Rise of the Savior: Acolyte of Truth
GENRE
EPIC FANTASY ADVENTURE SUSPENSE/THRILLER CRIME ACTION
Core Theme
GOOD VS EVIL, TEMPTATION, SACRIFICE, POTENTIAL
TIME PERIOD
2000s
COMPARABLE TITLES
LOOSELY, GOOD OMENS, THE GIFTED
CHARACTER LIST
AMANDA (F/TEENS) - LEAD. CONFIDENT AND FIERCE, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY LOYAL, PROTECTIVE AND DOWN-TO-EARTH.
SIARA (F/6) - LEAD. INDEPENDENT, HIGHLY INTELLIGENT LITTLE SISTER TO AMANDA.
LOGAN (M/40S) - SUPPORTING. OPEN-MINDED, SUPPORTIVE FATHER TO AMANDA AND SIARA.
JAMIE (M/50) -- SUPPORTING. DUTIFUL DOCTOR AND FATHER TO SICKLY, EPILEPTIC YOUNG LUCAS.
JEAN (F/40S) -- SUPPORTING. EMPATHETIC NURSE, COWORKER TO JAMIE, WIFE OF LOGAN, AND MOTHER TO AMANDA AND SIARA.
MEGAN (F/40S) -- SUPPORTING. DECEPTIVE, ABSENT, DISLOYAL WIFE OF JAMIE AND MOTHER TO LUCAS.
Logline
A young girl's life changes dramatically when a deity appears to her, only no one will believe her until they see it for themselves... will her newfound path lead to destruction or redemption?
Genre
Fantasy,Adventure,Young Adult
Target Audiences
Age: 7-12,13-17,18-34
Target Gender: Universal
Setting
A small suburban town. America.
Based on a True Story
No
Starting Description
We open on Siara waking up in the middle of the night due to a strange sound in the hall. She investigates the dark hall, and a movement in the darkness catches her eye. She flicks the light on. The hall is empty. She rushes back to bed only to find a blue feather.
Ending Description
Amanda loses her karate tournament and is on her way home with her father. She tells him the reason she lost is because she saw a stange creature hanging in the rafters. The creature that Amanda saw in the rafters is now spiraling down towards their car. It crash lands causing them to crash.
Pitch Adaptation
It would be interesting to follow the characters and their families' relationship over a few episodes, setting the stage for the descriptive action battles. In addition, many deities have forms, avatars, or strange manifestations that follow their acolytes; they are visually fascinating and would benefit from having their story told in episodes. Key points: 1. Strong female characters 2. Good overcomes evil 3. A variety of cultural references 4. Plot twists 5. Outstanding subject
WGA Number
2134554
Mature Audience Themes
The author has not yet written this
Plot - Other Elements
Coming of Age,Twist
Plot - Premise
Overcoming Monster/Villain,Internal Journey/Rebirth
Main Character Details
Name: Amanda
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Leader,Sarcastic,Funny,Heroic
Additional Character Details
Name: Saira
Age: 6
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Leader,Complex
Additional Character Details
Name: Jamie
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Role: antagonist
Key Traits: Badass,Complex,Desperate
Additional Character Details
The author has not yet written this
Supplemental Materials
Information not completed
Genre
SUSPENSE, THRILLER, FANTASY, DRAMA
Brief
After an encounter with a shadowy, birdlike figure in the night, 6-year-old Siara begins baffling her parents with an impossible newfound intellect. Siara's sister, Amanda, an aspiring MMA fighter, defends her when bullies target her for her idiosyncrasies. Separately, dutiful doctor Jamie struggles with his son's troubled health. A sinister doglike figure soon appears to Jamie and Amanda, enticing the former with the possibility of saving his son and seemingly setting the stakes for an inevitable conflict with Siara and her birdlike, virtuous guardian.
Overall Rating
GOOD
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: GOOD
Characterization: EXCELLENT
Commerciality: EXCELLENT
Franchise Potential: EXCELLENT
Pace: GOOD
Premise: GOOD
Structure: GOOD
Theme: GOOD
Accuracy of Book Profile
Yes, it is an overwhelmingly accurate reflection of the script. In fact, there does not seem to be much opportunity to improve or expand, save for the fact that only three characters are introduced in what does feel like more of an ensemble.
Draw of Story
What drew me into the story immediately was how little time the author wastes before throwing the audience right into the suspense. He accomplishes in two pages what some authors can only accomplish in 4-6 pages.
Possible Drawbacks
No, there was nothing. Suffice to say that this is a rather successful pilot. It seems to accomplish its groundwork swiftly and thoughtfully. However, the character of Megan did stand out as a bit simplistic and not entirely believable. Perhaps we will color her character in more as we go, but she felt a bit caricaturish and one-note with how plainly sharp and unpleasant she is.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The introduction of a creature right off the bat gives the audience a number of different questions of where we go from there.
Fanbase Potential
This could perhaps have a large fanbase, considering how expansive the narrative seems to be-- There is enough family drama, creature thrills, and fantastical elements to appeal to a very diverse audience. This bodes well for a satisfactorily sizable viewership.
Awards Potential
No, this is not quite an awards contender. It does not quite feel like prestige drama, but more like a serialized cable network opportunity. It seems to lean into its genre elements, which doesn't bode well for awards considerations usually.
Envisioned Budget
MEDIUM BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
LOOSELY, GOOD OMENS, THE GIFTED
What’s New About the Story
What is original about this story is that the author seems to be conceptualizing and executing a rather unique mythology to serve as a kind of backbone to the series. The creatures can't quite be placed elsewhere in pop culture, while the religious themes and elements strike as complex, rich, and original, too. Clearly, the author has unique inspirations that have contributed to this rather idiosyncratic pilot.
Lead Characters
It is debatable whether Siara or Amanda is the lead in this show, but in the pilot it feels like Amanda has more actionable drive and screen time. What makes Amanda stand out is her edge combined with her humanity. She is tough as nails when she needs to be, while she is kind, loyal, and protective all the while. This strikes as an interesting dichotomy. Her actionable goals make her journey feel specific and makes her easy to root for, too.
Uniqueness of Story
This is perhaps close to a rare gem, but it remains to be seen if subsequent episodes can live up to this effective foundation. Aside from the rather one-note character of Megan, it is hard to say what might have room to improve thus far. However, the creature and mythological intrigue, the whimsy and the thrills, and the strong characters, make this pilot and author ones to watch.
Possible Formats
Television
Analyst Recommendation
CONSIDER
Justification
This is an easy consider as there are simply just too many strengths to ignore. For one, the characters most often strikes as complex, grounded, and interesting. They have flaws to match their virtues, which makes them feel human, and most often they have specific goals. Moreover, the creature and mythological intrigue gives the audience many questions that will surely seek answers to, and it gives this work endless opportunities for thrills and suspense.
Brief
A benevolent, mystical being endows 6-year-old Siara with the gift of impossible intelligence, leaving her parents and martial artist sister in awe. All the while, though, a dark force schemes, enticing a desperate doctor as well as Siara's older sister.
What We Liked
This work stood out for a few different reasons. For one, it promises to appeal to a wide audience-- It contains fantasy elements, profound character drama, as well as no shortage of creature thrills and suspense. Moreover, this work invests heavily in its characters-- A diverse group that stands out for their complexity and humanity. A perfect platform for thrills, fantasy, and action to come.
This would be a fantastic candidate for adaptation to television, and there are a number of elements that help this work earn this distinction. For one, the author seems to be building out a robust mythology for the show, which will prove to entice the audience to tune in for subsequent episodes. The creature thrills in this work, stemming off of this mythology, are both well-paced, visually intriguing, and, at times, enthralling. The author leans both into whimsical and horror genre territory, which proves to be an interesting mix. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, this pilot constitutes an admirable foundation for its characters. Most, if not all of the characters have specific needs and wants that help them feel fleshed out, complex, interesting, and human. It's easy to see these characters as people as opposed to some plot or authorial intention. The stakes are assuredly being set for a coming-to-grips that bodes well for a sustainable season of TV.
Key points:
1. The creature thrills and designs.
2. The complex, interesting characters.
3. The fascinating beginnings of a robust mythology.
4. The pace-- kicked off by a gripping teaser.
5. The shocking, thrilling cliffhanger.
Synopsis
A bump in the night wakes young SIARA, 6. She goes and seeks it out, thinking it's her older sister AMANDA, teens, but there's nothing. Back in bed, though, a large dark figure appears in her room...
Her father LOGAN and mother JEAN, a nurse, both 40s, scramble to make breakfast and to find Siara before school. They find her outside, alone, and she strangely has several blue feathers in her hand. Meanwhile, we cut to the house of JAMIE, a doctor, 50s, and his family. He tends to his epileptic son LUCAS, 6, while his wife MEGAN is nowhere to be found. At the hospital, Jamie confides in his coworker Jean about Lucas's health woes and about Megan's absenteeism. In class, Siara transports to a cloud filled sky, where she is mentored by an unseen entity. However, she's snapped back to reality by her teacher, and her classmates make fun of her not long after. When a boy prepares to hit her, amateur martial artist Amanda comes to her rescue and breaks the bully's nose. In a confrontation with her parents, Amanda expresses her desire to pursue MMA as a career in lieu of college. Logan makes a wager with her-- If she wins a local tournament, then she can just go to community college.
Later, Megan finally comes home, claiming to be slammed at work. Jamie confronts her, but she responds with thin excuses and a sharp attitude. Lucas has an intense seizure amid their spat. Amanda trains for her upcoming tournament, while Siara baffles her parents and teacher with impossible newfound intellect. She researches a site about "Saviors," a group of chosen few who are to be endowed with special abilities to defend the human race from a coming evil. One of the virtuous creatures is a birdlike entity, hence the blue feathers. When Lucas's neurologist fears that Lucas may never recover from his latest seizure, Jamie wallows in the hospital chapel. There, he is approached by a sinister-looking doglike creature that entices him with the possibility of saving his son. Meanwhile, Amanda fights well in her tournament, but when she approaches the championship title, the same doglike figure appears to her. It distracts her, and her opponent takes the opportunity to defeat her. At the hospital, Jamie finds out that Megan has been lying about working late, boding poorly for her fidelity. On the car ride home from the tournament, Amanda tells Logan what she saw, and he teases her for it. However, the same creature crashes into the road, and the car goes over the edge of a bridge. It's chaos under the water. While Logan is incapacitated, a huge hairy arm breaks through and seizes Amanda...