Plot structure potential of The Hunger Games: 306 – 374MM

The Hunger Games is a 2012 movie directed by Gary Ross based on a novel by Suzanne Collins. The story is about a brutal game as part of retribution for a rebellion led by the 12 Districts of Panem.

Mythological tales unravel the invisible Plot Structure of The Hunger Games

Stories are a weaving of various quests, each representing a fundamental human desire. These desires echo across time and cultures, finding their universal counterparts in mythological tales.

Mythological tales reveal each character’s quest

There are 6 prominent characters in the movie each driven by distinct desires.

Katniss’ quest mirrors the tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology, where both are driven by the desire to be secure surroundings. Haymitch plays the role of Hermes, Odysseus’ mentor.

Crane’s quest mirrors the tale of Circe from Greek mythology, where both are driven by the desire to dominate others.

Cato’s quest mirrors the tale of Kans from Hindu mythology, where both are driven by the desire to survive a threat.

Peeta’s quest mirrors the tale of Leander from Greek mythology, where both are driven by the desire for love & romance.

Snow is driven by the desire to maintain stability though his quest is underdeveloped.

The influence of each character quest on the Plot structure

95% of the events in the story is borrowed from the four mythological tales. Each of the four characters exclusively draws events from a single mythological tale. Katniss mirrors 52% of the events from Odysseus’ quest. Crane borrows 30% of the events from Circe’s quest. Cato borrows 22% of the events from Kans’ quest. Peeta borrows 14% of the events from Leander’s quest.

Detailed mirroring of each character to their respective mythological tales is in section “Unlocking the Ideal Plot Structure”

Blockbuster stories consistently defy conventional plot structures

The analysis of Blockbuster, Hit & Flop plot structures across decades and genres has uncovered an optimal method for incorporating mythological tales into storytelling.

Every blockbuster plot structure borrows events from at least three mythological tales.
Blockbuster characters are complex and consistent. Each character in the story is reflects events from a single mythological tale, and the degree of mirroring is approximately 35%.
Blockbusters create a cohesive plot structure by intricately weaving the multiple tales

The Hunger Games’ plot structure borrows from four mythological tales where each character reflects event from a single tale. However, it is only Katniss whose mirroring of Odysseus’ tale surpasses the threshold of 35%. The degree of mirroring for Crane, Peeta & Cato is below the threshold.

Cohesiveness of The Hunger Games’ Plot structure

In stories, characters are interwoven through their relationships. However, quests become truly interconnected when events from both mythological tales occur simultaneously within the narrative. The quest of Katniss is interwoven with Crane, Peeta & Cato. However, the quests of Crane, Peeta & Cato are not interwoven with each other.

Blockbusters have a quest interweaving score of 0.5 and The Hunger Games’ score is at par. An example of interweaving the quests of Katniss & Crane:

Estimated potential of The Hunger Games’ Plot Structure

Each one of us is driven by at least one desire, which is why specific mythological tales resonate with us. When a story interweaves three or four tales it broadens its appeal to a wider audience. At Mythosis we leverage the number of mythological tales, depth of character quests, quest interweaving, etc. to determine the audience appeal of the plot structure.

Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 whereas The Hunger Games’ plot structure has a score of 0.43. The plot structure relies heavily on Katniss’ quest. The Hunger Games will appeal to 12.24 – 14.96% of the population. Our estimate of the movie’s revenues from its audience appeal is $306 – 374MM in the domestic market. The lifetime earning of the movie is $408MM.

Unlocking the Ideal Plot Structure of The Hunger Games

We have identified 32 universal quests that represent every human desire. These quests are the superset of thousands of stories across cultures that reflect our collective subconscious. Each quest has a structured sequence of events divided into 5 major arcs.

We map a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale (universal quest) which reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. The ideal Plot Structure is constructed by plugging these gaps with the missing events from the tale. These events strengthen each character’s journey and weaving of quests without altering the story.

Extraction of each character quest

Quest 1: Katniss mirrors the universal quest for Tranquillity

Katniss’ desire for Tranquillity stems from the need to be in secure surroundings. The tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.

Quest 2: Crane mirrors the universal quest for Power

Crane’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.

Quest 3: Cato mirrors the universal quest for Preservation

Cato’s desire for Preservation stems from the need to survive a threat. The tale of Kans from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Preservation.

Quest 4: Peeta mirrors the universal quest for Romance

Peeta’s desire for Romance stems from the need for love. The tale of Leander from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Romance.

Ideal Plot structure reconstruction

The ideal plot structure borrows additional events from the tales of Circe & Kans to deepen the quests of Crane & Cato. These events enhance the plot structure score from 0.43 to 0.56 which will increase the movie’s revenues by ~100MM in the domestic market.

Tags: 2012, Billy Ray, Character Arcs, Circe, Gary Ross, Kans, Leander, Lionsgate, Mythology, Odysseus, Power, Preservation, Romance, Screenwriting, Story plot, storytelling, Suzanne Collins, Tranquillity