The script potential of Past Lives estimated from its PLOT structure is 6 – 10MM (actual revenue 11MM)
The script of Past Lives borrows from the quests of Gilgamesh & Psyche
The PLOT structure will appeal to 0.18 – 0.22% of the population
IDEAL Plot Structure would have generated ~$105MM in the domestic market
95% of the events in the script are borrowed from the universal quests of Expedition & Social Contact
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 plot structures led to the discovery of Mythosis Code. The Code reveals the principles for creating Blockbuster Plot Structures. Using the Code, we craft the ideal Plot Structure unique to a story. The ideal Plot Structure estimates a script’s potency and unlocks its Blockbuster potential. Here is the evaluation of Past Lives’ Plot structure.
All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests whereas Past Lives borrows from only 2 quests – Expedition & Social Contact.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Nora mirrors the quest of Social Contact. Hae Sung mirrors the quest of Expedition. Arthur doesn't have a quest.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Nora borrows 28% of the quest of Social Contact. Hae Sung borrows 20% of the quest of Expedition. The depth of both quest is below the threshold.
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. In Past Lives’ the quests aren’t interwoven.
The ideal Plot Structure of Past Lives has a script score of 0.09 whereas the existing script score is 0.01. Based on the script score the movie will appeal to 0.18 – 0.22% of the population. We estimate the movie’s revenues from its audience appeal to be $6 – 10MM in the domestic market.
The 2 mythological tales used to craft the Ideal Plot Structure
At Mythosis, we have identified 32 mythological tales. Each mythological tale uniquely represents a human quest to fulfil a desire. These tales are the superset of thousands of tales across cultures. They represent every possible human quest.
Every tale has 5 major arcs culminating in a mega event. Mapping a character's quest to the relevant tale reveals the gaps in their quest. The ideal Plot Structure plugs these gaps by incorporating the missing events without altering the story.
Nora mirrors 28% of Psyche’s quest for Social Contact (below threshold of 35%)
Nora’s desire for Social Contact stems from the need for companionship. The tale of Psyche from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Social Contact.
Quest 2: Hae Sung mirrors 20% of Gilgamesh’s quest for Expedition (below threshold of 35%)
Hae Sung’s desire for Expedition stems from the need to find an elusive person/object. The tale of Gilgamesh from Sumerian mythology is the universal quest for Expedition.
The ideal plot structure of Past Lives incorporates the missing events from the quests of Social Contact & Expedition. These events increase the depth of Nora’s quest to 42% & Hae Sung’s quest to 32%. Moreover, these events facilitate the interweaving of the quests. The estimated revenue of the ideal plot structure is ~$105MM in the domestic market.
Tags:2023, 2AM, A24, Box office, Celine Song, Character development, CJ ENM, Expedition, Gilgamesh, Killer Films, Movie Review, Mythology, Plot Structure, Psyche, Social Contact
