Ninjago: Project Rebuild

[Ghost Onyx]

Hi! I didn't know where else to put this so I hope it's ok if I post this here.

Hey random person on the internet reading this! 

Did you watch the Lego Ninjago Movie and were unable to help but feel like the trailers sold you a very different product? Did the Lego Ninjago Movie feel lacking in any way, as though many scenes were cut from the finished movie? Did you feel that the other Ninja, or anyone without “Garmadon” in their name, were given the shaft in terms of character development, or any substantial characterization? 

I feel you, reader. I feel you as keenly as one feels a stray, unsuspecting brick on the floor when the lights are out.

Last question, are you looking for quality Ninjago content? Then look no further! I’ve got you covered! Welcome to Project Rebuild! 

What is Project Rebuild, you ask? It’s my script rewrite of the Lego Ninjago Movie. My goal is to condense the essence of 7 seasons of the tv show into one cohesive story, while following the basic plot of the Lego Ninjago Movie. 

But wait! There’s more! Tirelessly seeking out all promotional material for the movie, (i.e. trailers, junior novel, the “Making of Lego Ninjago Movie” book, etc.) I have struggled to reconstruct (pun intended) this cohesive story with as many deleted concepts as I could fit in. It’s an adaptation distillation, if you will. 

Oh and this just in! As an added bonus, I’ll be attempting to incorporate the toys sets into the story too. 

Here’s the synopsis:
Lloyd Garmadon, the Chosen One, stands at the center of the battle between good and evil. As the Green Ninja, he is beloved by all as the constant savior of the city of Ninjago. But as the son of the Evil Lord Garmadon, he is hated by the very same citizens he saves. Under the guidance of the wise Master Wu, Lloyd and his team, the Secret Ninja Force, will need all the help they can get to keep it together and defend the city from Lord Garmadon and greater threats. 

Without any further ado, here's Chapter 1:

 

EXT. MOUNTAIN TOP – NIGHT

TWO FIGURES stand locked in combat against each other atop a tall and craggy mountain. Rain pours down heavily. Lightning crackles and thunder booms to emphasize every movement. Blow after furious blow is struck.

Lightning strikes illuminate the faces of the combatants. We see a close up of MASTER WU, a wise-looking old man with a long white beard. He wears a white robe and a conical hat. His weapon is a long, wooden staff.

Opposite him is his brother, LORD GARMADON, a far taller adversary owing to his towering horned helmet and double torso that sports four arms. He wears black samurai armor that matches his skin, which has been charred black due to his corruption. His red, glowing eyes are also signs of his corruption. His weapons are four katanas, one in each hand.

Despite Lord Garmadon's extra arms, Master Wu defends himself well. The two appear locked in a stalemate.

Lord Garmadon makes a demonic, fanged smile as he speaks.

LORD GARMADON: You will never defeat me, brother.

MASTER WU: It is not my destiny to defeat you. But it will be your son's.

Angered, Lord Garmadon uses his swords to push Master Wu away in a burst of energy.

LORD GARMADON: You leave Luh-loyd out of this!

Master Wu remains calm but his eyes fixed on Lord Garmadon. His voice is resolute.

MASTER WU: One day, your son, LLOYD GARMADON, will defeat you, as the prophecy foretold. I invoke it!

A powerful burst of thunder and lightning strikes ominously as Wu says this. We pan up to see a large object fall from the sky. It is a non-Lego fortune cookie. It breaks apart as it crashes on the ground, revealing the fortune prophecy within written in glowing, gold ink.

LORD GARMADON: Prophecy? Well, two can play at that game. One day, my son, Lloyd Garmadon will join me and my evil ways.

MASTER WU: (shocked) What?!

LORD GARMADON: Together, we will conquer Ninjago and we shall be unstoppable, as the prophecy foretold.

MASTER WU: No!

LORD GARMADON: I…

MASTER WU: You…

LORD GARMADON (CONT’D): …invoke…

MASTER WU (CONT’D): …wouldn't…

LORD GARMADON (CONT’D): …it.

MASTER WU (CONT’D): …dare!

Another powerful burst of thunder and lightning strikes ominously as though to punctuate the gravity of their words. Another non-Lego fortune cookie falls from the sky. It falls between the two brothers, causing them to jump away to safety.

 

Both witness the fortune cookie splitting in half before them as the glowing prophecy fortune writes itself into existence.

LORD GARMADON: Oh, I dare. I have every right to dare. Our entire realm has the power to invoke prophecies on a whim. We control the destinies of every citizen in Ninjago! We should be gods!

MASTER WU: Father would not have wanted this!

LORD GARMADON: Well, father is no longer here. We've squandered our potential long enough, brother, and now it is to time to re-make Ninjago in my image.

MASTER WU: I may not be the one to defeat you, Garmadon. But I will make sure you don't succeed.

Lord Garmadon sees something behind Master Wu. He smirks confidently knowing he has the upper hand, all four of them.

LORD GARMADON: Hey, whatever lets you sleep at night, brother.

A large shark-shaped flying vessel, the SKY SHARK, arrives from the clouds. It lowers its anchor, which Lord Garmadon grabs onto as it flies by.

LORD GARMADON: Looks like my ride's here. Another time, brother.

Garmadon leaves on the Sky Shark. His evil laughter echoes in the distance. Wu is left on the mountain but he has a determined look on his face.

MASTER WU: I, Master Wu, swear the solemn oath to form a SECRET NINJA FORCE to stop Garmadon at every turn. I invoke it.

Dramatic thunder strikes. Cut to black as the last fortune cookie falls from the sky.

 

 

[Ghost Onyx]

CHAPTER 2:

EXT. NINJAGO HIGH SCHOOL – DAY

We fade in to see a shot of Master Wu from the back as he looks on to see a school campus. The song "Believer" by Imagine Dragons begins playing as an entirely wordless montage sequence of Master Wu recruiting the ninja occurs.

We see a close up of Master Wu in deep thought. We then go into his POV (point of view) shot as he looks at a sign on the right side that reads “NINJAGO HIGH SCHOOL.” The national emblem of Ninjago can also be seen. It is a rectangle with six dots inside, resembling a 3x2 Lego brick standing upright.

INT. SCHOOL GYM – DAY

Several teenage boys are playing a game of dodgeball. We see a close up of one of the boys with a confident look on his face. This is COLE, a young man with black tousled hair and long bangs. He has thick, black, bushy eyebrows that accentuate his expressions.

[Song: Believer by Imagine Dragons]

[First things first, I’ma say all the words inside my head]
Cole throws a dodgeball at his fellow classmate so hard that the other student smashes through the wall of the gym, leaving behind a minifig-shaped hole. Cole sheepishly raises his hands as though to say “whoops”.

[I’m fired up and tired of the way that things have been, oh-ooh The way that things have been, oh-ooh]
Everyone else is freaked out by Cole’s super strength and runs away from Cole. Saddened, Cole hangs his head down when he is left alone in the gym. Alone except for one person. Master Wu puts his hand on Cole’s shoulder and recruits Cole for his Secret Ninja Force. Cole looks up and smiles.

INT. SCHOOL SWIMMING POOL - DAY

Several students are swimming laps around the pool filled with actual non-Lego water. But one lone student can be seen meditating at the bottom of the pool. Close up on this boy. He is ZANE, an unusual young boy with a white crew cut.

[Second things second, don’t you tell me what you think that I could be]
Suddenly, large spikes of non-Lego ice emanate from where Zane is sitting at the bottom of the pool. The ice spreads until it freezes the entire swimming pool with everyone in it. Zane opens his bright blue eyes and is shocked by what he has done.

[I’m the one at the sail, I’m the master of my sea, oh-ooh The master of my sea, oh-ooh]
Cut to Zane out of the pool while school staff are trying to break the other swimmers out of the ice. Zane is frightened by the angry glares all the swimmers are giving him. Master Wu approaches Zane and puts his hand on Zane’s shoulder. Zane turns to Master Wu and sees Cole in the background nervously waving hi. Zane nods and Master Wu recruits Zane. Zane hugs Cole and Cole smiles gleefully.

INT. SCHOOL SCIENCE LAB. - DAY

At a science class, the students are busy working on their experiments. We focus on a freckled boy with messy, dark brown hair. This is JAY, a cautious but inventive individual.

[I was broken from a young age, taking my sulking to the masses]
Jay works furiously on building a potato clock. Several quick shots of Jay taking various items including a non-Lego marble potato, non-Lego galvanized nails and some copper wire. As he takes each of these items, tiny sparks of electricity flow from his hands into the objects.

[Writing my poems for the few That look to me, took to me, shook to me, feeling me]
Beside Jay is the Lego clock he built. It is connected to the copper wire, connected to the potato. Jay inserts the galvanized nail into the potato and the Lego clock ends up shooting lightning everywhere. The bursts of lightning are synchronized with the beat of the lyrics.

[Singing from heartache from the pain Taking my message from the veins]
Everyone in the science lab runs out. Master Wu looks under one of the tables and sees Jay, huddled by himself and scared.

[Speaking my lesson to the brain]
Master Wu recruits Jay. Cole welcomes Jay to the team, patting him on the back.

HARD CUT TO:

 

EXT. SCHOOL SOCCER FIELD – NIGHT

Bright spotlights illuminate the soccer field as the students are playing a nighttime soccer match. We track an enthusiastic teenager as he rushes to kick the soccer ball into the goal. This is KAI, an impulsive young man with a scar running through his right eye. He has incredibly spiky, dark brown hair.

[Seeing the beauty through the...]
As Kai runs, flames sprout from his back, resembling wings.

[Pain!]
At "Pain!", we see a slow motion shot of Kai kicking the soccer ball, his fire wings fully extended. Flames emanate from his feet, setting the ball on fire.

[You made me a]
Now set aflame, the ball hurtles into the goal, setting the goal on fire.

[You made me a believer]
Kai stands triumphantly for a few moments while the crowd gasps. He doesn't realize he has accidentally set his clothes on fire, leaving him almost entirely naked.

[Believer!]
We see from behind Kai, a visible shot of Kai’s Lego butt, which is basically just a regular set of Lego legs but entirely yellow. In the background, the crowd cringes and looks away.

[Pain!]
Kai notices his lack of clothing just as the fire spreads to his underwear on his front. His fire wings dissolve into nothing.

[You break me down]
Ashamed, Kai covers his nether regions and runs to the locker room, crying.

INT. SCHOOL LOCKER ROOM – NIGHT

[And build me up, believer]
Kai is crying in the locker room. He looks up and sees Cole, who averts his eyes.

[Believer!]
Without looking at Kai, Cole hands out spare clothes to Kai.

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – NIGHT

[Pain!]
Kai comes out of the locker room wearing the new clothes.

[Oh let the bullets fly]
Master Wu recruits Kai.

[Oh let them rain]
A person walks by, obstructing our view. As the person leaves, the scene transitions to the same location during daytime.

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – DAY

Many students are walking around the hallway. Some are crowded around a bulletin board. On the board is a poster that says “Art Competition Finals”.

[My love, my life, my drive, it came from... Pain!]
A teenage girl runs toward the bulletin board. She is NYA, the younger sister of Kai. She sports black wavy hair in a ponytail with long bands and has a small beauty mark on her face. As she runs, Nya tracks water with every step she takes. At “Pain!”, a student slips and falls on a puddle of water Nya left behind.

[You made me a, you made me a believer, believer]
Unaware of the trail of water she leaves behind her, Nya is ecstatic at seeing the art competition poster, so much that globs of water manifest from her hands and the rest of her body. Other students begin to notice. Her power leaves her wet causing others to think she wet herself.

[Third things third, send a prayer to the ones up above]
The students all laugh at Nya. Ashamed, she runs to the corner dead end of the hallway where no one can see her. She crouches down and starts crying.

[All the hate that you’ve heard has turned your spirit to a dove, oh-ooh]
Nya looks up and sees Kai. Kai sits beside his sister and gives her an extra set of clothes.

[Your spirit up above, oh-ooh]
Nya comes out of the girl’s bathroom wearing the new clothes and sees Master Wu and the other ninja. Master Wu recruits Nya.

EXT. FIELD – DAY

[I was choking in the crowd]
We see the ninja training with Master Wu. They are all wearing black gi uniforms. Master Wu makes a striking motion.

[Building my rain up in the cloud]
Cole strikes a regular non-Lego brick and breaks it in half.

EXT. SNOWY MOUNTAIN - DAY

[Falling like ashes to the ground]
Zane leads the others through snow-covered terrain. The others fall down in time with the lyrics. Emphasis on Kai.

[Hoping my feelings, they would drown]
Cole tries to pick up his teammates but he sinks into the snow himself. Zane goes back and helps everyone out.

EXT. MASTER WU’S OBSTACLE COURSE – DAY

We see the ninja before a complicated obstacle course consisting of several rotating contraptions and wooden dummies.

[But they never did, ever lived, ebbing and flowing, inhibited, limited Till they broke open]
Jay goes through the obstacle course and dodges every blow from the spinning contraptions and the wooden dummies. His movements are synchronized with the beat of the lyrics.

[And rained down]
Cole cheers.

[And rained down, like]
Kai enters the obstacle course. We sees Kai’s surprised face as the arm of a wooden dummy comes down on him.

[Pain!]
We see from behind the wooden dummy as Kai smashes through its arm with a powerful fire kick.

[You made me a, you made me a believer]
Kai goes literally right through the obstacle course and destroys every obstacle and dummy in the way. His movements are also synchronized with the beat of the lyrics.

[Believer!]
All the ninja cheer.

[Pain!]
Reaction shot of Master Wu as he is shocked that Kai demolished his expensive equipment.

INT. MASTER WU’S DOJO WAREHOUSE – DAY

[You break me down and build me up]
We see a shot of Nya looking at various flat Lego tiles containing blueprints.

[Believer, believer!]
Everyone cheers as Nya builds the SAMURAI X MECH.

[Pain!]
Cole and Nya do a fist bump in the foreground. The shot is framed such that Jay is in the background in between Cole and Nya. Jay has a shocked face and he covers his mouth as they fist bump.

[Oh let the bullets fly]
Cole notices Jay has a crush on Nya.

[Oh let them rain]
Cole calls Jay over.

[My love, my life]
Jay and Nya do a fist bump.

[My drive]
Jay blushes.

[It came from… Pain! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer!]
We see a panning shot of all the ninja lined up as they punch out their element one at a time. Cole leads and the others follow. Earth, Ice, Lightning, Fire, and Water. Master Wu looks on proudly in the corner.

INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY LOCKERS – DAY

We see a young boy with green eyes and blond hair. This is LLOYD GARMADON, the son of Lord Garmadon.

[Last things last, by the grace of the fire and the flame]
Lloyd walks towards his locker and sees the word “Garma-dork” spray painted on it in black paint. He is bullied for being Garmadon's son. Lloyd’s green eyes turn red in anger and he pulls up his black hoodie to cover his face.

EXT. NINJAGO CITY STREETS – DAY

[You’re the face of the future, the blood in my veins. oh-ooh]
Lloyd steals and vandalizes property. He runs out of a candy store with a wheelbarrow carrying a single piece of non-Lego candy.

[The blood in my veins, oh-ooh]
Master Wu and the ninja confront Lloyd. All the ninja are scared of Lloyd except Cole. Master Wu places his hand on Lloyd’s shoulder and recruits him. Lloyd’s red eyes turn green and full of hope.

EXT. FIELD – DAY

Again, we see the ninja training with Master Wu, wearing their black gi uniforms.

[But they never did, ever lived]
Master Wu repeats the same striking motion.

[Ebbing and flowing]
Lloyd strikes a non-Lego cement hollow brick and breaks it in half. Surprised reaction shot of Cole who cannot believe his eyes.

EXT. SNOWY MOUNTAIN - DAY

[Inhibited, limited, till it broke open]
Lloyd leads the others through snow-covered terrain but instead of everyone walking, all the other ninja are on snowboards attached to a thread rope. The rope is tied to Lloyd who runs at full speed like a sled dog, pulling all the other ninja along. Kai is having the most fun but the other ninja are just trying to hang on.

EXT. MASTER WU’S OBSTACLE COURSE – DAY

[And rained down, and rained down, like]
Lloyd goes through obstacle course, dodges every blow and still destroys every obstacle after he has dodged it. All the ninja are amazed. Cole’s eyes are full of awe but also slight apprehension from being progressively outclassed by Lloyd with seemingly little effort.

[Pain!]
Reaction shot of Master Wu with an “I just fixed that!” look on his face.

INT. MASTER WU’S DOJO WAREHOUSE – DAY

[You made me a, you made me a…]
We see a shot of Lloyd looking at various flat Lego tiles containing blueprints.

[Believer, believer!]
Everyone except Cole cheers as Lloyd builds all the mechs of the other ninja, the WATER STRIDER, the FIRE MECH, the LIGHTNING JET, the ICE TANK, and the QUAKE MECH. Cole is now more visibly bitter and cynical. His hair is now tied up in a man bun.

[Pain!]
Cole quietly leaves the dojo as the others cheer Lloyd on.

[Oh let the bullets fly, oh let them rain]
Cole runs back into the dojo, frightened. He points outside and gets the others’ attention. They all run outside.

EXT. OUTSIDE MASTER WU’S DOJO WAREHOUSE – DAY

[My love, my life, my drive]
We see the GREEN DRAGON MECH that Lloyd built. Cole is frightened by it and cowers behind Zane.

[It came from… Pain!]
Zane turns to Cole and makes robotic movements indicating that it is a robot, not a real dragon. Cole laughs sheepishly.

[You made me a, you made me a...]
All the ninja put on their ninja hoods but now, instead of black, they are wearing different colors to match their elemental powers. Lloyd wears green to match his eyes. Cole is the only one who continues to wear black.

[Believer]
Wide shot of all the ninja jumping in attack formation toward Garmadon and his forces. Secret Ninja Force on the left and Garmadon and his army on the right. The ninja all have their weapons drawn. Jay has a pair of nunchucks. Nya has a spear. Kai has a pair of twin katanas. Lloyd has a broadsword. Cole has a scythe. Zane has a pair of shuriken.

[Believer!]
Epic slow motion shot of the Secret Ninja Force and Garmadon about to fight each other.

Fade out to black just before they make contact.

Edited February 28, 2018 by Ghost Onyx

[Ghost Onyx]

CHAPTER 3:

INT. LLOYD’S BEDROOM – DAY

 

We fade in to see Lloyd sleeping on a futon in his cramped and tiny bedroom. His cell phone begins to ring. The BORG INDUSTRIES logo can be seen on it. His phone’s ringtone is the chorus of “The Weekend Whip” by The Fold.

 

[Song: The Weekend Whip by The Fold - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVhm9XO_Vw0 ]

 

[Just jump up, kick back, whip around and spin! Then we jump back, do it again! Ninja-Go! Ninja-]
Lloyd wakes up and fumbles around to answer his phone. His eyes open and we see that they are green. He answers his phone and it is his father, Garmadon, on a video call.

 

LLOYD: Hello?

 

GARMADON: Hello, Luh-loyd?

 

LLOYD: Dad, how many times do we have to go through this? It’s just Lloyd.

 

GARMADON: Nuh-uh. L-L-O-Y-D. I named you.

 

Lloyd sighs, puts his Lego hands to his face and does the minifig equivalent of a facepalm.

 

LLOYD: Okay, I know I’m gonna regret this but I’ll bite. What is it?

 

Lloyd cringes.

 

GARMADON: What? A conquering warlord can’t greet his own son a happy birthday?

 

Lloyd relaxes.

 

LLOYD: Oh, uh, that’s actually nice of you. Ummm, thanks Dad.

 

GARMADON: And I even got a surprise for you! Now close your eyes. No peeking.

 

Lloyd closes his eyes.

 

LLOYD: I’m not. (to himself) Please be a car. Please be a car. Or something mundane.

 

Garmadon brings the camera phone to another room.

 

GARMADON: See, I was working on a new MEGAWEAPON and I ended up with a lot of prototypes. I thought it would be a waste for them to just rot in storage so I decided to make something out of them. And so, SURPRISE!

 

Lloyd opens his eyes and sees Garmadon showing a room full of various devices and weapons. A WAR HAMMER can be seen on top of a pedestal at the center of the room. Beside Garmadon, a dummy dressed in green robes is strapped to a torture rack by the arms and legs. Lloyd is shocked and confused when he sees this.

 

LLOYD: I… what?

 

GARMADON: Isn’t it great? It’s your very own torture chamber! I mean, I was going to use it on that pesky Green Ninja who keeps foiling me at every turn but I was thinking maybe we could both watch that do-gooder suffer together.

 

Garmadon pulls a lever and the torture rack is activated. It stretches the green dummy, pulling apart its arms and legs. The head and torso fall to the floor comically.

 

Lloyd is utterly horrified.

 

LLOYD: What? Dad, no! I don’t want a torture chamber! Why would I even want one?

 

Garmadon is genuinely confused.

 

GARMADON: But you used to love torture chambers.

 

LLOYD: That was just a phase I went through. I’m over it now.

 

Garmadon is visibly disappointed.

 

GARMADON: Oh. I see. (to himself) Wow, they really do grow up so fast. One day, bodily dismemberment is your favorite form of entertainment. The next, it’s a “violation of human rights.”

 

Garmadon makes air quotes with his Lego hands. He looks back at Lloyd.

 

GARMADON: That’s okay. I get it. I get it. Physical torture is child’s play. You want to move on to something more sophisticated.

 

LLOYD: Wait, that’s not…

 

GARMADON: How about we spend some quality time together, just the two of us, some father-son bonding?

 

LLOYD: That… doesn’t sound so bad.

 

GARMADON: Great! What do say you and your old man crash the stock market together and perpetuate wealth inequality?

 

LLOYD: Dad! No! That’s not what I meant!

 

Garmadon deflates.

 

GARMADON: Oh. We could... burn down some orphanages?

 

Lloyd facepalms again.

 

LLOYD: Dad, you’ve burned down all the orphanages. There aren’t any left.

 

GARMADON: All of them?

 

LLOYD: (angry) ALL OF THEM!

 

GARMADON: We could make more orphans!

 

LLOYD: Dad! No! That’s not… uuugghhh!!! Please dad! Just for once, can we do something normal and not… evil?

 

Both are silent for a beat.

 

GARMADON: Wanna… go get some ice cream together?

 

Lloyd is exasperated.

 

LLOYD: YES! PLEASE! Just no more…

 

GARMADON: Excellent! We’ll steal all the ice cream in the city!

 

LLOYD: Auuughhh!!! DAD, STOP! NO MORE STEALING! NO MORE PROPERTY DAMAGE! NO MORE HURTING OTHER PEOPLE! I’M DONE WITH ALL OF THAT! That’s not who I am anymore. I just want a nice normal family bonding experience. (to himself) Just trying to have a clean slate here.

 

Garmadon squints at Lloyd.

 

GARMADON: Wait a minute, are you going soft on me, Luh-Loyd?

 

LLOYD: It’s not called going soft, dad. It’s called being a decent person. Maybe you should try it sometime.

 

Garmadon gives Lloyd a judging, condescending stare.

 

GARMADON: Sometimes I don’t know why I even bother. Until you rediscover the darkness in your heart, you’re no son of mine. Unhappy Birthday Luh-loyd.

 

Garmadon ends the call.

 

Lloyd flops on his futon and groans.

[Ghost Onyx]

CHAPTER 4: 

 

INT. LLOYD’S APARTMENT KITCHEN - DAY

 

Lloyd enters the kitchen and sighs. He takes a bowl and a box of cereal from the counter.

 

VOICE (OFF SCREEN): Lloyyyddd! Good morning!

 

Lloyd turns around and smiles. From his POV, we see a lady with orange hair kept in a loose bun with red chopsticks. She enters the kitchen carrying a loaf of bread, a purse and some groceries. This is KOKO, the mother of Lloyd.

 

Mid shot of Koko and Lloyd as she lovingly kisses Lloyd on the cheek and grabs a carton of milk from the refrigerator. They talk as Koko makes bowls of milk and cereal for the both of them.

 

LLOYD: Mom, hey can we talk about something?

 

KOKO: Sure, pumpkin pie. About what?

 

LLOYD: Garmadon.

 

Koko hesitates then passes a bowl of cereal to Lloyd.

 

KOKO: Okay?

 

LLOYD: So when you two got together, was Dad, like, a regular guy? Or was he always an evil warlord?

 

KOKO: I've never told anyone this but now that you’re finally sixteen, I think you're old enough to know the truth. Believe it or not, your father wasn’t always the evil warlord he is now and he didn’t always have four arms. He used to be a pretty normal guy...

 

Koko pauses for a beat as we...

 

DISSOLVE TO:  FLASHBACK – EXT. NINJAGO CITY SKYLINE - DAY

 

KOKO (CONTINUED VOICE OVER): ...with quasi-godlike powers, just like his brother and every other citizen of the CLOUD KINGDOM.

 

Beginning the flashback, we dissolve to a shot of the clouds above the skyline. The clouds are entirely made of white Lego bricks. Then slowly, we pan down to Ninjago City and stop at the exterior of a sushi restaurant. The sign “OMAKASE SUSHI” can be seen outside the building.

 

A man steps out the restaurant entrance, holding a package in his two arms. This is YOUNG GARMADON. He has black hair tied in a man bun, which is very similar, if not identical, to Cole’s Lego hair piece. He also has thick black eyebrows, similar to Cole but he has red eyes. His skin is normal yellow Lego skin.

A thief runs past Garmadon and grabs the package.

 

GARMADON: Hey! My sushi!

 

The thief runs into an alleyway and Garmadon chases after him. We follow the thief as he turns several corners and laughs, thinking he has lost Garmadon. But the thief stops and reacts to a shadow that looms over him and jumps down on him.

 

As Garmadon runs to the corner, we hear several noises of someone getting hit off screen. Garmadon begins instinctively invoking prophecies to get his way.

 

GARMADON: You will stop running and give me back my sushi! I invo…

 

Garmadon turns the corner and sees an armor-clad warrior with Kabuki face paint standing triumphantly over the body of the thief. This is LADY IRON DRAGON, the alter ego of Lloyd’s mother, Koko. Her orange locks flow out the back of her helmet.

 

Koko, as Lady Iron Dragon, holds out the package of sushi towards Garmadon. Garmadon is absolutely smitten.

 

CUT TO: PRESENT – INT. LLOYD’S APARTMENT KITCHEN - DAY

 

LLOYD: Woah! Woah! Woah! Are you saying you were a vigilante?

 

KOKO: Well… yes. But after that incident, I wasn’t the only one.

 

CUT TO:  FLASHBACK– EXT. TOP OF TALL BUILDING – NIGHT

 

Koko and Garmadon jump into view as they survey Ninjago City below them. Koko is dressed as Lady Iron Dragon while Garmadon is suited up as a black clad ninja. Garmadon pulls down his black ninja hood and all that is visible from his face are his burning red eyes.

 

CUT TO: PRESENT – INT. LLOYD’S APARTMENT KITCHEN - DAY

 

LLOYD: Wait a minute, you and Dad were both actually crime-fighting vigilantes?

 

Koko laughs.

 

KOKO (SPOKEN): I suppose we were, honey. We were all young and silly once. Just a couple of crazy kids.

 

LLOYD: And Dad was an actual do-gooder?

 

KOKO: Well... sort of.

 

CUT TO:  FLASHBACK – EXT. NINJAGO BANK - NIGHT

 

A thief tries to rob the bank. Koko and Garmadon swoop down on the unsuspecting bank robber. They beat up the robber.

 

The police arrive and Koko gives the money back to the bank but we pan over to Garmadon as he continues to beat up the robber even when the police are there.

 

Chief of Police, OFFICER TOQUE, stands next to Koko. He holds a pair of handcuffs and crosses his arms as though saying “Is he done yet?”. Koko smiles awkwardly and shrugs.

 

FLASHBACK – EXT. BRIDGE OF PUPPIES – DAY

We see a wide bridge over an elevated canal. A sign reading “BRIDGE OF PUPPIES” can be seen. At the center of the bridge is a Lego brick-built statue of a dog. Many puppies are playing around this statue.

 

A thug comes up and starts kicking the puppies left and right. Koko and Garmadon come to the rescue of the puppies and beat up the thug.

 

KOKO (CONT’D V. O.): We were an unstoppable power couple and we loved every moment of it. It was the happiest time of my life.

 

CUT TO:  FLASHBACK – EXT. PARK WEDDING GROUNDS – DAY

 

KOKO (CONT’D V. O.): The next thing we knew, we were married.

 

Close up shot of Garmadon kissing Koko at their wedding. Koko is wearing a wedding gown and Garmadon is wearing a tuxedo. Pull back to a wide shot, revealing a sign that says “PARK OF HAPLESS ROMANCES”.

 

FLASHBACK – INT. KOKO AND GARMADON’S APARTMENT – NIGHT

 

KOKO (CONT’D V. O.): When you were born, I had to take care of you which meant I couldn't go out and fight crime as much.

 

Koko is preparing baby formula for Lloyd. Holding the bottle, she is about to open a sliding door to enter the other room but spies through the opening. She smiles as she sees Garmadon taking care of a baby. This is BABY LLOYD. Baby Lloyd has green eyes. Garmadon entertains Baby Lloyd with a green dragon toy.

 

But all of a sudden, Garmadon laughs evilly and his eyes shine brightly red. Matching his father, Baby Lloyd also laughs evilly and his green eyes momentarily turn red. Koko watches this and is secretly horrified.

 

Koko inhales, then exhales and fakes a smile as she enters the room. Garmadon hands over Baby Lloyd to Koko and puts on his black ninja hood.

 

KOKO (CONT’D V. O.): Your father had to go on solo missions for the both of us.

 

Garmadon leaves and Koko feeds the milk formula to Baby Lloyd.

 

KOKO (CONT’D V. O.): But I noticed he was spending more and more time fighting crime than staying at home with us.

 

We see a wall clock showing that it is 7 pm. The scene cross dissolves to show the passage of time and the clock now shows that it is 12 midnight. Baby Lloyd has fallen asleep in Koko’s arms.

 

KOKO (CONT’D V. O.): So one day, I followed him.

 

Koko tucks Lloyd in his crib and puts on her Lady Iron Dragon helmet.

 

FLASHBACK – EXT. PARK OF HAPLESS ROMANCES – NIGHT

 

Koko follows Garmadon as he makes his way to the Park of Hapless Romances. She spies on him.

 

A thug is about to attack a man desperately pulling a rickshaw. Riding inside the rickshaw are a small boy and a pregnant woman seemingly going into labor. The small boy has spiky hair. The thug jumps out of his hiding place and is about to attack the rickshaw driver and the passengers when Garmadon appears and delivers a swift counterattack. The rickshaw passes by unharmed and rushes off to the nearest hospital.

 

Garmadon is in a defensive stance but he isn’t beating up the thug. Instead, he is talking to the thug. Koko overhears their conversation.

 

GARMADON: Look! You're going about this all wrong. Petty crime won't get you anywhere. If you really want to hit it big, join me and my forces.

 

THUG: What are you talking about?

 

GARMADON: I'm building an army to take over this city and I need loyal soldiers. The pay isn't great but it does come with health insurance, paid time off and a comprehensive retirement package.

 

THUG: Including dental?

 

GARMADON: Including dental. Oh and just so you know. if you plan on declining my generous offer, I can still invoke you into joining me anyway and I will take over Ninjago if I have to invoke every single person into submission one at a time.

 

We see a shot of Koko hiding behind some trees. She puts a hand to her mouth in shock.

 

KOKO (CONT’D V. O.): I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

 

Koko jumps out of her hiding place and draws a sword. She points her sword at Garmadon and the thug in defense.

 

KOKO (SPOKEN): What is going on here?

 

Garmadon has a “Deer in the headlights” look for a split second but recovers quickly and punches the thug, knocking all his teeth out. Garmadon starts beating up the thug.

 

GARMADON: Take that you ruffian!

 

Garmadon mercilessly beats up the thug. Koko tries to intervene because she knows Garmadon is just trying to avoid the real issue.

 

A loud burst of dramatic thunder strikes and all sound is muted for the rest of the flashback.

 

Slow motion shot of Koko and Garmadon being very emotional. They are shouting at each other but we don’t hear any of their words. This culminates in Koko breaking up with Garmadon. Garmadon has a look of hurt, then anger. Koko has the look of one betrayed.

 

Koko walks away from Garmadon as sad piano music begins playing. Thunder strikes again and rain begins to pour down heavily.

 

The flashback ends and we dissolve back to present day.

 

CUT TO: PRESENT – INT. LLOYD’S APARTMENT KITCHEN - DAY

 

KOKO (SPOKEN): And now I have you.

 

LLOYD: Wow! That's... that's something.

 

KOKO: It sure is. Now honey, is there anything important you'd like to tell me?

 

Lloyd looks away and tries to avoid eye contact.

 

LLOYD: Not... really?

 

KOKO: Nothing at all?

 

LLOYD: Ummm...

 

Lloyd looks around the room.

 

KOKO: You can be totally honest and open with me.

 

LLOYD: What I'd like to say is...

 

Lloyd pauses for a beat.

 

LLOYD (CONT’D): ...I love you very much?

 

Koko tries to hide her disappointment. She inhales, then exhales and fakes a smile.

 

KOKO: Alright, I love you too, sweetie. Go have a Happy Birthday!

 

LLOYD: Thanks Mom! I’ll try my best.

 

KOKO: Of course you will! And remember, if your Dad attacks the city again today, just be sure to...

 

BOTH (CONT’D): ...duck and cover until the Secret Ninja Force gives the all clear.

 

LLOYD: Got it, Mom. Oh and Mom?

 

KOKO: Yes honey?

 

LLOYD: Thanks for believing in me, even when no one else did.