Zootopia
EST V ACT domestic box office revenue
$319 – 389 V $354MM
Mythosis universal quests used
4
Audience appeal
11.41 – 13.95%
Script Score
0.40
Zootopia, a 2016 animated film, is a place where all animals exist harmoniously till the sheep threaten its tranquillity. A bunny seeking acceptance teams up with a fox seeking honour to restore peace.
1. The invisible plot structure of Zootopia
1A. The script of Zootopia borrows 95% of its events from 4 mythological tales
Judy’s quest mirrors the tale of Theseus from Greek mythology, where both are driven by the desire to seek approval from others. Theseus undertakes multiple challenges to get accepted by his father. Judy is determined to be accepted as an equal in the ZPD.
Judy’s quest also mirrors the tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology where both are driven by the desire to collect & own. Valmiki inadvertently betrays his family. At the press conference, Judy also inadvertently betrays Nick.
Nick’s quest mirrors the tale of Hanuman from Hindu mythology, where both are driven by the desire for Honour. Hanuman doesn’t trust Ram initially but later becomes loyal. Nick dupes Judy but later stands up for her.
Bellweather’s quest mirrors the tale of Circe from Greek mythology, where both are driven by the desire to dominate others. Circe’s façade of godliness fails to entice Odysseus. Bellweather attempts to entice Judy but fails.
Chief Bogo’s quest is subsumed in Judy’s first quest of seeking approval from others.
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
# 37,341
Tales interweaved
Theseus, Hanuman, Circe & 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 Zootopia’s plot structure: $319 – 389MM
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 Zootopia
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Zootopia uses 4 universal quests of Acceptance, Honour, Power & Accumulation.
- In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Judy mirrors the quests of Acceptance & Accumulation. Nick mirrors the quest of Honour whereas Bellweather mirrors the universal quest of Power.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Judy borrows 68% of the events from Theseus’ quest. Judy also borrows 24% of the events from Valmiki’s quest. Nick’s character borrows 31% of the events from Hanuman’s quest. Bellweather borrows only 14% of the events from Circe’s quest.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Zootopias’ quest interweaving score of 0.67 is above par.
An example of interweaving the quests of Nick & Bellweather:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Zootopia
The plot structure reveals two powerful quests that of Judy & Nick. The plot structure suffers from the dual quest of Judy that makes her character inconsistent.
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
0.40
Audience appeal
11.41 – 13.95%
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 Zootopia
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: Judy mirrors the universal quest for Acceptance
Judy’s desire for Acceptance stems from the need to seek approval from others. The tale of Theseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Acceptance.
Quest 2: Judy mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation
Judy’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect and 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.
Quest 3: Nick mirrors the universal quest for Honour
Nick’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 4: Bellweather mirrors the universal quest for Power
Bellweather’s desire for Power stems from the need to dominate others. The tale of Circe from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Power.
3B.Gaps in the current plot structure
The plot structure of Zootopia draws its strength from extremely powerful quest of Judy and Nick’s quest which is marginally below threshold. The plot structure breaks down with the introduction of Judy’s 2nd quest.
3C.Unlocking the hidden potential
The ideal plot for Zootopia is Mythosis plot structure # 1,251. It emerges from interweaving the tales of Theseus, Hanuman & Circe.
Removing the “Accumulation” quest of Judy makes her character consistent as well as creates an opportunity to deepen the quest of Bellweather.
Contact us for Mythosis plot structure #1,251
Tags: Theseus, Acceptance, Hanuman, Honour, Valmiki, Accumulation, Circe, Power, 2016, Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush, Phil Johnston, Walt Disney Studios