Barbie
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$394 – 482MM/$637MM
Mythosis universal quests used
4
Audience appeal
10.87 – 13.29%
Script Score
0.38
Barbie released in 2023 is directed by Greta Gerwig from a screenplay she wrote with Noah Baumbach. The story reimagines the Greek tale of Odysseus – Barbie as Odysseus is helped by Weird Barbie (Aeolus gives a bag of wind). Escapes from Ferrell’s office (the island of Cyclops). Barbie finds that the other Barbies are being controlled by Ken (Circe converts Odysseus’ men into pigs). Gloria finds a way to break the spell (Hermes provides “moly”). Barbie reclaims Barbieland from Ken (Odysseus defeats Circe).
1. The invisible plot structure of Barbie
1A. The script of Barbie borrows 97% of its events from 4 mythological tales
Barbie’s quest is driven by the desire to be in a safe environment. The quest borrows events from the tale of Odysseus in Greek mythology. Both Odysseus and Barbie navigate their way through hostile territory.
Ken’s quest is driven by the desire to dominate others. The quest borrows events from the tale of Circe in Greek mythology. Both Circe and Ken are snubbed so they seize control by treachery.
Gloria’s quest is driven by the desire for honour & loyalty. The quest borrows events from the tale of Hanuman in Hindu mythology. Both Hanuman & Gloria demonstrate unquestioned loyalty, showing a willingness to sacrifice themselves for a cause.
Ferrell’s under developed quest is driven by the desire to survive a threat. The quest borrows events from the tale of Kans in Hindu mythology. Both Kans & Ferrell a recognize a threat but fail to neutralize it.
NOTE: Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
Mythosis plot structure
# 806,204
Tales interweaved
Odysseus, Kans, Hanuman & Circe
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. The potential of Barbie's plot structure: $394-482MM
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code, a set of principles for creating compelling stories. The plot structure of a story is analyzed to see how well it adheres to these storytelling principles.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of Barbie
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Barbie has 3 universal quests of Tranquillity, Power, & Honour. The quest of Preservation is sparingly used.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Barbie mirrors the universal quest of Tranquillity, Ben mirrors the quest of Power, Gloria mirrors Honour & Ferrell mirrors Preservation.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Barbie borrows 44% events from the quest for Tranquillity. Ken & Gloria borrow 24% events from the quest for Power & Honour.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Barbie’s quest interweaving score of 0.67 is above par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Barbie & Gloria:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Barbie
The plot structure reveals that except for Barbie all the other characters quests are moderate and not well-developed.
The Script Score measures a plot structure’s adherence to the four principles of Mythosis Code. We use the Script Score to estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
0.38
Audience appeal
10.87 – 13.29%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. The ideal plot structure of Barbie
We have identified 32 mythological tales, the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have also recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours that are deeply embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
Mapping a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Plugging these gaps with the missing events deepens the character quest. The missing events also provide an opportunity for interweaving the various quests. These events strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential.
3A.Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Barbie mirrors the universal quest for Tranquillity
Barbie’s desire for Tranquillity stems from her need to be free from anxiety & fear. The tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.
Quest 2: Ken mirrors the universal quest for Power
Ken’s desire for Preservation stems from his need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power
Quest 3: Gloria mirrors the universal quest for Honour
Gloria’s desire for Honour stems from her need to be loyal to a clan or order. The tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Honour.
Quest 4: Ferrell mirrors the universal quest for Preservation
Ferrell’s desire for Preservation stems from his need to survive a threat. The tale of Kans from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Preservation.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The plot structure can be strengthened by deepening the quests of Ken & Gloria.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Barbie is a sub set of Mythosis Plot Structure # 806,204. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Odysseus, Kans, Hanuman & Circe.
Contact us for Mythosis Plot Structure # 806,204
Tags: Odysseus, Circe, Hanuman, Kans, Tranquillity, Power, Honour, Preservation, Greta Gerwig, Warner Bros, 2023