The Sting
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$131 – 144MM Vs $156MM
Mythosis universal quests used
4
Audience appeal
34.56 – 38.19%
Script Score
1.15
The Sting released in 1973 was directed by George Roy Hill. The story revolves around two professional grifters who team up to con a ruthless mafia boss. The intricate storytelling, alongside the stellar performances, set a new standard for the caper genre.
1. The invisible plot structure of The Sting
1A. The script of The Sting borrows 96% of its events from 4 mythological tales
Hooker’s quest is driven by the desire to be in a safe environment. The quest borrows events from the tale of Odysseus in Greek mythology. Odysseus and Hooker navigate their way through hostile territory.
Gondorff’s quest is driven by the desire to dominate others. The quest borrows events from the tale of Circe in Greek mythology. Both Circe and Gondorff create a façade of godliness to take control of gullible victims.
Lonnegan’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 & Lonnegan fail to find their nemesis and pay the price.
Twist’s quest is driven by the desire for honour & loyalty. The quest borrows events from the tale of Hanuman in Hindu mythology. Both Hanuman & Twist demonstrate unquestioned loyalty, ensuring the success of their masters.
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
# 806,485
Tales interweaved
Odysseus, Kans, Circe & Hanuman
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 The Sting's plot structure: $131 – 144MM
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 The Sting
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. The Sting has 4 universal quests of Tranquillity, Preservation, Honour & Power.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Gondorff mirrors the universal quest of Power. Hooker mirrors the quest of Tranquillity. Lonnegan mirrors the quest of Preservation & Twist mirrors the quest of Honour.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Gondorff’s character borrows 40% of the universal quest of Power. Hooker borrows 56% of the quest of Tranquillity. Lonnegan borrows 28% of the quest of Preservation. Twist’s character borrows 29% of the quest of Honour.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. The Sting’s quest interweaving score is 0.83 and is above par.
An example of interweaving of Hooker’s & Lonnegan’s quests:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of The Sting
The plot structure of The Sting borrows from 4 universal quests which are interwoven & have an average depth of 38%. The quests of Gondorff & Hooker are extremely well developed.
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
1.15
Audience appeal
34.56 – 38.19%
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 The Sting
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: Gondorff mirrors the universal quest for Power
Gondorff’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.
Quest 2: Hooker mirrors the universal quest for Tranquillity
Hooker’s desire for Tranquillity stems from the need to be in secure surroundings. The tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.
Quest 3: Lonnegan mirrors the universal quest for Preservation
Lonnegan’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 4: Twist mirrors the universal quest for Honour
Twist’s desire for Honour stems from the need to be loyal to a clan/order. The tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Honour.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The plot structure reveals two quests that can be further strengthened.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The plot of The Sting is a subset of Mythosis plot structure # 806,485. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Odysseus, Kans, Circe & Hanuman.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure # 806,485.
Tags: Circe, Odysseus, Kans, Hanuman, Power, Tranquillity, Honour, Preservation, George Roy Hill, Universal Pictures, The Zanuck/Brown Company, 1973