Armed with a stolen notebook, three students enter their professor’s mansion in search of treasure. What they find is not of this time.

SYNOPSIS:

TITLE: THE CZAR’S GOLD

FORMAT: FEATURE

GENRE: FAMILY/ACTION/ADVENTURE

LOGLINE: Armed with a stolen notebook, three students enter their professor’s mansion in search of treasure, only what they find is not of this time.

TONAL COMPS: INDIANA JONES / THE GOONIES / CASPER

Off the coast of Georgia. January 23rd, 1909.

The Royal Mail Ship Republic collides with the S. S Florida in the early hours of. Thick fog covers the waves, the air is icy, the sky dark. She is adrift. Two ships come to the rescue, but the ship, whilst under tow back to New York, suddenly sinks beneath the waves without a trace. Her cargo, officially communiqués for the U. S Navy at Gibraltar. Unofficially, she always carries the Czar of Russia’s gold, a consignment of newly minted American Gold Double Eagle coins worth billions today.

University lecture hall - Present day

PROFESSOR BEN JEFFERIES (Late 40s, intelligent, scholarly, warm, personable) stands behind his lectern, facing his students. ‘If we can accept Einstein’s theory, that time can bend and we can accept it can bend as we have just seen, is it too much of a leap to suggest that points in time can touch? I propose that if we knew where and when these points touch, it would be possible for us to step across time.’

*

After stealing the Professor’s notebook, three students, LUCY (20s), RICHARD (20s), AND DAVID (20s), learn of the RMS Republic, the missing gold, and the notes the Professor has made concerning its whereabouts.

Convince the answers lie within the old house; they enter seeking to steal the gold. Only they are not alone. Three children, SIMON (16): Fun, friendly, takes his role as older brother seriously), CAROLINE (14): Smart, studious, loves her brother and sister), AND LAURA (8): Young, inquisitive, playful, bright), live in the Professor’s house. Only they live in another time. As the intruders search, the children try to frighten them from their home, dropping books onto the floor, throwing bars of soap and such before turning to their ghostly advantage.

Frightened but undeterred, the intruders find the path to the gold whilst another group, led by GRAHAM (20s), enters the house, working for Richard, as he seeks to double cross his friends and take the gold for himself.

Protected by traps, the two separate groups of intruders encounter the Challenges of Odysseus.

The bag of wind: Thinking a large chest contains the gold, they open it to reveal a huge fan that propels an intruder out of the hunt.

The cannibals: Above them, enormous heads which come crashing down, mouths gaping, as they race for the escape and they lose another.

Six-headed beast claims another as both groups wade through the water.

Charybdis, the sea monster, fighting against the pull of the whirlpool created by the sea monster, one more intruder is claimed.

The Sirens: The mesmerising call of the Sirens lures another until there are only four intruders left and the last trap awaits. Circe, the witch and her table of plenty.

Knowing the last trap carries a terrible curse, Simon and Caroline realise they cannot let events repeat themselves, and though it dooms them and their sister to a continued half life, they decide to warn Lucy of the danger.

Free of the Sirens’ call, Richard, David and Lucy find themselves back where they started, The Mural room, the table laden with food. Richard and David eat and drink from the table whilst Lucy leaves.

Simon and Caroline plead with Lucy to leave her and her friends. Lucy, believing the Professor is close to returning, races back to the Mural Room.

Graham, the last of the second group, enters the Mural Room. Finding it empty but for two pigs, he sits, placing his pistol on the table as he helps himself to some food and drink.

Lucy, with Simon and Caroline close behind, finds the room empty but for three pigs.

The Professor enters the room. Then Circe enters, accepting the trade offered, the three boys for Simon, Caroline, and Laura.

As the police lead away Lucy, she realises the gold is in the olive tree she, Richard, and David had hid behind earlier that evening.

Walking back inside, the Professor asks who wants some hot chocolate, much to Simon, Caroline, and especially Laura’s delight.

The three children can now live in the present with the Professor, happily ever after.

Thank you for your time

Simon