The script potential score of Zero Dark Thirty is 0.13 (predicted revenue 92-102MM; actual 96MM)
The script of Zero Dark Thirty will appeal to 3.66 – 4.07 % of the population
88% events in Zero Dark Thirty are borrowed from 3 mythological tales
The script of Zero Dark Thirty will appeal to 3.66 – 4.07 % of the population
Any story is the quest to fulfil a human desire. We have identified universal quests for every human desire. These universal quests reveal the invisible plot structure of stories. An analysis of Blockbuster, Hit & Flop plots led to the discovery of Mythosis Code. The Code reveals the story principles shared by all Blockbusters. We use the Code to estimate and unlock a story’s Blockbuster potential.
All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Zero Dark Thirty has 2 universal quests of Vengeance and the quest of Family. Every human desire has a fulfilled and an unfulfilled quest.
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 quest of Vengeance.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Maya borrows 27% of the quest of Family. Abu’s character borrows 16% of the quest of Vengeance. CIA borrows 14% of the universal quest of Vengeance.
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. Zero Dark Thirty has a quest interweaving score of 0.67 and is above par. An example of interweaving Maya’s & CIA’s quests:
Blockbusters have a script score of at least 0.64 whereas Zero Dark Thirty’s script score is 0.13. Based on the script score we estimate that the movie will appeal to 3.66 – 4.07% of the population.
Though the plot structure of Zero Dark Thirty borrows from 3 universal quests, these quests aren’t interwoven with each other. Moreover, every character doesn’t have sufficient depth since they borrow inadequately from their respective quests.
88% events in Zero Dark Thirty are borrowed from 3 mythological tales
At Mythosis, we have identified 32 mythological tales. Each mythological tale uniquely represents a human quest to fulfil a desire. These tales are the super set of thousands of tales across cultures.
We have codified the events of each mythological tale. Every tale has 5 major arcs. Each arc has a sequence of events. These events culminate into a major event. Here is the mapping of each character’s quest to the major events in their respective mythological tale.
Quest 1: Maya mirrors 27% of Demeter’s quest for Family (below threshold of 35%)
Maya’s desire for Family stems from the need to nurture & protect. The tale of Demeter from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Family.
Quest 2: Abu mirrors 16% of Duryodhan’s quest for Vengeance (below threshold of 35%)
Abu’s desire for Vengeance stems from the need to confront offenders. The tale of Duryodhan from Hindu mythology is the universal unfulfilled quest for Vengeance.
Quest 3: CIA mirrors 14% of Dron’s quest for Vengeance (below threshold of 35%)
CIA’s desire for Vengeance stems from the need to confront offenders. The tale of Dron from Hindu mythology is the universal fulfilled quest for Vengeance.
Tags:2012, Annapurna Pictures, Box office, Character development, Columbia Pictures, Demeter, Dron, Duryodhan, Family, First Light Productions, Kathryn Bigelow, Movie Review, Mythology, Panorama Media, Script, Sony Pictures Releasing, Story plot, Vengeance
