The script potential score of Night at the Museum is 0.34 (predicted 193-235MM; actual 251MM)
The script of Night at the Museum will appeal to 9.8 – 11.98 % of the population
88% events in Night at the Museum are borrowed from 3 mythological tales
The script of Night at the Museum will appeal to 9.8 – 11.98 % 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. Night at the Museum has 3 universal quests of Power, Preservation & Honour.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Cecil mirrors the universal quest of Power. Pharaoh mirrors the quest of Honour & Larry mirrors the quest of Preservation.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Cecil’s character borrows 21% of the universal quest of Power. Pharaoh borrows 16% of the quest of Honour. Larry’s character borrows 51% of the quest of Preservation.
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. Night at the Museum’s quest interweaving score is 0.67 and is above par. An example of interweaving of Larry’s & Pharaoh’s quests:
Blockbusters have a script score of at least 0.64 whereas Night at the Museum’s script score is 0.34. Based on the script score we estimate that the movie will appeal to 9.8 – 11.98 % of the population.
The plot structure of Night at the Museum borrows from 3 universal quests. Larry’s character is well-developed. Deepening the characters of Pharaoh & Cecil would unlock the blockbuster potential of the plot.
88% events in Night at the Museum 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: Cecil mirrors 21% of Circe’s quest for Power (below threshold of 35%)
Cecil’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.
Quest 2: Larry mirrors 51% of Noah’s quest for Preservation (above threshold of 35%)
Larry’s desire for Preservation stems from the need to survive a threat. The tale of Noah from Abrahamic mythology is the universal quest for Preservation.
Quest 3: Pharaoh mirrors 16% of Hanuman’s quest for Honour (below threshold of 35%)
Pharaoh’s desire for Honour stems from the need to be loyal to clan/order. The tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Honour.
Tags:1492 Pictures, 2006, 20th Century Fox, 21 Laps Entertainment, Box office, Character development, Circe, Hanuman, Honour, Movie Review, Mythology, Noah, Power, Preservation, Script, Shawn Levy, Story plot