How many pages should a screenplay have after the villain is defeated? In some of my scripts, the villain loses before I reach the 90 pages minimum and I had to add some extra pages with story...Is this ok? Should a screenplay end shortly after the main enemy is defeated, or can it continue until the story itself is over?(all situations are solved, characters reunite, etc.)...Thank you for taking your time to read and answer this!
Screenwriting : How long can a screenplay continue after this event? by Victor Titimas
How long can a screenplay continue after this event?
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It is odd and unusual question. There are two options here. 1. Your script will become a 80, 85 or 90 min movie. 2. There's a secondary villain waiting or even an option for the good guy who defeated or killed the first villian to become the bad guy.
The ending of your film is when the villain is defeated. The last 5% of your film is the resolution: (all situations are solved, characters reunite, etc.). If the film doesn't make it to 90 pages then you can look into the second act and see if there is more conflict you can add to the narrative.
If possible, maybe you could actually add a cliffhanger ending that would lead into a potential sequel, if the idea is there. Also, be sure to re-read your script in full until you're absolutely certain every loose end is tied! Linda hit the nail on the head
Villain dead, movie over. Most of the audience is grabbing their coats and prying their shoes loose from the sticky soda covered floor. Anything that happens after the resolution of the conflict is "Falling Action", and should be kept to a minimum or you end up with that LOTR ending that just goes on and on and on. One thing to think about is: can you resolve all of the emotional conflicts before the physical conflict, so that it's really over? Another is to possibly leave a little mystery that can be resolved in the falling action, giving people a reason to stick around. Hey, a page or two of falling action isn't a problem, but a bunch of scenes after the conflict is resolved is boring. No boring!
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If you find it is ending too soon then add more conflict in the middle of the story.
Some people say there can be five endings, wrap up all the loose ends. Look at the last Batman Movie. They put and end on everything. Compare that to JAWS, dead shark, start swimming, the end. Personal taste, I am a end it quick kind of guy. I grew up on TV and Saturday B Rates.
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Victor: Good counsel from William. But I'd say no more than five pages.
Victor, what movies do you like? See what they did. Don't copy, but if most of those films have a minute of resolution to give a satisfying ending then you should start from there. Above all, let the story tell you.
Ditto what William and Phil have said. Essentially, if you are going to have more pages after the villain is dead, you HAVE to give the audience a reason to stick around, some other thread of the story MUST still need to be resolved. Often that has to do with the hero returning home and wrapping up the emotional element of the story and showing he can apply his new outlook on life to the old world he is returning to. It's not always necessary though. Often times we 'get it' that the hero has changed through the decisive action he takes to defeat the antagonist. Jaws is an example - we didn't NEED to see Brody go home and fix that darn swing for his kid. We 'get it' that he now is a changed man who 'takes responsibility' and does what is needed to fix a situation that needs fixing.