Logline
An environmentally aware tech billionaire, Charles Langham uses his wealth and inventive genius plus his team to galvanise the world into directly addressing the climate crisis and associated threats to the planet, while thwarting the plans of a vengeful, power-mad US president to set himself up as a dictator with his own nuclear arsenal.
Film Synopsis
Ecologist Anne Langham, wife of tech billionaire Charles Langham, working in the Amazon Rainforests, shows her husband video evidence of how their reforestation work is being undermined illegally to grow drugs. While investigating with a local chieftain, she finds herself under fire from men connected to the Brazilian company Axman Ltd, who are wiped out by a landslide created by torrential rain.
Meanwhile, a pumped up Charles, not letting his MS affect him, addresses the UN, berating the world community for not tackling the environmental crises the world now faces. He causes waves when he appears to deliver an ultimatum threatening the world unless they act now - surely not?! The USA's special environmental envoy, Duke Warren, is convinced, but he has less luck with his President, Mike Read, who Duke suspects, despite his token support, has many hidden agendas. His VP Martha Johnson seems more sympathetic. Duke is not convinced that direct action is the way forward but agrees to meet Charles on his environmentally friendly Sundancer super-yacht.
Reed seeks to intimidate Charles by video conference, but Charles berates him for inaction and his 'what's good for America is good for the world' attitude, pointing out how he himself has already made a difference to many world problems. Furious when Charles hangs up on him, Reed seeks the dirt on Charles and his scientist kids and contacts his dirty ops guy Thomas sunning himself in the tropics.
Anne, back from Brazil, along with Charles's majordomo Max, picks up Duke in a Charles-designed 'coptor and flies him to the Sundancer yacht. They get on well, apart from Duke thinking Anne works for Charles, while Max says it's the other way round! Duke is stunned by Charles's Sundancer maritime HQ and his operation involving subs, planes and ships adapted to be environmentally friendly. When Reed orders an aircraft carrier after them, Charles leaves it electronically bereft with an EMP device of his design. Charles then delights in telling Reed he will help the US ship back to port. Though still not convinced by 'threats', Duke joins Charles's team.
With much of the world's media supporting Charles and no word from the UN, he announces he really will make waves: he'll send a tsunami against the USA to remind them how dangerous nature can be. Reed and his cronies don't believe this and Duke is horrified. Charles asks Duke to trust him. Reed orders Thomas to take out Charles's yacht but first Charles shows the world a tsunami, produced from Wave devices he designed. to inundate – not the New England town he had mocked up – but an uninhabited island the USA uses for chemical testing. Reed is furious and sends soldiers to locate the kids. Charles and the team head via sub to his secret, hi-tech underwater Kermadec base where geologist Maggie reports strange readings from the Davidson Seamount near coastal California. Cathy and Chris are ordered to relocate to Sundancer.
Reed's troops fail to kidnap Charles's Cathy and Chris. After a hostile meeting of the G8 Reed tries to call off Thomas but radio silence obliges him to order the bombing of his team's boat. Thomas survives and is taken to K Base by Max where he produces evidence that Reed is in league with Brazilian 'unknowns' to build his own nuclear arsenal – the uranium probably being mined from the unstable Davidson Seamount, putting the whole of coastal California in danger. Charles orders more Wave machines to be located to combat any resulting tsunamis. Cathy and Chris go along to help.
Charles contacts VP Johnson with Thomas's evidence, while his people identify the illegal mining operation, just managing to get further Wave devices in place and escape depth charges. warning Chris and Cathy to get back on Sundancer NOW! Then the Seamount slips sending a tsunami at California and Chris and Cathy on the Sundancer. The VP contacts Congress and the Attorney General to get Reed arrested for his duplicity with the Brazilian drug-dealing Axman company, set up by a Nazi of that name. The aged Axman Snr. has got what he's always wanted though: nuclear weapons. Although President Johnson offers Duke a job in her administration he now realises sometimes the World needs non-aligned protectors like Charles and himself. Reed meanwhile believes he will get away with his crimes – Thomas has different ideas!
Screenplay
For the Screenplay, please contact gary@garypaulstephenson.com