Monkey Man
A mismash of Hindu mythology
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$19 – 32MM V $25MM
Mythosis universal quests used
3
Audience appeal
~0.63%
Hidden potential
$145 – 190MM
Monkey Man is an action thriller directorial debut of Dev Patel. The movie is about a common man fighting an evil system to avenge the death of a loved one.
1. The invisible plot structure of Monkey Man
1A. The script of Monkey Man borrows 94% of its events from 3 mythological tales
Rana’s quest mirrors the tale of Kans from Hindu mythology, where both are driven by the desire to survive a threat. Kans’ nemesis, Krishn escapes from prison. Rana/Baba’s nemesis, Kid escapes from the police custody.
Kid’s quest mirrors the tale of Duryodhan from Hindu mythology, where both are driven by the desire to confront offenders. Duryodhan tracks down the Pandavas and attacks them but is defeated. Kid gains access to Rana through Queenie’s club but is taken into custody after a brutal fight.
Kid’s quest also mirrors the tale of Krishn from Hindu mythology, where both are driven by the desire for fairness & justice. Krishn remains in hiding till he grows up, then returns to Mathura to kill Kans. Kid trains in hiding and goes back to kill Rana.
Baba has an underdeveloped quest, mirroring the tale of Circe from Greek mythology where both are driven by the desire to dominate others.
Neela, Alphonso, Sita & Alpha have no quests.
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
# 23,355
Tales interweaved
Kans, Duryodhan & Krishn
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 Monkey Man's plot structure: $19-32MM
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 Monkey Man
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. The script primarily uses the 2 universal quests of Preservation & Idealism. The quest of Vengeance is used sparingly.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Kid mirrors the quest of Vengeance & Idealism. Rana mirrors the universal quest Preservation.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Rana borrows 29% of the events from Kans’ quest. Kid borrows 12% of the events from Krishn’s quest. He also borrows 10% of the events from Duryodhan’s quest.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Monkey Man’s quest interweaving score of 0.33 is below par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Kid & Rana:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Monkey Man
Monkey Man’s plot structure suffers from inconsistent and shallow quests of the lead character.
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
0.02
Audience appeal
~0.63%
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 Monkey Man
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: Rana mirrors the universal quest for Preservation
Rana’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: Kid mirrors the universal quest for Vengeance
Kid’s desire for Vengeance stems from the need to confront offenders. The tale of Duryodhan from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Vengeance.
Quest 3: Kid also mirrors the universal quest for Idealism
Kid’s desire for Idealism stems from the need for fairness & justice. The tale of Krishn from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Idealism.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
A redraft of the script is necessitated by the fact that Monkey Man doesn’t adhere to any of the first principles of storytelling.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
Mythosis plot structure # 775 helps in creating a cohesive story for Monkey Man. It interweaves the tales of Kans & Dron. The plot structure retains the current creative thought and theme. It has the potential to generate revenues of $145 – 190MM in the domestic market.
Contact us for Mythosis Plot Structure #775
Tags: Kans, Preservation, Duryodhan, Vengeance, Krishn, Idealism, 2024, Dev Patel, Paul Angunawela, John Collee, Universal Pictures, Bron Studios