Mulan
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$113 – 126MM V NA
Mythosis universal quests used
3
Audience appeal
3.71 – 4.13%
Script Score
0.13
Mulan a 2020 movie inspired by the Chinese folklore of Hua Mulan is directed by Niki Caro. The story follows a young Chinese woman who disguises herself as a man to take her ailing father’s place in the Imperial Army.
1. The invisible plot structure of Mulan
1A. The script of Mulan borrows 91% of its events from 3 mythological tales
Mulan’s quest is driven by the desire for approval by others. The quest borrows events from the tale of Theseus in Greek mythology. Both Theseus and Mulan overcome multiple challenges to get accepted by those who rejected them.
Xianniang’s quest is driven by the desire for fairness and justice. The quest borrows events from the tale of Prometheus from Greek mythology. Similar to Prometheus, Xianniang rebel to prevent exploitation by unscrupulous forces.
Bori’s underdeveloped quest is driven by the desire to dominate others. The quest borrows events from the tale of Ravan in Hindu mythology. Both Ravan and Bori take whatever they want without any concern for the consequences.
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
# 1,575
Tales interweaved
Theseus, Ravan & Prometheus
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 Mulan's plot structure: $113 – 126MM
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 Mulan
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Mulan has 2 universal quests of Acceptance & Idealism.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Mulan mirrors the universal quest of Acceptance. Xianniang mirrors the quest of Idealism.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Mulan borrows 48% events from the quest for Acceptance. Xianniang 33% events from the quest for Idealism.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Mulan’s quest interweaving score is 0.33 and below par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Xianniang & Mulan:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Mulan
The plot structure of Mulan borrows only from 2 universal quests thereby limiting the story’s audience appeal. Mulan’s character is powerful, consistent and well-developed.
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
0.13
Audience appeal
3.71 – 4.13%
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 Mulan
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: Mulan mirrors the universal quest for Acceptance
Mulan’s desire for Acceptance stems from the need for approval by others. The tale of Theseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Acceptance.
Quest 2: Xianniang mirrors the universal quest for Idealism
Xianniang’s desire for Idealism stems from the need for fairness & justice. The tale of Prometheus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Idealism.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The plot structure reveals moderate quest of the second character and a shallow quest of the third one.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Mulan is a subset of plot structure # 1,575. It emerges from interweaving the tales Theseus, Ravan & Prometheus.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 1,575
Tags: Prediction, Theseus, Prometheus, Acceptance, Idealism, Ravan, Power, Niki Caro, Walt Disney Pictures, 2020