Spider-Man
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$340 – 415MM V $404MM
Mythosis universal quests used
3
Audience appeal
20.32 – 24.83%
Script Score
0.71
Spider-Man directed by Sam Raimi, kickstarted the modern superhero movie era in 2002. Beyond the blend of action, special effects and great cast lies a powerful story that interweaves universal quests of self-centredness, honour and preservation.
1. The invisible plot structure of Spider-Man
1A. The script of Spider-Man borrows 97% of its events from 3 mythological tales
Peter’s quest is driven by the desire for honour & loyalty. The quest borrows events from the tale of Hanuman in Hindu mythology. Both Hanuman & Peter demonstrate unquestioned loyalty to their clan, even showing a willingness to sacrifice themselves.
Norman’s quest is driven by the desire to survive a threat. The quest borrows events from the tale of Kans in Hindu mythology. Both Kans & Norman fail to kill their nemesis and pay the price.
MJ’s quest is driven by selfishness. The quest borrows events from the tale of Valmiki in Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & MJ are self-centred but eventually have a change of heart.
Harry doesn’t have a well-developed quest.
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
# 22,658
Tales interweaved
Kans, Hanuman & Valmiki
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 Spider-Man's plot structure: $340 – 415MM
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 Spider-Man
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Spider-Man has 3 universal quests of Honour, Accumulation & Preservation.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Peter mirrors the universal quest of Honour. Norman mirrors the quest of Preservation & MJ mirrors the quest of Accumulation.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Peter borrows 48% events from the universal quest of Honour. Norman borrows 36% from the quest of Preservation whereas MJ borrows 22% from the quest of Accumulation.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Spider-Man’s quest interweaving score is 0.67 and is above par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Peter & Norman:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Spider-Man
The plot structure of Spider-Man borrows deeply from 2 universal quests which compensates for the low borrowing of the 3rd universal quest.
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
0.71
Audience appeal
20.32 – 24.83%
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 Spider-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: Norman mirrors the universal quest for Preservation
Norman’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: Peter mirrors the universal quest for Honour
Peter’s desire for Honour stems from the need to be loyal to a clan or order. The tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Honour.
Quest 3: MJ mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
MJ’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
Spider-Man’s plot structure has a moderately developed 3rd quest.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of Spider-Man is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 22,658. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Kans, Hanuman & Valmiki.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 22,658.
Tags: Hanuman, Kans, Valmiki, Honour, Preservation, Accumulation, Sam Raimi, Columbia Pictures, Marvel Enterprises, Laura Ziskin Productions, Sony Pictures Releasing, 2002