Dune 2
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$173 – 230MM V $276MM
Mythosis universal quests used
5
Audience appeal
4.66 – 5.68%
Script Score
0.16
DUNE 2’s spectacular cinematography & captivating score fail to hide its flawed Plot structure. Plot Structure is the most important element of a story but the least understood. A well-crafted plot structure can make or break a story’s impact on its audience.
1. The invisible plot structure of Dune 2
1A. The script of Dune 2 borrows 91% of its events from 5 mythological tales
Paul’s quest is driven by the desire to accumulate & own. The quest borrows events from the tale of Valmiki in Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & Paul pursue their ambitions and are self-centered.
Chani’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 Chani take a vow to protect their kingdom from falling into chaos.
Stiglar’s quest is driven by the desire to punish offenders. The quest borrows events from the tale of Dron from Hindu mythology. Both Dron and Stiglar seek to avenge their humiliation and betrayal.
Jessica’s quest mirrors the tale of Kaikeyi from Hindu mythology. Both are driven by the desire for social standing & respect. Kaikeyi retains her position in the kingdom by forcing her husband to elevate her son. Jessica forces Chani to revive Paul.
Feyd’s under developed quest of Power. Baron & Bene Gesserit’s Mother have underdeveloped quests of Preservation. Irulan has no quest!
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
# 137,356
Tales interweaved
Valmiki, Dron, Bhishm & Kaikeyi
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 Dune 2's plot structure: $173-230MM
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 Dune 2
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. The script uses universal quests of Accumulation, Order & Vengeance. The quest of Status is sparingly used.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Paul mirrors the quest of Accumulation. Stiglar mirrors the quest of Vengeance. Chani mirrors the quest of Order
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. In Dune 2, the depth of all quests except Paul is below the threshold. Stiglar borrows 19% events from the quest of Vengeance. Chani borrows 24% events from the quest of Order. Paul borrows 53% events from the quest of Accumulation. Jessica borrows 10% events from the quest of Status
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Dune 2’s quest interweaving score of 0.33 is below par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Jessica & Chani:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Dune 2
Dune 2’s plot structure reveals the presence of multiple shallow and underdeveloped quests but an extremely robust quest for Paul.
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
0.16
Audience appeal
4.66 – 5.68%
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 Dune 2
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: Paul mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
Paul’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 unfulfilled universal quest for Accumulation.
Quest 2: Chani mirrors the universal quest for Order
Chani’s desire for Order stems from the need for organisation to maintain stability. The tale of Bhishm from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Order.
Quest 3: Stiglar mirrors the universal quest for Vengeance
Stiglar’s desire for Vengeance stems from the need to confront offenders. The tale of Dron from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Vengeance.
Quest 4: Jessica mirrors the universal quest for Status
Jessica’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.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
Dune 2 has a disjointed plot structure due to multiple shallow & underdeveloped quests that makes interweaving difficult.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot structure of Dune 2 is a sub set of Mythosis Plot Structure # 137,356.
Contact us for Mythosis Plot Structure # 137,356
Tags: Valmiki, Accumulation, Kaikeyi, Status, Dron, Vengeance, Bhishm, Order, Ravan, Power, Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, Legendary Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2024