Mythosis

Skyfall poster copyright belongs to Sony Pictures Releasing

Skyfall

Modern spy movie made from 3 mythological tales

EST V ACT domestic box office revenue

$229 – 280MM V $304MM

Mythosis universal quests used

4

Audience appeal

9.15% – 11.19%

Script Score

0.31

Directed by Sam Mendes, Skyfall explores the basic human desires of ensuring order, upholding honour and a raw display of power. Mythosis, harnesses 4 mythological tales to extract the unique plot structure of Skyfall. The plot structure reveals the reasons behind the compelling story and also exposes the gaps.

Skyfall poster copyright belongs to Sony Pictures Releasing

1. The invisible plot structure of Skyfall

1A. The script of Skyfall borrows 87% of its events from 4 mythological tales

Bond’s quest is driven by the desire to serve one’s clan and mirrors the tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology. Hanuman & Bond demonstrate loyalty, showing a willingness to sacrifice themselves.

Bond also has a quest that mirrors some events from the tale of Odysseus. Both Odysseus & Bond overcome an adversary to save their loved ones.

M’s quest is driven by the desire to maintain stability and mirrors the tale of Bhishm from Hindu mythology. Both Bhishm & “M” take a vow to protect their kingdom from falling into chaos. 

Silva’s quest is driven by the desire to dominate others and mirrors the tale of Circe from Greek mythology. Both Circe & Silva create a façade to prey on unsuspecting victims.

NOTE: Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”

Mythosis plot structure

#15,523

Tales interweaved

Bhishm, Circe & Hanuman

I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?

2. The potential of Skyfall's plot structure: $229-280MM

The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code, a set of principles for creating compelling stories. The plot structure of a story is analyzed to see how well it adheres to these storytelling principles.

2A. Plot structure evaluation of Skyfall

An example of interweaving the quests of Bond & Silva:

2B. Box office revenue estimation of Skyfall

The strength of Skyfall’s plot structure lies in deeply using 2 universal quests. The quests of Bond & Silva are extremely deep that makes them layered and complex.

The plot structure also reveals a major gap in the story due to the inconsistency in Bond’s character. The hidden potential is harnessing the universal quest of Order that would strengthen M’s quest.

The Script Score measures a plot structure’s  adherence to the four principles of Mythosis Code. We use the Script Score to estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.

Script Score

0.31

Audience appeal

9.15% – 11.19%

I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?

3. The ideal plot structure of Skyfall

We have identified 32 mythological tales, the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have also recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours that are deeply embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.

Mapping a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Plugging these gaps with the missing events deepens the character quest. The missing events also provide an opportunity for interweaving the various quests. These events strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential.

3A.Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts​

Quest 1: Bond mirrors the universal quest for Honour

Bond’s desire for Honour stems from the need to serve one’s clan/order. The tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Honour.

In Skyfall, Bond borrows from the Hindu mythological tale of Hanuman

Quest 2: “M” mirrors the universal quest for Order

M’s desire for Order stems from the need to maintain stability. The tale of Bhishm from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Order.

Quest 3: Silva mirrors the universal quest for Power

Silva’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.

The plot structure reveals a major gap in the story due to the inconsistency in Bond’s character.

Moreover, harnessing the universal quest of Order would strengthen M’s shallow quest.

The plot of Skyfall is a subset of plot structure #15,523 that interweaves the tales of Bhishm, Circe & Hanuman.

CONTACT: anandshiv@usemythosis.com for Skyfall’s plot structure #15,523

Tags: Bhishm, Hanuman, Circe, Order, Power, Honour, Sam Mendes, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan, Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing, 2012

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