The script potential score of Valerian is 0.04 (predicted revenue 29-35MM; actual 40MM)
The script of Valerian will appeal to 1.0 – 1.2 % of the population
90% events in Valerian are borrowed from 5 mythological tales
The script of Valerian will appeal to 1.0 – 1.2% 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. Valerian has 5 universal quests of Idealism, Expedition, Order, Power & Tranquillity.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Val/Lau together mirror the universal quest of Idealism and individually Laureline mirrors Expedition & Valerian mirrors Order. Filitt mirrors the quest of Power whereas Muls mirror the quest of Tranquillity.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Val/Lau’s character borrows 21% of the universal quest of Idealism. Laureline borrows 10% of the quest of Expedition. Valerian borrows 14% of the quest of Order. Filitt borrows 18% of the quest of Power. Muls borrows 16% of the quest of Tranquillity.
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. Valerian’s quest interweaving score is 0.33 and is below par. Laureline/Valerian’s quest is interwoven with Valerian & Muls. Muls' quest is interwoven with Filitt & with Laureline/Valerian. An example of interweaving of Laureline/Valerian with Muls’ quest:
Blockbusters have a script score of at least 0.64 whereas Valerian’s script score is 0.04. Based on the script score we estimate that the movie will appeal to 1.0 – 1.2 % of the population.
Though the plot structure of Valerian borrows from 5 universal quests, the plot is weak due to weak & inconsistent characters. Both the lead characters borrow from multiple quests making their quest inconsistent. All characters lack depth and are inadequately developed.
90% events in Valerian are borrowed from 5 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: Val/Lau mirrors 21% of Prometheus’ quest for Idealism (below threshold of 35%)
Val/Lau’s desire for Idealism stems from the need for fairness & justice. The tale of Prometheus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Idealism.
Quest 2: Laureline mirrors 10% of Gilgamesh’s quest for Expedition (below threshold of 35%)