Page One: “Constantine” (2005)

Screenplay by Kevin Brodbin and Frank A. Cappello, story by Kevin Brodbin, based on a comic book by Jamie Delano & Garth Ennis

The movie version of the opening:

Completely different opening than the script. The movie begins with the discovery of the Spear of Destiny, then segues to the introduction of John Constantine. No Istanbul prison in sight.

Why the change? As we’ve seen often in the Page One series, genre movies tend to begin with an action scene, substituting for a character scene in the script. This gives the audience a taste of what’s to come and the action plays out underneath subsequent scenes and their Act One exposition, providing a promise: There’s more where that came from.

You may read the screenplay here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.