Transformers One grapples with the complexities of mythological arcs
Estimated domestic box office revenue: $41 – 62MM
Ideal Plot structure reconstructed with 3 mythological tales increase revenues by ~13X
Directed by Josh Cooley, Transformers One is an origin story tracing the rivalry of Optimus & Megatron. The movie boasts of mythological arcs, unaware that these arcs are often a double-edged sword. Mythosis, with the help of 4 mythological tales, has extracted the plot structure of the movie to estimate and unlock its potential.
1. Mythological tales reveal the invisible plot structure of any story
1A. 89% of the events are borrowed from 4 mythological tales
Sentinel's quest is driven by the desire to survive a threat and mirrors the tale of Kans from Hindu mythology. Both Kans and Sentinel are anxious about losing the positions they obtained through unscrupulous means.
Orion Pax’s quest is driven by the desire to find a missing person/object and mirrors the tale of Gilgamesh from Sumerian mythology. Both Gilgamesh and Orion Pax set out to find the “elixir of life”. The trigger for Gilgamesh’s quest was the death of his best friend, Enkidu.
Orion Pax’s quest is also driven by the desire for peace & tranquillity and mirrors the tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology. Both Odysseus and Orion Pax aim to liberate their men from the clutches of a deceitful captor.
D-16’s quest is driven by the desire of selfish ambition and mirrors the tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki and D-16 are self-centred, even to the point of sacrificing their loved ones.
D-16’s quest also is driven by the desire for loyalty to clan/order very similar to Enkidu.
Elita & B-127 have no quests.
Detailed mirroring of each character’s primary quest to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”
1B. 32 mythological tales are the source of all stories, even the untold ones
Human beings are driven by 16 fundamental desires. Every desire, whether encountering fulfilment or unfulfillment, gives rise to two distinct quests. Thus, a spectrum of 32 unique quests mirrors every human desire.
We have discovered mythological tales from across civilizations that uniquely portray each one of these 32 human quests. While each mythological tale stands as a distinct quest, the true magic unfolds when these tales are combined. This synergy is evident in the epics of Odyssey and Ramayan, where various universal quests seamlessly intertwine.
Combining any five tales from the 32, generates a staggering 24 million unique story plots. Take it a step further, by combining six tales the possibilities explode to an astounding 600 million!
Transformers One’s plot structure is #23288 that interweaves the tales of Kans, Odysseus & Valmiki.
2. Plot structure potential of Transformers One: $41-62MM
2A. Plot structure evaluation
An analysis of Blockbuster, Hit & Flop plots has led to the discovery of Mythosis Code. The Code reveals the story principles shared by all Blockbusters. We use the Code to estimate a story’s potential.
All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Transformers One uses 4 universal quests of Preservation, Expedition, Tranquillity and Accumulation.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Sentinel mirrors the quest of Preservation. D-16 mirrors the universal quest of Accumulation. Orion Pax mirrors the universal quest of Expedition & Tranquillity.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Sentinel borrows 16% of events from the quest of Preservation. D-16 borrows 12% from the quest of Accumulation. Orion Pax borrows 22% from the quest of Tranquillity & 10% of events from the quest of Expedition.
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. Transformers One has a perfect quest interweaving score of 1.0 An example of interweaving the quests of Orion Pax & D-16:
2B. Estimating revenue potential from the plot structure
The two lead characters of Transformers One, Orion Pax & D-16 are inconsistent since both of them mirror multiple quests. Moreover, none of the character quests have the requisite depth and as a result they aren’t layered or complex.
We have created an algorithm by assigning weights to the principles of The Mythosis Code. The algorithm calculates the potency of a story’s plot structure and estimates its corresponding audience appeal. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Transformers One has a script potential score is 0.04 and the movie will appeal to 1.14 – 1.39% of the population. Our estimate of the movie’s revenues from its audience appeal is $41 – 62MM in the domestic market.
3. The ideal plot structure of Transformers One
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 both the journey of characters as well as the weaving of quests without altering the story.
3A. Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts
Quest 1: Sentinel mirrors the universal quest for Preservation
Sentinel’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 2: Orion Pax mirrors the universal quest for Tranquillity
Orion Pax’s desire for Tranquillity stems from the need to be in a secure environment. The tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.
Quest 3: D-16 mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
D-16’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect & 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.
3B. Gaps in the current plot structure
The major gap in the plot structure of Transformers One are:
1. Dual quests for both Orion Pax & D-16
2. Erroneous quest selection for D-16. The primary quest of D-16 depicted in the movie, eventually culminates into remorse & not vengeance.
3C. Unlocking the hidden potential
Though there are quite a few plot structures where friends turn into foes, Mythosis has found 2 unique plot structures that interweaves the quests of not just Orion Pax & D-16 but also Sentinel Prime. Both of them are blockbuster plot structures that enhances current revenues by ~13X.
The first plot structure is the retelling of the conflict of Cronos, Zeus & Prometheus from Greek mythology. The ideal plot structure for this conflict is #22763 that interweaves the universal quests of Preservation, Idealism & Power. The story has multiple conflicts.
A. Zeus & Cronos – Zeus seeks to retaliate against Cronos for his deceit; B. Cronos & Prometheus – disagreement between the two leading Prometheus to switch sides; C. Zeus & Prometheus – Zeus becomes the person he once loathed prompting Prometheus to revolt.
The second plot structure deepens Sentinel’s existing quest, drops Gilgamesh’s quest attributed to Orion Pax and alters D-16’s quest from accumulation to status. The ideal plot structure for this conflict is #23315 that interweaves the universal quests of Preservation, Tranquillity & Status.
The tale of Kaikeyi from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Status which captures the concept of helping a friend overcome an enemy as well as friends turning into foes.
Tags:2024, Accumulation, Andrew Barrer, Blockbuster movies, Di Bonaventura Pictures, Gabriel Ferrari, Hasbro Entertainment, Josh Cooley, Kans, Mythology, New Republic Pictures, Odysseus, Paramount Animation, Paramount Pictures, Plot Structure, Prediction, Preservation, storytelling, Tranquillity
