Dark Phoenix
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$58 – 64MM V $66MM
Mythosis universal quests used
3
Audience appeal
1.90 – 2.11%
Script Score
0.07
Dark Phoenix a 2019 movie based on Marvel Comics’ X-Men characters is the directorial debut of Simon Kinberg. The story follows Jean Grey’s struggle to control her powers and the impact on her relationships with other members.
1. The invisible plot structure of Dark Phoenix
1A. The script of Dark Phoenix borrows 97% of its events from 3 mythological tales
Jean’s quest is driven by selfishness. The quest borrows events from the tale of Valmiki in Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & Jean are self-centred but eventually have a change of heart and sacrifice their interest.
Xavier’s quest is driven by the desire to protect & nurture. The quest borrows events from the tale of Demeter in Greek mythology. Both Demeter and Xavier set out to find the abductor & recover their loved ones.
Vuk’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 Vuk create a façade of godliness and treachery to seize control.
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
# 3,981
Tales interweaved
Valmiki, Demeter & 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 Dark Phoenix's plot structure: $58-64MM
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 Dark Phoenix
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Dark Phoenix uses one universal quest of Accumulation. The quests of Family & Power are hardly used.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Xavier mirrors the universal quest of Family. Jean mirrors the quest of Accumulation. Vuk mirrors the quest of Power.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Xavier borrows 8% events from the quest for Family. Jean borrows 52% events from the quest for Accumulation. Vuk borrows 8% events from the quest for Power.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Dark Phoenix’s quest interweaving score of 0.33 is below par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Jean & Vuk:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Dark Phoenix
Jean’s character is extremely well-developed at the expense of all other characters.
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
0.07
Audience appeal
1.90 – 2.11%
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 Dark Phoenix
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: Xavier mirrors the universal quest for Family
Xavier’s desire for Family stems from the need to nurture and protect. The tale of Demeter from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Family.
Quest 2: Jean mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
Jean’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect and own. The tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology has a robust expression in Dicken’s character of Scrooge which is the universal quest for Accumulation.
Quest 3: Vuk mirrors the universal quest for Power
Vuk’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The plot structure is made up of a singular quest.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Dark Phoenix is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 3,981. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Valmiki, Demeter & Circe.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 3,981
Tags: Demeter, Circe, Valmiki, Family, Power, Accumulation, Simon Kinberg, 20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment, Kinberg Genre, TSG Entertainment, 2019