Why Hollywood Executives Love Myths in Movie Scripts

For many aspiring film writers, one of the most frustrating things to point out is what genre Hollywood executives are looking for. Do you want action? Drama? comedy? The three?

Maybe. That depends on the market and the experiences and specialty of the scriptwriter. But what Hollywood executives like and look for in movie scripts is a myth. The origin of a story may be in some long-standing myth, a main character may be centered and focused in a myth, and so on. Whatever your style of implementation, myths help sell movie scripts.

The reason? Hollywood executives are charged with selling movies not just to America but to the world! Myths are universally relatable, culturally transformative, and widely recognized stories that won’t get lost in translation, and that means more popularity and more profit for a movie. Also, more people will be able to find meaning in films with mythical elements, and this point will translate into increased sales and meaning in the long run.

Adding elements of myth to an existing script is not that difficult, nor is adding myth to a script while it is being crafted. However, the benefits of doing so, which can actually determine whether or not a script is commissioned, are remarkable. To take advantage of the mythical elements when writing a screenplay, simply read some old stories, legends and tales, all of which can be found online with a click or two. A few minutes of effort in this way will pay off in the long run.

The myths may not be real, but their potential boost to movie scripts is very real!