Zero Dark Thirty
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$49 – 59MM V $96MM
Mythosis universal quests used
3
Audience appeal
1.92 – 2.34%
Script Score
0.07
Zero Dark Thirty released in 2012 is directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal. The story is about a CIA analyst’s relentless pursuit leading to the discovery of bin Laden’s hideout.
1. The invisible plot structure of Zero Dark Thirty
1A. The script of Zero Dark Thirty borrows 88% of its events from 3 mythological tales
Maya’s quest is driven by the desire to find a missing person/object. However, the quest borrows events from the tale of Demeter in Greek mythology rather than Jason’s tale. Both Demeter and Maya obtain clues to find the abductor.
Abu’s quest is driven by the desire to punish offenders. The quest borrows events from the tale of Duryodhan in Hindu mythology. Duryodhan repeatedly attempting to eliminate his cousins to control the kingdom is similar to Abu attempting to eliminate Maya.
Every human desire has two universal quests – a fulfilled and an unfulfilled one. Zero Dark Thirty uses both the universal quests of Vengeance.
CIA’s quest is driven by the desire to punish offenders. The quest borrows events from the tale of Dron from Hindu mythology. Both Dron and CIA seek to avenge their humiliation and betrayal.
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
# 29,134
Tales interweaved
Dron, Demeter & Duryodhan
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 Zero Dark Thirty's plot structure: $49 – 59MM
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 Zero Dark Thirty
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Zero Dark Thirty has 3 universal quests of Power and both quests of Vengeance.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Maya mirrors the quest of Family. CIA mirrors the fulfilled quest of Vengeance whereas Abu mirrors the unfulfilled one.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Maya borrows 27% events from the quest for Family. Abu borrows 16% events from the unfulfilled quest for Vengeance whereas CIA borrows 14% events from the fulfilled one.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Zero Dark Thirty’s has a quest interweaving score of 0.33 and is below par.
An example of interweaving Maya’s & CIA’s quests:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Zero Dark Thirty
Though the plot structure of Zero Dark Thirty borrows from 3 universal quests, these quests aren’t interwoven with each other. Moreover, none of the character quests have sufficient depth.
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
0.07
Audience appeal
1.92 – 2.34%
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 Zero Dark Thirty
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: Maya mirrors the universal quest for Family
Maya’s desire stems from the need to nurture & protect. The tale of Demeter from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Family.
Quest 2: Abu mirrors the universal quest for Vengeance
Abu’s desire stems from the need to confront offenders. The tale of Duryodhan from Hindu mythology is the unfulfilled quest for Vengeance.
Quest 3: CIA mirrors the universal quest for Vengeance
CIA’s desire stems from the need to confront offenders. The tale of Dron from Hindu mythology is the fulfilled quest for Vengeance.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The plot structure reveals 3 shallow quests that aren’t interwoven.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Zero Dark Thirty is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 29,134. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Dron, Demeter & Duryodhan.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 29,134
Tags: Dron, Demeter, Duryodhan, Family, Vengeance, Kathryn Bigelow, Columbia Pictures, First Light Productions, Annapurna Pictures, Sony Pictures Releasing, Panorama Media, 2012