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Beowulf: The Script Book
The celebrated heroic epic poem is brought to the the big screen with a script that envisions the trials and tribulations of the noble Beowulf . Thrilling, frightening, and truly epic, Gaiman and Avary have crafted an amazing script with all the adventure of the original that illuminates one of the all-time greatest tales. In this legend, the outcast monster Grendel attacks Hrothgar’s great hall, devouring many warriors. When the news of Grendel’s onslaught reaches the Geats tribe, their greatest warrior, Beowulf, leaves his homeland to aid those plagued by the monster. But beyond Grendel lie even greater foes and dark secrets that imperil the kingdom. This epic visualization of Beowulf’s combats with Grendel and later, Grendel’s revenge-crazed mother, merges science fiction and fantastic story-telling, bringing to life the most enduring tale of all time.
264 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 20, 2017
Me gustó mucho la historia así como la ilustración...
En cuanto a la película lo único que me causa un poco de ruido es lo visual, pero la historia en sí es muy buena y en el Cómic lo sigue siendo.
¿Recomendable? Si, definitivamente.
En cuanto a la película lo único que me causa un poco de ruido es lo visual, pero la historia en sí es muy buena y en el Cómic lo sigue siendo.
¿Recomendable? Si, definitivamente.
March 12, 2018
Was interesting to read the before and after notes by the authors explaining their thoughts and process. I like the first script, but can’t say I was a fan of the second, which seems to have become the movie or close to it anyway.
April 16, 2021
Collected in in Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions. A poem about who I think is the Werewolf Adjuster from Only the End of the World Again, set in the beaches of Baywatch. Deep down this is also possibly a retelling of Beowulf. Gory yet hilarious satire.
They had no idea what it was, but still,
it ripped them limb from limb and head from neck,
tore saline bags out from ballooning breasts,
left steroid-shrunken testes on the beach
like tiny world-shaped creatures in the sand.
They had no idea what it was, but still,
it ripped them limb from limb and head from neck,
tore saline bags out from ballooning breasts,
left steroid-shrunken testes on the beach
like tiny world-shaped creatures in the sand.
May 12, 2023
**SPOILER**
I've never read the classic Beowulf. Instead of reading the classic verse poem, I read this interesting re-imagining of the classic story in a film screenplay format. It's also a memoir by Roger Avary who collaborated with Neil Gaiman to write the screenplay. Neil comes up with a premise that would make the film more interesting than the original story: Grendel the monster was Hrothgar's son. Beowulf, Grendel's slayer, was also seduced by the same demon as Hrothgar, Grendel's mother who later births the dragon who fights the older Beowulf.
"He is honestly a sweet and gentle person, except in the matter of eating people, and then only when driven mad with noise."
"Grendel writes in agony as we hear this noise, louder and harsher than anything he's heard so far. He moans. He hits his head against the cave floor, as if trying to distract himself from the noise, causing this forehead to bleed."
"This is a monster born of pain. Once a man, now twisted into a caricature of insanity and depravity."
I've never read the classic Beowulf. Instead of reading the classic verse poem, I read this interesting re-imagining of the classic story in a film screenplay format. It's also a memoir by Roger Avary who collaborated with Neil Gaiman to write the screenplay. Neil comes up with a premise that would make the film more interesting than the original story: Grendel the monster was Hrothgar's son. Beowulf, Grendel's slayer, was also seduced by the same demon as Hrothgar, Grendel's mother who later births the dragon who fights the older Beowulf.
"He is honestly a sweet and gentle person, except in the matter of eating people, and then only when driven mad with noise."
"Grendel writes in agony as we hear this noise, louder and harsher than anything he's heard so far. He moans. He hits his head against the cave floor, as if trying to distract himself from the noise, causing this forehead to bleed."
"This is a monster born of pain. Once a man, now twisted into a caricature of insanity and depravity."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2023
4.75/5
August 27, 2016
Want to read John Gardner's Grendel, but thought I should first refamiliarize myself with the Beowulf legend, and so figured this would be a fun way to do so.
Besides just being the final screenplay for the Robert Zemekis motion-capture film, this book also contains the first draft of that screenplay written eight years earlier. And so for anyone interested in the writing process, this is a fascinating book to see how things change from original draft to final product - how the authors add characters and plot details, "up" the action and emotional content while also trimming the unnecessary fat, etc. So overall, a great way to both refresh my knowledge of the source material before reading Grendel and learn a bit about the editing/redrafting process.
Now want to go out and get the video again!
Besides just being the final screenplay for the Robert Zemekis motion-capture film, this book also contains the first draft of that screenplay written eight years earlier. And so for anyone interested in the writing process, this is a fascinating book to see how things change from original draft to final product - how the authors add characters and plot details, "up" the action and emotional content while also trimming the unnecessary fat, etc. So overall, a great way to both refresh my knowledge of the source material before reading Grendel and learn a bit about the editing/redrafting process.
Now want to go out and get the video again!
May 11, 2012
Finding this book was a steal for me. I literally found it in a discount bin for five dollars and I knew I couldn't pass up an opportunity to get it. Honestly, where else was I going to find a Beowulf script book? This book is brilliant (and I do not use that word lightly). I've read my share of plays with striking lines and to die for sequences but a movie script is entirely different. I had already seen the Beowulf movie by the time I found this one so visualizing wasn't a challenge but I feel it wouldn't have been even if I had seen the book. Neil Gaiman and Roger Avery produced a jaw dropping adventure with the Beowulf tale including naughty songs that get stuck in your head and make you laugh.
July 19, 2008
I thought this was pretty fun to read - it's too bad the movie was SOOOOO awful. I enjoy Neil Gaiman and Roger's work, and this was definitely them shining and having fun. It was a good weekend read and interesting to see the difference between the 2 script versions along with their stories.
It's a shame cause i enjoyed this book, but it must've spoiled the movie cause I couldn't believe how unbelievably painful the movie was.
It's a shame cause i enjoyed this book, but it must've spoiled the movie cause I couldn't believe how unbelievably painful the movie was.
Want to read
August 29, 2009Book Details:
Title Beowulf: The Script Book
Author Neil Gaiman & Roger Avary
Reviewed By Purplycookie
purply's library, neil gaiman, purply's reviews, movie tie-in, books
Title Beowulf: The Script Book
Author Neil Gaiman & Roger Avary
Reviewed By Purplycookie
purply's library, neil gaiman, purply's reviews, movie tie-in, books
September 13, 2015
The script and the film are ugly and shallow and bear little semblance to the themes found in Beowulf. The script panders to all that a 13 year old boy wants to see and has none of the depth (ironic for a 3D movie) of the original Anglo-Saxon epic.
June 25, 2008
Kind of cool to read the script that DIDN'T get made. Although, to be honest, it's not radically different from what was "filmed". It is always a pleasure to read Mr. Gaiman's dialogue, though.
October 24, 2008
I really put the book on here just as an excuse to talk up how great the movie based on this script is.
June 30, 2009
Reading this screenplay was interesting, but the best part of the book was the history of the path the screenplay took before actually being produced. Good for movie buffs only.
Read
January 26, 2013actually, I've got the comic book version based on this script.
July 13, 2014
Autographed copy! <3
June 24, 2015
I read the graphic. Follows the film closely and uses Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews