The script potential score of Jurassic Park is 1.04, a blockbuster (predicted 317 – 387MM; actual 415MM)
The script of Jurassic Park will appeal to 29.54 – 36.10% of the population
97% events in Jurassic Park are borrowed from 4 mythological tales
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park is a 1993 film based on a novel by Michael Crichton. The plot is about an escape from an amusement park of genetically engineered dinosaurs. The story explores basic human desires of Tranquillity, Preservation, Accumulation, and Curiosity. Mythosis uses 4 mythological tales to extract the plot structure of the movie.
1. Mythological tales reveal the invisible plot structure of any story
1A. 97% of the events are borrowed from 4 mythological tales
Grant’s quest is driven by the desire to be in secure surroundings and mirrors the tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology, Both Odysseus & Grant navigate their way out of inhospitable territory to return home.
Hammond’s quest is driven by the desire to explore & discover and mirrors the tale of Innana from Sumerian mythology. Both Innana & Hammond are trapped due to their imprudence and have to be saved.
Muldoon’s quest is driven by the desire to survive a threat and mirrors the tale of Kans from Hindu mythology. Both Kans & Muldoon fail to overpower their nemesis.
Nedry's quest is driven by the desire to collect & own and mirrors the tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & Nedry acquire unscrupulously from others.
Malcolm’s quest is subsumed in Hammond’s quest since he plays the role of counsellor in Innana’s tale. Similarly, the Kid’s quest is subsumed in Grant’s quest as Odysseus’ men.
Ellie doesn’t have a quest.
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. The possibilities explode to an astounding 650 million by combining six tales!
Jurassic Park's unique plot structure is #138,718 that emerges from interweaving the tales of Innana, Odysseus, Valmiki & Kans.
2. Potential of Jurassic Park's plot structure: $317-387MM
2A. Evaluation of Jurassic Park's plot structure
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. Jurassic Park uses 4 universal quests of Tranquillity, Preservation, Accumulation, and Curiosity.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Grant mirrors the quest of Tranquillity. Hammond mirrors the universal quest of Curiosity & Muldoon mirrors the quest of Preservation. Nedry mirrors the quest of Accumulation.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Hammond borrows 68% of the quest for Curiosity. Grant borrows 48% of the quest for Tranquillity. Muldoon borrows 34% of the quest for Preservation. Nedry borrows 14% of the quest for Accumulation.
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 score of 0.5. Jurassic Park’s quest interweaving score is 0.67 and is above par. An example of interweaving the quests of Hammond & Grant:
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. The more quests woven into a story, the wider its appeal.
The nature of mythological tales used, makes the plot structure fresh & unique. Besides, appealing to a larger audience size the interweaving 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. Characters become layered & complex when their journey is deep.
2C. Measuring the revenue potential of Jurassic Park's plot structure
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.
Jurassic Park’s script potential score is 1.04 and the movie will appeal to 29.54 – 36.10% of the population. Our estimate of the movie’s revenues from its audience appeal is $317 – 387MM in the domestic market. The movie grossed $415MM.
3. The ideal plot structure of Jurassic Park
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: Hammond mirrors Innana’s quest for Curiosity
Hammond’s desire for Curiosity stems from the need to explore. The tale of Innana from Sumerian mythology is the universal quest for Curiosity.
Quest 2: Grant mirrors Odysseus’ quest for Tranquillity
Grant’s desire for Tranquillity stems from the need to be in secure surroundings. The tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.
Quest 3: Muldoon mirrors Kans' quest for Preservation
Muldoon’s desire for Preservation stems from the need to survive a threat. The tale of Kans from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Preservation.
Quest 4: Nedry mirrors Valmiki’s quest for Accumulation
Nedry’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect & own. The tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology has a robust expression in Dicken’s character of Scrooge which is the unfulfilled universal quest for Accumulation.
Tags:1993, Accumulation, Amblin Entertainment, Box office, Character development, Curiosity, Innana, Kans, Movie Review, Mythology, Odysseus, Preservation, Script, Steven Spielberg, Story plot, Tranquillity, Universal Pictures, Valmiki
