The script potential score of The Dark Knight is 0.67, a blockbuster (predicted 418 – 510MM; actual 534MM)
The script of The Dark Knight will appeal to 19.01 – 23.23% of the population
91% events in The Dark Knight are borrowed from 4 mythological tales
The script of The Dark Knight will appeal to 19.01 – 23.23% 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. The Dark Knight has 4 universal quests of Vengeance, Social contact, Status & Order.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Batman mirrors the universal quest of Order. Harvey mirrors the quest of Social contact. Joker mirrors the quest of Vengeance & Maroni mirrors the quest of Status.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Batman’s character borrows 52% of the universal quest of Order. Harvey borrows 37% of the quest of Social contact. Joker borrows 48% of the quest of Vengeance. Maroni’s character borrows 19% of the quest of Status.
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. The Dark Knight’s quest interweaving score is 0.5 and is at par. An example of interweaving of Batman’s & Harvey’s quests:
Blockbusters have a script score of at least 0.64 whereas The Dark Knight’s script score is 0.70. Based on the script score we estimate that the movie will appeal to 19.01 – 23.23% of the population.
The plot structure of The Dark Knight borrows from 4 universal quests which are interwoven & 3 quests borrow deeply from their respective mythological tales.
91% events in The Dark Knight are borrowed from 4 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: Batman mirrors 52% of Bhishm’s quest for Order (above threshold of 35%)
Batman’s desire for Order stems from the need for organization to maintain stability. The tale of Bhishm from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Order.
Quest 2: Harvey mirrors 37% of Amba’s quest for Social contact (above threshold of 35%)
Harvey’s desire for Social contact stems from the need for companionship. The tale of Amba from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Social contact.
Quest 3: Joker mirrors 48% of Duryodhan’s quest for Vengeance (above threshold of 35%)
Joker’s desire for Vengeance stems from the need to confront offenders. The tale of Duryodhan from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Vengeance.
Quest 4: Maroni mirrors 19% of Kaikeyi’s quest for Status (below threshold of 35%)
Maroni’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.
Tags:2008, Amba, Bhishm, Box office, Character development, Christopher Nolan, Duryodhan, Kaikeyi, Legendary Pictures, Movie Review, Mythology, Order, Script, Social Contact, Status, Story plot, Syncopy, Vengeance, Warner Bros. Pictures
