SCENES
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# PG SLUGLINE
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INT EXT INT/EXT hover for full slug
Scene Map
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# PG SLUGLINE
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ARGO by Chris Terrio based on the May 2007 "Wired" magazine article entitled "The Great Escape" by Joshuah Bearman;
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9 INT. CHANCERY OFFICE - MORNING 9 Mounting chaos in here, the nerve center of the embassy. Everyone on a different phone. It’s like an emergency room where the patient is the whole building. ANN SWIFT, 31, Deputy Political Officer, has the phone by
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23 INT. CHANCERY OFFICE - MORNING 23 FRED KUPKE, 34, communications officer, is shouting at staffers who pile up documents for the shredders -- KUPKE Just everything. Don’t sort it --
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32 INT. CHANCERY STAIRWELL LEADING TO 2ND FLOOR - MORNING 32 BROTHER ALI, 20s, one of the student leaders, shouts as he holds a cloth near his face to protect from tear gas. 33 INT. CHANCERY OFFICE - MORNING 33 * The mood is now frantic -- people destroying things or
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46 INT. STATE DEPARTMENT HALL - SEVENTH FLOOR - NIGHT 46 Halfway around the world, hell has broken loose here, too. BATES and MALICK, 30s, State Department mid-level aides. A cascade of voices and energy -- a reverberation from the embassy siege -- the building exploding into a
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49 INT. CHIEF OF STAFF’S OFFICE - NIGHT 49 There are already maps of Iran on easels in here. The big three plus foreign networks on silent televisions. LANDON BUTLER, 30s, Jordan’s Deputy Chief of Staff, is on the phone.
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49A EXT. OLD DOMINION DRIVE (VIRGINIA) - AFTERNOON 49A A LONE ribbon sags in the f.g. -- the CAPITOL BUILDING behind. Yellow ribbons tied to lampposts. A Catholic church with a sign on the lawn that says PRAY FOR OUR HOSTAGES. A
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56 INT. D.O. FLOOR - HALLWAY - LANGLEY - AFTERNOON 56 O’Donnell, frantically grabbing documents and tossing them into an accordion folder. O’DONNELL The six of them went out a back
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58 INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - A FEW MINUTES LATER 58 They enter to find: ADAM ENGELL, 40s or 50s, Deputy Chief of Operations, hosting visitors from the State Department: PENDER and BATES from State. The State guys are both dressed better than the CIA guys, except for
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60 INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE - DINING ROOM - 60 NIGHT At dinner around a dining room table: the SIX HOUSEGUESTS; KEN TAYLOR, 40s, Canadian ambassador. He does much to support the myth that Canadians are always
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68 INT. MENDEZ’S CAR - NIGHT 68 Mendez listens to the radio as he drives home along the bridge, the Jefferson Memorial beyond. NEWSCASTER (V.O.) The White House Christmas tree was
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74 INT. CARPET FACTORY - DAY 74 ANGLE - A SMALL HAND pieces shreds together to form the words: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE -- TEHRAN -- CLASSIFIED. He is working on reassembling the seized EMBASSY PAPERS --
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81 INT. CHRISTINE’S HOUSE - CROSS-CUTTING - NIGHT 81 IAN MENDEZ, 7 and about to turn 8, is watching a movie on * his bed. He picks up on the second ring. * IAN * Hello. *
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86 INT. SCI-FI LAB - A MINOTAUR - DAY 86 A bull/human experiment in a SCI-FI lab, coming to bovine life. A SEXY SPACE NURSE is administering some kind of shot to him. A SECOND NURSE stands by. SPACE NURSE
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90 INT. CIA - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY 90 Pender and Engell sit at the table; O’Donnell hovers. A few State Department and CIA ANALYSTS here, including Malinov and Lamont; and DAVID MARMOR, early 30s, Engell’s guy.
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91 INT. CIA - THE PIT - A FEW MINUTES LATER 91 Tony stands in small messy KITCHEN AREA, pouring coffee. On the coffeepot somebody’s pinned a note: CHANGE FILTER IF YOU USE! DO UNTO OTHERS. O’Donnell approaches, quietly stands behind him, smoking
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96 INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE - KITCHEN - LATER 96 Kathy Stafford is roughly washing wine glasses at the sink. JOE STAFFORD You’ve washed them three times.
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100 INT. SMOKE HOUSE - AFTERNOON 100 A couple of empty highball glasses on the table. Chambers is looking at PHOTOGRAPHS of the SIX. Mendez is taking notes. On a photo of Cora Lijek. CHAMBERS
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103 INT. SIEGEL’S DEN - ANGLE ON TV - TED KOPPEL - EVENING 103 Reporting on Iran. SIEGEL (O.S.) A little experiment. You be me hearing you.
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104 EXT. BY LESTER’S POOL - MORNING 104 Chambers, on hold on the phone, walks to Siegel holding up The Horses of Achilles script in a William Morris binder. Stacks of scripts on a table outside. Siegel’s new A.F.I. award is being used as a coaster.
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109 EXT. CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD (HOLLYWOOD) - DAY 109 * Tony and Lester turn off Sunset Blvd. and into the office complex. SIEGEL He’s only a prick if you catch him
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112 EXT. STREET - A FEW MINUTES LATER 112 MENDEZ You know Warren Beatty? SIEGEL I took a leak next to him at the
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118 INT. ARGO PRODUCTION OFFICE - DAY 118 Now it’s noisy in here now -- a PUBLICIST, ASSISTANTS and controlled chaos -- SIEGEL (on the phone)
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123 EXT./INT. BEVERLY HILTON - LATE DAY 123 A black sedan pulls up to the hotel. A driver opens the back door. Mendez, Siegel, and Chambers get out of the car. They’re wearing suits. They walk past a sign that reads: PRESS EVENT and
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126 INT. O’DONNELL’S OFFICE - NIGHT 126 O’Donnell, watching the same footage on the News. (CONTINUED) ARGO - Final 50. 126 CONTINUED: 126
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133 INT. AMERICAN EMBASSY (TEHRAN) - BASEMENT - NIGHT 133 The four hostages, hoods on their heads, placed against the wall. HOSTAGE TAKERS raise their guns at the men. GREEN JACKET PRINCESS ALEPPA (V.O.) (Farsi) If we find his ship, we
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135 INT. BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL - NIGHT 135 Chambers, at the table, sitting next to Siegel. Mendez sits off to the side. CHAMBERS (reading stage
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142 EXT. STATE DEPARTMENT - DAY 142 Mendez approaches the iconic building. 143 INT. STATE DEPARTMENT LOBBY - DAY 143 Mendez catches up with Jack on the second level of the lobby, opposite the row of flags.
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146 INT. MENDEZ’S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT 146 Mendez is packing to go. He packs a passport with his photo and the name KEVIN COSTA HARKINS. He takes off his wedding band and places it with care -- almost with ceremony -- in a spot on his dresser.
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155 INT. DULLES AIRPORT - LATER 155 He sits near a mailbox inside the terminal writing on a postcard with the Washington Monument on it. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BUDDY-MAN. NO PHONE FOR A WHILE. JACK WILL CALL. LOVE YOU BOTH. Then he adds: SO MUCH.
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164A EXT. BLUE MOSQUE - MORNING 164A Tony walks through the doorway revealing the historic mosque, we hear the call to prayer echo through the courtyard. Tony walks through the courtyard. We see some TOURISTS with ‘70s Instamatics. Locals are HEADING
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166 INT. HAGIA SOPHIA - CONTINUOUS ACTION 166 Nicholls and Tony walk towards the inner courtyard. NICHOLLS When you land, you should go straight to the Ministry of
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170 INT. BRITISH AIRWAYS DC-10 - MORNING 170 Mendez sits in a window seat. A FLIGHT ATTENDANT speaks with a pleasant British accent. FLIGHT ATTENDANT (V.O.) The Captain has informed us that
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177 EXT. CANADIAN EMBASSY - DAY 177 A TAXI pulls away. Mendez, carrying his luggage, stands at a wrought iron gate with MAPLE LEAVES worked into the iron. Ken Taylor comes out of the building, opens the gate himself.
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179A INT. CIA - O’DONNELL’S OFFICE - NIGHT 179A O’DONNELL He got to the embassy. O’Donnell closes the door. Pender, wearing an undone tuxedo, as if he’s just been pulled from a formal event.
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185 EXT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE - VERANDA - NIGHT 185 Mendez comes out and lights a cigarette. Ken Taylor is already there. TAYLOR We’ve got orders to close the
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195 INT. O’DONNELL’S OFFICE - NIGHT 195 O’Donnell on the phone. O’DONNELL They called your bluff. MENDEZ
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197 INT. KOMITEH HEADQUARTERS (AMIR ABAD DISTRICT) - DAY 197 The feeling here is dangerous. Young men carrying automatic weapons casually. Behrouz stands next to ALI KHALKALI, 30s, a Revolutionary Committee security official. There are RECONSTRUCTED
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200 INT. CARPET FACTORY - MORNING 200 A KOMITEH BOSS inspects the work of the CARPET WEAVER KIDS -- whose numbers have grown into the HUNDREDS -- as they labor quietly. Some HEADSHOTS are in various stages of repair.
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202 INT. SHERATON ROOM - DAY 202 Tony getting dressed. Thinking. He gets up and leaves, and we start to hear the sound of a man talking fast in Farsi. 203 EXT. CAR RENTAL - DAY 203
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208 EXT. STREET NEAR THE BAZAAR - DAY 208 The minivan double-parks on Musavi Street. Taxis, men loading and unloading rolled-up carpets onto pickup trucks, chaos. A YOUNG MAN IN SUIT WITH NO TIE waits. This is REZA, mid-
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210 EXT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE (TEHRAN) - DAY 210 Two sedans turn onto the property and head up the driveway. Ali Khalkali, the revolutionary official, gets out of one of the cars. He’s joined by a couple other OFFICIALS and
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216 INT. TEHRAN BAZAAR - ANGLE ON MORE AND MORE BAZAARIS - 216 DAY A CROWD starts to gather around the group. ON KATHY Her claustrophobia as the crowd closes in -- an ANGRY
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224B INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE - NIGHT 224B Mendez holds a passport and some papers in front of Bob Anders’ face. It feels late. The Houseguests are tired, sweating, sitting around a dining room. Mendez, sleeves rolled up, drilling them. The ARGO STORYBOARDS are
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224C INT. CIA - THE PIT - AFTERNOON 224C O’Donnell, walking toward his office. It’s the first time today Malinov has seen him. MALINOV (good news)
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225 INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - 225 NIGHT Now the mood among the Houseguests is lighter. Bob Anders, a handful of liquor bottles in his arms, puts them down on a table. Music plays on a record player.
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234 INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE - DAWN 234 Lee Schatz puts his Infant of Prague holy card into an Argo script. Packs the script. Cora Lijek is sitting next to her husband. Kathy Stafford looks at the clock.
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240 INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE - DAWN 240 Pat Taylor comes to answer an insistent knocking on her front door. She opens it. (CONTINUED) ARGO - Final 95.
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247 INT. CIA (LANGLEY) - THE PIT - NIGHT (A MOMENT LATER) 247 (PRESENT) O’Donnell, charging in -- O’DONNELL Where’s the Director?
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256 INT. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF OFFICE - NIGHT (PRESENT) 256 Jordan is in a meeting with two staffers, his feet up on the desk. His secretary opens the door without knocking, hurries to Jordan, whispers something in his ear. He immediately grabs the phone.
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263 EXT. BAZAAR - POV OF THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD PHOTOGRAPHER 263 - DAY Mark Lijek being photographed at the bazaar the previous day. QUICK CUT BACK TO:
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273 INT. CIA - THE PIT - NIGHT 273 LAMONT (holding the phone) Purser’s telling Swissair they’re not on the plane.
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281 INT. MEHRABAD AIRPORT - KOMITEH STATION - MORNING 281 Azizi rings the phone three times -- four times -- he’s going to hang up -- CHAMBERS (V.O.) (out of breath)
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296 INT. MEHRABAD AIRPORT - MORNING 296 Young Komiteh RUNNING through the terminal, pushing through a crowd, making a woman drop her suitcase, contents scattering. An automatic weapon at his side. 297 EXT. SWISSAIR DC-10 - MORNING 297
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304 INT. MEHRABAD FLIGHT TOWER - MORNING 304 An Iranian FLIGHT TRAFFIC CONTROLLER calmly speaks into his radio in British-accented English. FLIGHT TRAFFIC CONTROLLER SwissAir 363, you are Number 2 for
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317 INT. CIA (LANGLEY) - NIGHT 317 O’Donnell and the Kids gathered around some phones and monitors in the Pit. LAMONT (taking off
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322 INT. ARGO PRODUCTION OFFICE - NIGHT 322 Drinking straight from a bottle of Beefeater. SIEGEL It’s history, is what it is. ‘History plays out first as farce,
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326 INT. STATE DEPARTMENT - LOBBY - DAY 326 The Houseguests arrive in the State Department lobby. Television lights everywhere. TED KOPPEL (V.O.) The six fled the country posing as
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333 INT. CIA ARCHIVES - DAY 333 And suddenly it’s dead-quiet. We’re in a vault inside a vault in the basement of the main building. Mendez’s suitcase is laying on a low counter, an ARCHIVES OFFICER toe-tagging and cataloging various items.
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335 INT. ARGO PRODUCTION OFFICE - ANGLE ON A POSTER - DAY 335 on the wall. ARGO: A COSMIC CONFLAGRATION. A hand takes the poster down. ANOTHER ANGLE Chambers is disassembling the office. Boxes packed.
INT EXT INT/EXT tap to expand

Argo

In the midst of the Iranian revolution, a CIA operative devises a daring plan to rescue six American diplomats hiding in Tehran by posing as a film crew.

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Overview

Poster
Unique Selling Point

Argo stands apart from typical thrillers by blending nail-biting suspense with a surprisingly comedic element, born from the absurdity of the plan. It's a historical drama that doesn't shy away from the political complexities of the time, offering a unique perspective on a lesser-known aspect of the Iran hostage crisis. Its compelling narrative comes from the underdog nature of the operation and the sheer ingenuity involved in the daring rescue.

AI Verdict

Model upgrade — Mar 31, 2026: Analysis is from our newer, stronger readers. Scores aren't directly comparable to pre-upgrade analyses.
GPT4
 Recommend
Claude
 Highly Recommend
Gemini
 Highly Recommend
See Details in P/C/R/HR Section
Story Facts
Genres:
Thriller 60% Drama 40% Action 20% Comedy 10%

Setting: 1979-1980, Tehran, Iran and Washington D.C., USA

Themes: Ingenuity and Deception, Courage and Sacrifice, International Relations and Political Intrigue, Personal Sacrifice and Relationships, The Absurdity of War and Politics

Conflict & Stakes: The primary conflict revolves around the urgent need to extract American diplomats from Iran amidst a hostile environment, with their lives at stake if they are discovered.

Mood: Tense and suspenseful, with moments of dark humor and urgency.

Standout Features:

  • Unique Hook: The use of a Hollywood film production as a cover for a real-life extraction operation.
  • Major Twist: The tension of the mock execution of hostages that turns out to be a ruse, highlighting the psychological stakes.
  • Distinctive Setting: The contrasting environments of Tehran's chaos and the calm of the Canadian Ambassador's residence.
  • Innovative Idea: The integration of a film production narrative into a real-life espionage operation.
  • Unique Characters: A diverse cast of characters, each with their own backstories and motivations, enhancing the emotional depth of the story.

Comparable Scripts: Argo (2012), The Siege (1998), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), The American (2010), Body of Lies (2008), The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), The Bridge of Spies (2015), The Killing of America (1981)

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