#finsrambles

Hellooo fellow gay cannibal enjoyers! Got my hands on a reprint of the Ravenous script and it is VERY different from the film.

I bring you this long post breaking down the changes ˋ°•*⁀➷

First things things first, let's get the major changes out of the way:

Script starts in modern day where a bunch of skiers get lost in a blizzard and hide out in a cave (IMPORTANT FOR THE SCRIPT ENDING) One of the skiers starts to tell the story of Fort Spencer to past the time...cut to 1847 and what we know.

Way more of a physical and mental change once they consume human meat. Described as "feral, primal, possessed" with movements that are "monkey-like" and animalistic. Lots of jumping in trees, and also running on all fours. Ives especially loves to ambush people from trees by jumping down onto them. Much more terrifying.

Names changes: Colqhoun is Colburn (he's also from Maryland, while Boyd is from Florida). Martha is Madison and is a man. George is Jefferson.

Boyd actually finds Colonel Hart alive after the whole cave scene and tries to save him from Ives by throwing them both on a sled to escape. They were chased down by Ives tho and ultimately Boyd escaped solo.

There's a whole scene in the second half where the gang hunts rabbits? Unrelated, Boyd also makes a Molotov cocktail and throws it at Ives :)

THE ENDING. Genuinely so shocked reading it. Spoiler: Boyd gives in ~acquiescence~

OK now for actual script pictures and my commentary, we're going chronologically loves so lock in.

Boyd knows Latin! A fun little tidbit. He also has way more lines in the script and is overall sassier.

Of all characters, Boyd was the most different from script to screen.

Colqhoun/Colburn actually admits to licking Toffler's wounds. Which makes more sense than him saying he "accidentally" fell on him mouth open during a nightmare, tho it is less hilarious. He also doesn't ask to be restrained; it's a choice made by Hart.

Here's a good chase scene describing how animalistic Ives becomes.

Dialogue from that scene where Boyd confronts Ives outside at night that didn't make it into the film. This part feels very Killing Eve lmao

More from this scene which is laced with sexual tension... "Another man's virility in you" is certainly a sentence.

Also the horses have names from Greek mythology relating to the Trojan War!

Gay. Also foreshadowing.

This part about Boyd punching Ives up against a wall was replaced with that scene outside where he almost slits his neck.

Out of everything that didn't make it into the film I fear I am most distraught over not getting to see Ives force feed Boyd Knox stew. Big fan of Ives calling him "Mr. Boyd"

THE scene of all time- homosexual blood licking. "Ives who savors his new total dominance" needs to be spotlighted for a minute.

"MONSTER TURNED ON HIS CREATOR" gasped when I read this considering I'm currently having slight Frankenstein brainrot as well.

Putting the last 3 pages here in it's entirety since it's so drastically different from the film (1/3). They really lean into the monkey thing with Ives jumping between trees.

Something extremely inappropriate could be said about "Ives spasms/dangles limply on Boyd's stick." oop

So Boyd kills Ives with an arrow to the neck (I much prefer the bear trap) and then we cut to present day again... (2/3)

Instead of Wendigo in the script it's Tanatka. Cannibalism being mentioned as an "infection" is very interesting and makes sense given that the script describes it as a very physical transformation.

AND THIS IS HOW THE SCRIPT ENDS??????????? (3/3) I'm still in a state of shock.

Overall I think the choices made in the film improved from the script. This was a pretty long read at 125 pages; and there would definitely be some pacing issues if put to screen (lots more scenes of Boyd during the war, the whole rabbit hunt was quite long, and I'm not sold on the modern day thing) the ending also felt a bit rushed.

The script also leans into horror more and is way less comedic which would've made for a very different tho interesting film!