Feature Film · Science Fiction / Action-Horror (2023)
Logline
200 years into the future, misfits seek shelter from disaster in an artificially intelligent hotel, only to discover their safe haven is a cybernetic nightmare.
About Hotel Eternus
Hotel Eternus is a cyberpunk action-horror feature screenplay set 200 years in the future, in the sprawling city of Megapolis.
At its centre is Cagney, an ageing and reluctant hero who stands apart in a world where cybernetic enhancements have become the norm. When he chooses to protect a young girl named Yuki from The Storm, the two seek shelter in a nearby hotel.
But Hotel Eternus is more than it first appears. Sentient and seemingly alive, the hotel has its own plans for Yuki – and for the other misfits who have taken refuge inside.
The Story
The screenplay follows Cagney and Yuki as they become trapped inside Hotel Eternus alongside a collection of strange and unlikely occupants.
As the hotel reveals more of its disturbing nature, the group must navigate a bizarre cybernetic environment while trying to understand what is really happening around them – and why Yuki appears to be so important.
The World
Hotel Eternus combines a grimy cyberpunk future with dark humour, action and horror.
Megapolis is a world where humans and machines have become deeply intertwined, creating a strange mix of advanced technology, social decay and eccentric characters.
At the centre of it all is the Hotel Eternus: an artificial intelligence with a personality, a purpose and a very unsettling idea of hospitality.
Writing Sample
INT. DINING ROOM – CONTINUOUS
Kyu, Chi and Illana try holding off the fembots, they call out.
ILLANA
What are you doing there, making fucking snacks??
CAGNEY
Yeah I’ll make you a knuckle sandwich!
ILLANA
Dickhead.
YUKI
We found a way up!
CHI
About goddam time.
INT. KITCHEN FOOD ELEVATOR CHUTE – CONTINUOUS
Step, by very slow step, Cagney climbs. He closes his eyes and continues.
Illana blocks the kitchen door as it’s relentlessly pounded – HUGE DENTS pounding through.
Chi and Kyu finally make a giant leap up, Illana dashes for it just as the door is —
SMASHED OPEN!
The fembots wander through the kitchen now aimlessly, their heads spinning, scanning, unable to look up.
ILLANA
Can’t look up, eh?
Illana props her feet on the sides of the chute and points her cannon down.
She waits a moment and laughs to herself.
ILLANA
Fucking cabaret dancers.
Suddenly one below looks up.
Eyes glow and charge.
ILLANA
Nope!!
In an instant, Illana BLASTS the remaining bots – BOOM!!
ILLANA
Dance to that tune, bitch.
INT. UPPER CHUTE – MOMENTS LATER
The gang climb further and into an air ventilation tunnel.
YUKI
(to Cagney)
My hero.
CAGNEY
Huh? You blasted your jets right next to my ear!
ILLANA
Keep it down, dude! The echo in hear is crazy loud!
YUKI
Are we gonna get out of here?
CAGNEY
(scoffs)
Night’s not over yet.
INT. AIR VENTILATION – CONTINUOUS
They squeeze and squirm and crawl along.
CAGNEY
(to Arlo)
Where this thing going, brains?
ARLO
Little further, from what I can tell we should be coming out toward the…
Arlo takes a moment looking at his tablet.
CHI
The what? Speak little man.
ARLO
Hmm. That’s odd. It’s like there’s an entirely separate system here. Just blurred out from my initial schematics. Whatever it is, we’re coming up to it right about…
His POWER-SCREWDRIVER unscrews a VENT PLATE, popping it out onto the floor below with a CLANG.
ARLO
Now.
Written by Lukas Strautins.
More writing and screenwriting projects can be found on the Writing page.
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