FADE IN:CAPTAIN (V.O.)We have main engine start, four, three,CAPTAIN (V.O.)Two, one.EXT. ROCKET LAUNCH FACILITY - DAYA cluster of massive rocket engine bells towers into the haze.The engines IGNITE in a blinding column of flame.Pillars of fire ROAR down from the engine cluster.The rocket climbs on a single pillar of flame above the industrial skyline.EXT. CANAL BRIDGE - DAYCELIAYou're a jerk, Tom.THOMLook, Celia, we have to follow our passions. You have your robotics, and I just want to be awesome in space.CELIAWhy don't you just admit that you're freaked out by my robot hand?THOMI'm not freaked out, but it's...CELIA holds her mechanical right hand up at THOM on the bridge over the canal.THOM (CONT'D)All right, fine. I'm freaked out. I'm having nightmares that I'm being chased by these giant robotic claws.CELIAOh, whatever, Tom. We're done.INT. CONTROL ROOM - DAYHolographic wireframe figures — one orange, one blue — re-enact the bridge argument above a bank of machinery.The wireframe pair turn on each other in jerky playback.A glowing holographic interface blooms with playback controls.TECH HEADRobot's memory synced and locked.A hand rides a fader on a console layered in holographic readouts; a timer counts down.TECH HEAD, curly-haired, squinting through cracked glasses, hunches over the console among white-suited technicians.Technicians work the decks as holograms flicker over the room.A human brain sits wired on a plate, holographic rings orbiting it.The CAPTAIN leans over the brain, studying it through the multi-lens implant covering his right eye.CAPTAINThis is pretty freaky.TITLE CARD: "TEARS OF STEEL"EXT. RUINED AMSTERDAM - DAYA colossal machine crouches over the rooftops beside a church tower, smoke drifting across the skyline.INT. BELL TOWER - DAYBetween the great bells, a sniper nest overlooks the machine.OLD THOM dozes beneath a newspaper.INSERT - THE NEWSPAPER: "ROBOTICIST CREATES KILLER ROBOTS"Through a rifle scope: a flying machine hovers over the rooftops.BARLEY peers through the scope of a heavy sniper rifle.Old thom lies among candles and sandbags while barley keeps watch behind him.OLD THOMShouldn't you be down there?OLD THOMI heard you guys talking last night.Old thom pushes himself upright.OLD THOM (CONT'D)It's not my fault you know.Barley keeps his eye to the scope.Barley sips from a small juice carton, eyes still on the machine.INT. RUINED CHURCH - DAYOld thom lowers himself on a rope in front of the towering organ pipes.The rope coils on the stone floor at his boots.INT. RESISTANCE HEADQUARTERS - CONTINUOUSOld thom steps into the lamplit parlor; DJENGHIS, a young soldier with a radio pack, turns to him.He crosses the overgrown ruin that opens into the cluttered room.CAPTAINAre you ready? Of course you're ready. You're a rock star.The captain comes up behind old thom and grips his shoulders.CAPTAIN (CONT'D)(INTO PHONE)How's it looking, Barley?INTERCUT - PHONE CALLIn the bell tower, barley sights the machine through his scope.BARLEYWe should have about 10 minutes.CAPTAINWell, that's perfect. We're only one. All systems go. Yeah, you, go. Go.The captain lowers the phone; old thom and djenghis wait.A technician throws switches on a console crawling with holograms.CAPTAIN (CONT'D)Move your asses. Go, go, go. I love it. Go.High above, the machine's ringed lights BLAZE to life.An orange scan sweeps across the apparatus.The technicians race at their stations.The captain throws his arms wide.A dome of holographic light blossoms around him.CAPTAIN (CONT'D)That's nice. Nothing to worry about. Tom!In the projection, the giant robot towers on the canal bridge.The captain steadies himself, arms out, old thom and djenghis at his shoulders.CAPTAIN (CONT'D)Tom, there she is. Now, you love her.CAPTAINShe's your passion. Be tender to her.The three stand before the shimmering projection, the captain's arm around old thom.CAPTAIN (CONT'D)Be honest.CAPTAINBe tender.CAPTAINRemind her what love is.The captain pats old thom's back.EXT. CANAL BRIDGE - DAYPaper scraps drift over the canal railings.THOMOh.An orange wireframe flickers at the bridgehead.The wireframe solidifies into thom — young again, bandaged hand, lion-crested jacket.Thom walks the bridge, taking in the quiet street.He stops — the giant robot looms at the end of the bridge, cables trailing.The machine's optic cluster swings toward him.INT. RESISTANCE HEADQUARTERS - CONTINUOUSThe captain settles behind his desk like a director, red pointer in hand; djenghis stands guard.CAPTAINAnd...CAPTAINAction!INT. CONTROL ROOM - CONTINUOUSTECH HEADMemory override in progress!CELIAYou're a jerk, Tom!On the projection, the giant robot's optics ignite, burning white.THOMOh, I'm sorry! Sorry.The Tech Head winces at the feedback.THOM (CONT'D)Sorry.A blue holographic scan ripples over the robot's face.EXT. CANAL BRIDGE - CONTINUOUSCelia's avatar stands before thom, solid as flesh.SUPER: "LOOK CELIA, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW OUR PASSIONS"THOMLook, Celia. We have to follow our passions.Celia watches him, unmoved.THOM (CONT'D)You have your robotics.THOMAnd I just want to be awesome in space.EXT. RUINED AMSTERDAM - DUSKThe sun sinks behind the spires and the watching machine.INT. BELL TOWER - DAYScope view: gabled rooftops drift past the crosshairs.CAPTAIN (V.O.)Get her coming. Two minutes left. Two minutes.Barley adjusts his aim.INT. RESISTANCE HEADQUARTERS - DAYThe captain's implant projects red digits across his eye.The readout counts down.EXT. CANAL BRIDGE - DAYCELIAWhy don't you just admit that you're freaked out by my robot hand?Celia raises the robot hand toward thom's face.SUPER: "CELIA, I LOVE YOUR ROBOT HAND"The mechanical fingers hover an inch from thom's cheek.THOMListen, Celia. I was young. And a dick. But there's no reason to destroy the world.Celia's eyes hold on him.TECH HEADWhy does she do this?INT. CONTROL ROOM - CONTINUOUSCAPTAINWe already tried that one.INSERT - THE BLACKBOARD: "INTERPRETIVE DANCE — Juggling = promising — CANDID UNDERSTATEMENT — CHOCOLATE — 'HELLO' — a rose, 2 roses, a dozen roses — WE HAVE TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY..."TECH HEADAbort! No! No!On the projection, the robot hand cups thom's jaw.CELIAYou broke my heart.THOMI know.The Tech Head gapes at his readings.INSERT - CONSOLE PANELS: "ERROR!!!"On the projection, celia rages at thom, the robot hand cradling his face.CELIAYou forgot me on Earth.THOMI know.CELIAI should just crush you!THOMI'm... I'm sorry.CAPTAINGo to ad-lib.The captain and djenghis listen.SUPER: "CELIA, I LOVE YOUR ROBOT HAND"The captain slumps.On the projection, tears well in celia's eyes.The projection TEARS in a wash of blue static.TECH HEADIt's not my fault!The Tech Head fights the console, jaw clenched.TECH HEAD (CONT'D)This time.The Tech Head sags, exhausted.CAPTAINWe're out of time, we're out of time!The captain seizes a control stick, implant whirring.INT. BELL TOWER - DAYBarley is hurled backward off his perch.He lands flat on his back, staring up.Robots swarm up the tower's carillon.INT. MACHINE ROOM - DAYTechnicians in white suits uncrate mechanical control rigs.A blond technician straps into a white articulated armature.The crew snap their rigs into place.The blond technician stares his rig down, eye to optic.INT. RUINED CHURCH - DAYFour crew members kneel on the church floor, rigs raised like puppeteers.The giant robots rear up in answer.A robot foot CRASHES down.The blond technician throws his arm; the machine mirrors him.The robots surge through the nave.The four operators drive the machines onward.INT. BELL TOWER - DAYBarley scrambles up from the floor.He hacks at a rope.He leaps, rope in hand.He swings out over the church as a giant robot smashes through the organ loft.The organ collapses in an avalanche of pipes.Barley swings through the exploding nave.Barley HOWLS, riding the rope through the debris.INT. CONTROL ROOM - CONTINUOUSTECH HEAD90%, Captain, we have to abort!In the parlor, djenghis seizes the captain's arm.EXT. CANAL BRIDGE - DAYThom looks up as the giant robot sags, cables slackening.Thom watches the machine power down.THOMThe world's changed, Celia.INT. RUINED CHURCH - DAYOne by one the robots slump and die among the rusted pipes.The great machine's ring-lights fade to black.Old thom stands before the fallen robot's head.OLD THOMMaybe we can too.TECH HEAD (V.O.)Memory override complete!SUPER: "MEMORY OVERWRITE 099.89%"Old thom lays his hands on the robot's faceplate.He eases the plate open.INT. RESISTANCE HEADQUARTERS - DAYThe captain kneads his hands, implant glowing red.OLD THOM (V.O.)You know... There's a lesson to be learned from this.The captain sinks into his desk chair; djenghis keeps watch by the door.THOM (V.O.)Twitter gamers.The mirror SHATTERS as the dead machine sags against the ruin outside.Outside, old thom embraces the robot's battered head.TITLE CARD: "Director of Photography — JORIS KERBOSCH N.S.C."TITLE CARD: "Music and Sound — JORAM LETWORY"TITLE CARD: "Cast — Old Thom DEREK DE LINT, Barley SERGIO HASSELBAINK, Captain ROGIER SCHIPPERS, Thom VANJA RUKAVINA, Celia DENISE REBERGEN, Djenghis JODY BHE, Tech head CHRIS HALEY"TITLE CARD: "DVD PRE-SALE SPONSORS..."TITLE CARD: "This film has been realised with the support from Blender Foundation, Netherlands Film Fund, European Regional Development Fund of the European Committee... Produced by Blender Institute. Licensed as Creative Commons Attribution 3.0"EXT. ROBOT GRAVEYARD - DAYA mountain of dead robots rusts in the sunlight.Barley sits atop the heap, rifle across his knees, sipping his juice carton, at peace.FADE OUT.TEARS OF STEELGenerated by FrameToPagehttps://download.blender.org/demo/movies/ToS/tears_of_steel_1080p.webmDraft date: 2026-07-19Runtime: ~12:14