Crazy Rich Asians reimagines the evergreen Cinderella plot structure
Estimated vs Actual box office revenue: $135 – 165MM vs $175MM
92% events in Crazy Rich Asians are borrowed from 3 mythological tales
Crazy Rich Asians directed by Jon M. Chu is based on the 2013 novel of the same title by Kevin Kwan. The three character quests in the movie exactly mirror the quests in the timeless story of Cinderella. Cinderella’s story interweaves the universal quests of Status, Social contact and Acceptance. Mythosis uses 3 mythological tales to extract the plot structure of the movie.
1. Mythological tales reveal the invisible plot structure of any story
1A. 92% of the events are borrowed from 3 mythological tales
Eleanor's quest is driven by the desire for social standing and mirrors the tale of Kaikeyi from Hindu mythology. Both Kaikeyi & Eleanor attempt to maintain their social standing by controlling the lives of their son.
Nick’s quest is driven by the desire for companionship and mirrors the tale of Psyche from Greek mythology. Both Psyche & Nick lose their loved ones due to a misunderstanding and try to win them back.
Rachel’s quest is driven by the desire to seek approval for who they are and mirrors the tale of Theseus from Greek mythology. Both Theseus & Rachel struggle to get accepted despite proving themselves.
Astrid’s quest is subsumed in her husband’s under-developed quest driven by self-interest.
Detailed mirroring of each character to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
1B. 32 mythological tales are the source of all stories, even the untold ones
Human beings are driven by 16 fundamental desires. Every desire, whether encountering fulfilment or unfulfillment, gives rise to two distinct quests. Thus, a spectrum of 32 unique quests mirrors every human desire.
We have discovered mythological tales from across civilizations that uniquely portray each one of these 32 human quests. While each mythological tale stands as a distinct quest, the true magic unfolds when these tales are combined. This synergy is evident in the epics of Odyssey and Ramayan, where various universal quests seamlessly intertwine.
Combining any five tales from the 32, generates a staggering 24 million unique story plots. Take it a step further, by combining six tales the possibilities explode to an astounding 600 million!
The ideal plot structure of Crazy Rich Asians is # 26,855 which is also Cinderella’s plot structure. It emerges from interweaving the quests of Status, Social contact & Acceptance.
2. Plot structure potential of Crazy Rich Asians: $135-165MM
2A. Plot structure evaluation of Crazy Rich Asians
An analysis of Blockbuster, Hit & Flop plots has led to the discovery of Mythosis Code. The Code reveals the story principles shared by all Blockbusters. We use the Code to estimate a story’s potential.
All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Crazy Rich Asians has 3 universal quests of Acceptance, Status & Social contact.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Rachel mirrors the universal quest of Acceptance. Eleanor mirrors the quest of Status. Nick mirrors the quest of Social contact. Astrid doesn’t have a well-developed quest.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Rachel’s character borrows 13% of the universal quest of Acceptance. Eleanor’s character borrows 36% of the quest of Status. Nick borrows 16% of the quest of Social contact.
Blockbusters interweave different quests to create a tight plot structure. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Crazy Rich Asians’ quest interweaving score is 0.67 and is above par. An example of interweaving of Nick’s & Eleanor’s quests:
2B. Plot structure is the most important but least understood element of storytelling
Any plot structure that borrows events from at least 3 mythological tales has high resonance. In our own lives, each one of us identifies with at least one quest to fulfil a basic human desire. Hence, when more quests are woven into a story, its starts appealing to a wider audience.
The nature of mythological tales used, makes the plot structure fresh & unique. Besides, appealing to a larger audience size, the choice of various human desires creates a unique and original story.
Interweaving mythological tales makes the plot structure cohesive. Stories become seamless when characters are woven with each other through their quests and not merely by relationships.
Characters are consistent when they mirror a single mythological tale. Characters pursuing more than one quest appear confusing due to their divergent desires.
Borrowing 35% or more events from each mythological tale strengthens both the plot structure & character. The plot structure becomes flat when characters borrow less than the threshold. Each mythological tale has multiple twists & turns hence no forced injection is required. Additionally, characters become layered & complex when their journey is deep.
2C. Measuring the revenue potential of Crazy Rich Asians
The plot structure of Crazy Rich Asians is driven by Eleanor since her quest is the most prominent. Both Nick & Rachel’s character lacks depth since they borrow sparingly from their respective quests.
We have created an algorithm by assigning weights to the principles of The Mythosis Code. The algorithm calculates the potency of a story’s plot structure and estimates its corresponding audience appeal. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Crazy Rich Asians has a script potential score is 0.15 and the movie will appeal to 4.33 – 5.29% of the population. Our estimate of the movie’s revenues from its audience appeal is $135 – 165MM in the domestic market.
3. The ideal plot structure of Crazy Rich Asians
We have identified 32 universal quests that represent every human desire. These quests are the superset of thousands of stories across cultures that reflect our collective subconscious. Each quest has a structured sequence of events divided into 5 major arcs.
We map a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale (universal quest) which reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. The ideal Plot Structure is constructed by plugging these gaps with the missing events from the tale. These events strengthen both the journey of characters as well as the weaving of quests without altering the story.
3A. Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Eleanor mirrors the universal quest for Status
Eleanor’s desire for Status stems from the need for social standing & respect. The tale of Kaikeyi from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Status.
Quest 2: Nick mirrors the universal quest for Social contact
Quest 3: Rachel mirrors the universal quest for Acceptance
Rachel’s desire for Acceptance stems from the need for approval from others. The tale of Theseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Acceptance.
Tags:2018, Acceptance, Blockbuster movies, Color Force, Jon M Chu, Kaikeyi, Kevin Kwan, Mythology, Plot Structure, Prediction, Psyche, SK Global, Social Contact, Starlight Culture, Status, storytelling, Theseus, Warner Bros. Pictures
