ...?
146.
338 INT. TESSERACT - CONTINUOUS 338
Cooper looks up from the floor -
COOPER
Don’t you see, Tars? I brought
myself here. We’re here to
communicate with the three-
dimensional world. We’re the bridge
...
Cooper moves to another iteration of Murph’s room. Murph
(ten) JUMPS up - GRABS the WATCH, RUNS out the door ...
339 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - TWILIGHT 339
Murph (forty) looks at the watch, remembering. The second
hand TWITCHES. She drops the watch back into the box ...
340 INT. TESSERACT - CONTINUOUS 340
Cooper pushes himself along the world line of the books ...
COOPER
I thought they chose me - they
never chose me - they chose Murph.
TARS
(over radio)
For what?
COOPER
To save the world!
Murph (ten) comes back into her bedroom, SOBBING. She is
holding the watch. She puts it on the shelf.
341 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - TWILIGHT 341
Murph (forty) puts the box back on the shelf. SIGHS ...
342 INT. TESSERACT - CONTINUOUS 342
Cooper races FASTER and FASTER down the world lines.
COOPER
’They’ have access to infinite
time, infinite space ...
147.
Cooper gestures at the INFINITIES in all directions ...
COOPER
But no way to find what they need -
but I can find Murph and find a way
to tell her - like I found this
moment -
TARS
(over radio)
How?
COOPER
Love, Tars. Love - just like Brand
said - that’s how we find things
here.
TARS
(over radio)
So what are we here to do?
Cooper looks around the tesseract. The watch sits there on
the shelf for as long as he can see ...
COOPER
The watch. That’s it. She’ll come
back for it -
TARS
How do you know?
COOPER
Because I gave it to her. We use
the second hand. Translate the data
into Morse and feed it to me -
Tars starts to transmit. Cooper GRABS the second-hand world
line - starts to MANIPULATE it, sending waves down the
world line ...
TARS
What if she never came back for it?
COOPER
She will. She will ... I feel it
...
The second hand is FLICKING back and forth ...
343 INT. MURPH’S BEDROOM - TWILIGHT 343
Murph (forty) turns to leave ...
148.
GETTY
(O.S.)
MURPH, HE’S COMING!
She pauses. Goes back to the box - reaches in. PULLS OUT
THE WATCH ... staring at it ... wondering ...
GETTY
(O.S.)
MURPH?! MURPH ...?!
344 EXT. FARMHOUSE - TWILIGHT 344
Getty is holding a tire iron, watching TOM’S TRUCK
APPROACH.
Lois and Coop STARE, FEARFUL, from the truck ... Tom
APPROACHES, BLACK from soot ...
Murph BURSTS out of the house ... right up to Tom ...
MURPH
Tom, he came back ... he came back
...
TOM
Who?
She holds up the watch ...
MURPH
Dad. It was him. All this time ...
it was him. He’s going to save us
...
CLOSE ON the second hand of the watch, FLICKING back and
forth -
345 INT. PROFESSOR BRAND’S OFFICE - DAY 345
Murph furiously TRANSCRIBES the movements of the second
hand -
346 INT. CORRIDOR, NASA - LATER 346
Murph, papers in hand, RUNS down the corridor, BUMPS into
Getty - doesn’t stop ...
347 INT. LAUNCH FACILITY - CONTINUOUS 347
149.
Murph runs to the railing of the catwalk above the enormous
construction, looks down at the thousands of workers below.
Getty comes out after her, curious. She looks at him, then
SHOUTS OUT to the enormous space ...
MURPH
EU-RE-KA!
She turns to Getty - GRINNING.
MURPH
Well, it’s traditional.
She THROWS her paper out over the railing -
MURPH
EUREKA!!
Workers look up to see her papers flitting down ...
348 EXT. THE TESSERACT - DAY 348
Cooper looks out at the world line of the watch, of Murph,
as it leads out into infinite complexity ...
COOPER
Did it work?
TARS
(over radio)
I think it might have.
COOPER
(hopeful)
Why?
TARS
(over radio)
Because the bulk beings are closing
the tesseract ...
Cooper looks out to the distance - it is RAPIDLY
APPROACHING, WORLD LINES BECOMING WORLD SHEETS, BECOMING
BULKS ...
COOPER
Don’t you get it, yet, Tars? ’They’
aren’t ’beings’ ... they’re us ...
trying to help ... just like I
tried to help Murph ...
150.
TARS
(over radio)
People didn’t build this tesseract
-
COOPER
Not yet ... but one day. Not you
and me but people, people who’ve
evolved beyond the four dimensions
we know ...
The tesseract EXPANSION BACK INTO FIVE DIMENSIONS IS ALMOST
UPON THEM - Cooper BRACES HIMSELF -
COOPER
What happens now -?
BAM - he is swept up in the expansion like a tiny leaf on a
CHURNING WAVE -
Cooper FLIES through the EXPANDING COSMOS, past PLANETS
ORBITING STARS, WHICH BECOME ATOMIC PARTICLES, WHICH BECOME
MATTER, BECOMING STARS ...
Cooper APPROACHES A GLASSY TUBE. Inside is the OLD,
UNDAMAGED ENDURANCE. As Cooper looks in from the bulk he
sees: Brand, strapped in, Doyle opposite, traversing the
wormhole for the first time ...
Cooper REACHES for Brand ... She sees something, reaches up
- their hands would touch if they weren’t in different
dimensions, her fingers distorting the space of his fingers
-
WHAM! She, and the Endurance, are SWEPT PAST - Cooper is
SMASHED into the spacetime of the wormhole - he SCREAMS AND
WE -
349 INT. OUTER SPACE - LATER 349
Cooper FLOATS, dead or unconscious, near Saturn. In the
distance we see two Rangers approaching ...
350 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY 350
Cooper’s eyes flicker open. A bright room with an open
window, net curtains obscuring the view. We hear the CRACK
of a baseball off a bat. Children LAUGHING.
VOICE
(O.S.)
151.
Mr Cooper? Mr Cooper?
Cooper looks over to see a Nurse and a Doctor watching him.
He tries to sit up.
DOCTOR
Take it slow, sir. Remember you’re
no spring chicken any more.
(Amused.)
I gather you’re one hundred and
twenty-four years old.
(Checks Cooper’s chart.)
You were extremely lucky. The
Rangers found you with only minutes
left in your oxygen supply -
COOPER
Where am I?
The Doctor, almost surprised, TURNS, moves to the window,
opens the curtains. Where Cooper should see sky, he sees a
CURVING UPSIDE-DOWN TOWN ...
DOCTOR
Cooper Station. Currently orbiting
Saturn.
The Nurse helps Cooper to the window. He looks out at the
VAST CYLINDRICAL STATION - cornfields and buildings.
Outside his window, kids are playing baseball. The batter
hits a POP FLY ... the kids watch it up and up, until it
carries on, falling up towards the buildings above. The
kids SHOUT a warning - the ball smashes a skylight. Cooper
watches the kids laugh.
COOPER
Nice of you to name the place after
me.
The Nurse giggles. The Doctor shoots her a look -
What?
DOCTOR
The station wasn’t named after you,
sir ... It was named after your
daughter.
Cooper smiles at this ...
DOCTOR
152.
Although, she’s always maintained
just how important you were -
COOPER
Is she ...
(Braces.)
still alive?
DOCTOR
She’ll be here in a couple weeks.
She’s really far too old for a
transfer from another station, but
when she heard you’d been found ...
well, this is Murphy Cooper we’re
talking about.
COOPER
(marveling)
Yes, it is ...
The Doctor is wrapping up -
DOCTOR
We’ll have you checked out in a
couple days.
Cooper turns back to the window, thinking ...
ADMINISTRATOR
(V.O.)
I’m sure you’ll be excited to see
what’s in store ...
351 INT. HANGAR, COOPER STATION - DAY 351
The ADMINISTRATOR, thirties, leads Cooper along a walkway -
ADMINISTRATOR
We’ve got a nice situation for you
...
Cooper looks down at a line of SLEEK NEXT-GENERATION
RANGERS. Sees a PILOT climb into one. Mechanics work
another ...
ADMINISTRATOR
I actually did a paper on you in
high school, sir. I know all about
your life on Earth ...
352 EXT. TOWN SQUARE, COOPER STATION - CONTINUOUS 352
153.
Cooper looks at the strangely ordinary town the
Administrator is walking him through ...
ADMINISTRATOR
So when I made my suggestion to Ms
Cooper, I was delighted to hear
that she thought it was perfect ...
353 EXT. FARMHOUSE - CONTINUOUS 353
The Adminstrator leads Cooper through a cornfield ... The
old farmhouse is there, preserved. As Cooper approaches, a
small monitor starts playing the footage of OLD-TIMERS from
the start of the movie.
ADMINISTRATOR
Of course, I didn’t speak to her
personally ...
As Cooper passes the monitor it changes to a FAMILIAR OLD
LADY, but Cooper misses it ...
354 INT. KITCHEN, FARMHOUSE - CONTINUOUS 354
OLD-TIMERS play on video screens: a museum exhibit. The
Administrator holds the door open for Cooper.
ADMINISTRATOR
But she confirmed just how much you
loved farming.
COOPER
She did, huh?
Cooper looks over the kitchen. Cooper sees a familiar-
looking articulated machine -
COOPER
Is that ...?
ADMINISTRATOR
The machine we found out near
Saturn when we found you, yes. Its
power source was shot, but we could
get you another if you want to try
and get it up and running again.
Cooper turns to the Administrator.
COOPER
Please.
154.
355 INT. HANGAR, COOPER STATION - EVENING 355
Cooper, from the catwalk, watches the last of the Rangers
come back from patrol. The PILOT jumps down as the ground
crew wheels it into its place in the line of sleek ships.
356 INT. KITCHEN, FARMHOUSE - NIGHT 356
Cooper has Tars’ head laid out on the kitchen table.
TARS
Settings: general settings,
security setting -
COOPER
Honesty. New level setting. Ninety-
five percent.
TARS
Confirmed. Additional
customization?
COOPER
Yes. Humor, seventy-five percent.
Wait.
(Thinks.)
Sixty percent.
357 INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM - DAY 357
Cooper enters, nervous. A nurse is there.
COOPER
Is she -?
NURSE
The family’s all in there.
COOPER
The family?
NURSE
They all came along to see her -
she’s been in cryo-sleep for almost
two years.
358 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS 358
155.
Cooper cautiously pushes open the door. The bed is
surrounded by people, grown-up children, grandchildren,
babies ... They turn to look at him: some SMILES, some
CURIOUS looks, a small child HIDES behind a parent’s leg
... Cooper approaches, and the family parts to let him see
an ELDERLY WOMAN, lying in the bed, FRAIL.
She looks up at Cooper. Delighted. Tears of joy. She
reaches up to him ... he takes her hands.
COOPER
Murph.
MURPH
Dad.
(To the others.)
Please.
Her voice is a frail whisper. With authority. The family
shuffles out. Cooper watches them go, turns back to Murph.
COOPER
You told them I like farming.
Murph smiles, still mischievous. Cooper marvels at her.
COOPER
Murph, it was me. I was your ghost.
MURPH
I know ...
She lifts her wrist - the WATCH is there ...
MURPH
People didn’t believe me, they
thought I’d done it all myself ...
(Taps watch.)
MURPH
But I knew who it was ...
COOPER
A father looks in his child’s eyes
and thinks - maybe it’s them -
maybe my child will save the world.
MURPH
156.
And everyone, once a child, wants
to looks into their own dad’s eyes
and know he saw. But, usually, by
then, the father is gone. Nobody
believed me, but I knew you’d come
back.
COOPER
How?
MURPH
Because my dad promised me.
Cooper is crying now.
COOPER
I’m here now. I’m here for you,
Murph.
Murph is shaking her head.
MURPH
No parent should have to watch
their child die. My kids are here
for me now. Go.
COOPER
Where?
MURPH
(it’s so obvious)
Brand.
And the family comes back in as Cooper releases Murph’s
hand, stepping back to let Murph’s kids and grandkids swarm
over her ... He watches them, their love, as if from
another dimension. A man out of time. A ghost.
MURPH
(V.O.)
She’s out there ...
359 EXT. EDMUNDS’ DESERT PLANET - DAY 359
Brand, in suit and helmet, stands watching Case excavate a
pod, buried under a massive rock fall. She is crying.
MURPH
(V.O.)
Setting up camp ...
157.
360 EXT. HANGAR, COOPER STATION - NIGHT 360
MECHANIC finishes looking over one of the sleek new
Rangers.
He packs his tools and heads out.
A figure unfolds itself in the shadows - Tars. He picks his
way through the shadows, unlocks the door. Cooper DARTS in
...
361 EXT. EDMUNDS’ DESERT PLANET - DAY 361
Brand kneels in front of a small CROSS. Edmunds’ nameplate
hangs from it.
MURPH
... Alone in a strange galaxy ...
She unseals her helmet - PULLS IT OFF ...
362 INT. HANGAR, COOPER STATION - NIGHT 362
Cooper and Tars scurry down the line of sleek ships. Cooper
points - Tars starts working the hatch mechanism, while
Cooper KEEPS WATCH ...
363 EXT. EDMUNDS’ DESERT PLANET - DAY 363
Brand, helmet off, BREATHES. And breathes again.
MURPH
(V.O.)
Maybe, right now, she’s settling in
for the long nap ...
364 INT. RANGER IN HANGAR, COOPER STATION - NIGHT 364
Cooper STRAPS into the pilot’s chair, Tars beside him. The
outer doors slide open. They look out at the inky blackness
of space ...
365 EXT. EDMUNDS’ DESERT PLANET - DUSK 365
Brand looks at the setting sun ...
MURPH
158.
(V.O.)
By the light of our new sun ...
366 INT. HANGAR, COOPER STATION - MORNING 366
The Mechanic opening up, walks along the row of ships until
-
One is MISSING.
367 EXT. EDMUNDS’ DESERT PLANET - DUSK 367
Brand turns from the dwindling light ...
MURPH
(V.O.)
In our new home.
She heads down through the twilight towards camp. And we -
Fade out.
Credits.
End.