The Hero’s Journey is the backbone of most myth-based stories in Hollywood. Mythic storylines, according to Chris Vogler, author of The Writer’s Journey, are the most sought-after screenplays in Hollywood. Vogler wrote a memo about this journey that went viral at Disney and revolutionized how the Mouse House made movies. But where did Vogler get his ideas from? Vogler, of course, never shies away from mentioning his source–and his mentor–Joseph Campbell, the anthropologist who coined the phrase, ‘the Hero’s Journey.’
As is legend now, Star Wars creator George Lucas followed the Hero’s Journey in crafting Luke Skywalker’s journey through the first trilogy. He was the first to consciously do so in Hollywood and made Campbell’s work popular. From there, the Hero’s Journey has become an overt template for superhero films like Captain America: The First Avenger, Frodo’s journey in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and even comedy TV series like Dan Harmon’s Rick and Morty (Harmon successfully worked Campbell’s Hero Journey into his 8-Step Story Circle used by many writers in Hollywood).
But today, let’s go back to the source, back to Joseph Campbell and his classic six-part interview with legendary journalist and interviewer Bill Moyers called The Power of Myth. This classic series has just become free on youtube thanks to distributor Kino Lorber, 34 years after its original broadcast on PBS in 1988.
Hear Campbell talk about archetypal heroes, ancient myths, and how Star Wars tapped into humanity’s need for modern myths. Pertinent is how myths and legends can become a guide for people today. Their lessons have never diminished which is why they resonate so well with us today, and why they sell so well in Hollywood. That visceral feeling, that shiver down the spine we get when something archetypal occurs on screen is that connection to those universal truths that stem from the collective unconscious.
Tap into this with your storytelling, and you can create something special that generations will talk about. The Hero’s Journey is far from done in Hollywood despite its mechanics being well-known. It’s timeless. Once you’re familiar with Campbell’s work, check out Chris Vogler’s interviews with Indie Film Hustle where he discusses how to mine the Hero’s Journey in new ways for fresh stories still grounded in the mythic structure.
