The script potential score of Top Gun Maverick is 0.70, a blockbuster (predicted 665 - 739mm, actual 719mm)
The script of Top Gun Maverick will appeal to 20 – 22.2% of the population
91% events in Top Gun Maverick are borrowed from 3 mythological tales
The script of Top Gun Maverick will appeal to 20 – 22.2% of the population
Any story is the quest to fulfil a human desire. We have identified universal quests for every human desire. These universal quests reveal the invisible plot structure of stories. An analysis of Blockbuster, Hit & Flop plots led to the discovery of Mythosis Code. The Code reveals the story principles shared by all Blockbusters. We use the Code to estimate and unlock a story’s Blockbuster potential.
All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Top Gun Maverick has 3 universal quests of Independence, Status & Social Contact.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Maverick mirrors the universal quest of Independence. Rooster mirrors the quest of Social Contact. Cyclone mirrors the quest of Status. Hangman’s quest has insufficient events. Penny doesn’t have a quest.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Maverick’s character borrows 68% of the universal quest of Independence. Rooster’s character borrows 36% of the quest of Social Contact. Cyclone borrows 24% of the quest of Status. The average borrowing by these 3 characters from their universal quests is 43%, thereby satisfying the condition of 35%.
Blockbusters interweave different quests to create a tight plot structure. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Top Gun Maverick’s quest interweaving score is 0.67 and above par. Maverick’s quest is interwoven with Rooster & Cyclone. An example of interweaving of Maverick’s & Cyclone’s quests:
Blockbusters have a script score of at least 0.64 whereas Top Gun Maverick’s script score is 0.70. Based on the script score we estimate that the movie will appeal to 20 – 22.2 % of the population.
The plot structure of Top Gun Maverick reveals strong characters with focussed quests which are tightly interwoven.
91% events in Top Gun Maverick are borrowed from 3 mythological tales
At Mythosis, we have identified 32 mythological tales. Each mythological tale uniquely represents a human quest to fulfil a desire. These tales are the super set of thousands of tales across cultures.
We have codified the events of each mythological tale. Every tale has 5 major arcs. Each arc has a sequence of events. These events culminate into a major event. Here is the mapping of each character’s quest to the major events in their respective mythological tale.
Quest 1: Maverick mirrors 68% of David’s quest for Independence (above threshold)
Maverick’s desire for Independence stems from the need for self-reliance. The tale of David from Abrahamic mythology is the universal quest for Independence.
Quest 2: Cyclone mirrors 24% of Kaikeyi’s quest for Status (below threshold of 35%)
Cyclone’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.
Quest 3: Rooster mirrors 36% of Psyche’s quest for Social Contact (above threshold)
Rooster’s desire for Social Contact stems from the need for companionship. The tale of Psyche from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Social Contact.
Tags:Box office, Character development, David, Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films 2022, Independence, Joseph Kosinski, Kaikeyi, Movie Review, Mythology, Paramount Pictures, Psyche, Script, Skydance, Social Contact, Status, Story plot, TC Productions
