The Hunger Games
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$306 – 374MM V $408MM
Mythosis universal quests used
4
Audience appeal
12.24 – 14.96%
Script Score
0.43
The Hunger Games is a 2012 movie directed by Gary Ross based on a novel by Suzanne Collins. The story is about a brutal game as part of retribution for a rebellion led by the 12 Districts of Panem.
1. The invisible plot structure of The Hunger Games
1A. The script of Hunger Games borrows 95% of its events from 4 mythological tales
There are 6 prominent characters in the movie each driven by distinct desires.
Katniss’ quest mirrors the tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology, where both are driven by the desire to be secure surroundings.
Haymitch plays the role of Hermes, Odysseus’ mentor.
Crane’s quest mirrors the tale of Circe from Greek mythology, where both are driven by the desire to dominate others.
Cato’s quest mirrors the tale of Kans from Hindu mythology, where both are driven by the desire to survive a threat.
Peeta’s quest mirrors the tale of Leander from Greek mythology, where both are driven by the desire for love & romance.
Snow is driven by the desire to maintain stability though his quest is underdeveloped.
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
# 540,393
Tales interweaved
Circe, Odysseus, Kans & Leander
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 Hunger Games' plot structure: $306 – 374MM
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 The Hunger Games
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. The script uses 3 universal quests of Power, Tranquillity & Preservation. The quest of Romance is sparingly used.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Katniss mirrors the universal quest of Tranquillity whereas Crane mirror the universal quest of Power. Cato mirrors the quest of Preservation and Peeta that of Romance.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Katniss mirrors 52% of the events from Odysseus’ quest. Crane borrows 30% of the events from Circe’s quest. Cato borrows 22% of the events from Kans’ quest. Peeta borrows 14% of the events from Leander’s quest.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. The Hunger Games' quest interweaving score of 0.5 is at par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Katniss & Crane:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games’ plot structure is weakened by the lack of interweaving between quests. This is due to not enough depth in the quests of Cato and Peeta.
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
0.43
Audience appeal
12.24 – 14.96%
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 The Hunger Games
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: Katniss mirrors the universal quest for Tranquillity
Katniss’ desire for Tranquillity stems from the need to be in secure surroundings. The tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.
Quest 2: Crane mirrors the universal quest for Power
Crane’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.
Quest 3: Cato mirrors the universal quest for Preservation
Cato’s desire for Preservation stems from the need to survive a threat. The tale of Kans from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Preservation.
Quest 4: Peeta mirrors the universal quest for Romance
Peeta’s desire for Romance stems from the need for love. The tale of Leander from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Romance.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The gap in Hunger Games’ plot structure arises from the relatively weaker quests of Cato & Peeta.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Hunger Games is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 540,393. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Circe, Odysseus, Kans & Leander.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 540,393.
Tags: Odysseus, Tranquillity, Circe, Power, Kans, Preservation, Leander, Romance, 2012, Gary Ross, Billy Ray, Suzanne Collins, Lionsgate