American Sniper
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$317 – 351MM V $350MM
Mythosis universal quests used
3
Audience appeal
12.19 – 13.47%
Script Score
0.40
American Sniper is a biographical movie directed by Clint Eastwood and released in 2014. The story revolves around a determined Navy SEAL, his hapless wife and an invincible sharp shooter.
1. The invisible plot structure of American Sniper
1A. The script of American Sniper borrows 97% of its events from 3 mythological tales
Chris’ quest is driven by the desire to ensure order. The quest borrows events from the tale of Bhishm in Hindu mythology. Both Bhishm & Chris take a vow to protect their kingdom from falling into chaos.
Mustafa’s quest is driven by the desire to survive a threat. The quest borrows events from the tale of Kans in Hindu mythology. Both Kans & Mustafa fail to kill their nemesis and pay the price.
Taya’s quest is driven by the desire to be in a peaceful environment. The quest borrows events from the tale of Sita in Hindu mythology. Both Sita and Taya yearn for tranquillity but their suffering keeps mounting.
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
# 15,662
Tales interweaved
Bhishm, Sita & Kans
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 American Sniper's plot structure: $317 – 351MM
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 American Sniper
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. American Sniper has 3 universal quests of Order, Preservation & Tranquillity.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Chris mirrors the universal quest of Order. Taya mirrors the quest of Tranquillity & Mustafa mirrors the quest of Preservation.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Chris borrows 40% events from the universal quest for Order. Taya borrows 16% events from the universal quest for Tranquillity. Mustafa borrows 28% events from the universal quest for Preservation.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. American Sniper’s quest interweaving score is 0.67 and is above par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Chris & Taya:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of American Sniper
Even though the plot structure has 3 quests it depends heavily on one 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
0.40
Audience appeal
12.19 – 13.47%
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 American Sniper
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: Chris mirrors the universal quest for Order
Chris’ desire for Order stems from the need for organization to maintain stability. The tale of Bhishm from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Order.
Quest 2: Mustafa mirrors the universal quest for Preservation
Mustafa’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 3: Taya mirrors the universal quest for Tranquillity
Taya’s desire for Tranquillity stems from the need to be in secure surroundings. The tale of Sita from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The plot structure suffers due to the weakness of the 2nd and 3rd quest.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of American Sniper is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 15,662. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Bhishm, Sita & Kans.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 15,662.
Tags: Prediction, Bhishm, Sita, Kans, Order, Tranquillity, Preservation, Clint Eastwood, Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2014