Black Panther
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$627 – 692MM V $700MM
Mythosis universal quests used
5
Audience appeal
20.71 – 22.90%
Script Score
0.69
Black Panther directed by Ryan Coogler is a groundbreaking movie that interweaves quests of identity, ownership and responsibility. It re-imagines the epic Mahabharat in reflecting the tussle between brothers for their rightful place in the kingdom with additional quests.
1. The invisible plot structure of Black Panther
1A. The script of Black Panther borrows 89% of its events from 5 mythological tales
T’chaka’s quest is driven by the desire to ensure order. The quest borrows events from the tale of Bhishm in Hindu mythology. Both Bhishm and T’chaka vow to protect their subjects but unintentionally unleash chaos.
T’challa’s quest is driven by the desire to own. The quest borrows events from the tale of Yudhisthir in Hindu mythology. Both Yudhisthir & T’challa return from exile to reclaim their kingdom.
Killmonger’s quest is driven by the desire to punish offenders. The quest borrows events from the tale of Duryodhan in Hindu mythology. Both Duryodhan & Killmonger dupe their cousins to take control of the kingdom.
Nakia’s quest is driven by the desire to survive a threat. The quest borrows events from the tale of Noah in Abrahamic mythology. Both Noah & Nakia look for a safe passage to protect others from a calamity.
M’baku’s quest is driven by the desire for honour & loyalty. The quest borrows events from the tale of Hanuman in Hindu mythology. Both Hanuman & M’baku become loyal allies of those that they initially suspected.
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
#12,294,060
Tales interweaved
Bhishm, Yudhisthir, Duryodhan, Noah & Hanuman
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 Black Panther's plot structure: $627 – 692MM
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 Black Panther
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Black Panther uses 5 mythological tales to capture the desires of Order, Accumulation, Preservation, Power & Honour.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. T’chaka mirrors the universal quest of Order & T’challa mirrors the quest of Accumulation. Killmonger mirrors the quest of Power, Nakia mirrors the quest of Preservation & M’baku mirrors the quest of Honour.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. T’chaka borrows 19% of the quest for Order. T’challa borrows 60% of the quest for Accumulation & Killmonger borrows 50% of the quest of Power. Nakia’s character borrows 27% of the universal quest of Preservation & M’baku borrows 24% of the quest of Accumulation.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Black Panther’s quest interweaving is 0.5 and at par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Killmonger & Nakia:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Black Panther
The plot structure of Black Panther has 2 extremely powerful quests. It borrows 3 quests from the epic of Mahabharat and interweaves 2 additional universal quests
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
0.69
Audience appeal
20.71 – 22.90%
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 Black Panther
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: T’chaka mirrors the universal quest for Order
T’chaka’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: T’challa mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
T’challa’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect & own. The tale of Yudhisthir from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Accumulation.
Quest 3: Killmonger mirrors the universal quest for Power
Killmonger’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Duryodhan from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Power.
Quest 4: Nakia mirrors the universal quest for Preservation
Nakia’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 5: M’baku mirrors the universal quest for Honour
M’baku’ desire for Honour stems from the need to be loyal to a clan/order. The tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Honour.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The plot structure can deepen other quests beyond the 2 powerful quests.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Black Panther is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 12,294,060. It emerges from interweaving the tales of
Bhishm, Yudhisthir, Duryodhan, Noah & Hanuman
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 12,294,060.
Tags: Yudhisthir, Noah, Bhishm, Duryodhan, Hanuman, Accumulation, Preservation, Order, Power, Honour, Ryan Coogler, Marvel Studios, 2018