LITERATURE AND ADAPTATION 2022/23 FINAL CREATIVE PROJECTS

The film I decided to focus my project on is called “Adam” and it was released in 2009. I came across this film by accident while searching for another film on YouTube. This film tells a story of a young 29-year-old man named Adam, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome. We get to know him when on a day after his father's funeral when he is left completely alone and from now on he has to deal with his life on his own. One day, he meets his new neighbour, a girl called Beth. She is romantically interested in him. After some time they end up as a couple, but his problems with making friends and living in a community as such do not make the relationship easier.

I got particularly interested in this film because I have a friend who might have the same condition as Adam has. We have never talked about it, but judging by his behaviour and my observations it is very likely. I decided to watch this film because I wanted to get a little bit more insight into what the person with Asperger's Syndrome thinks, what causes this person's behaviour and so on. I also decided to do a small research on Asperger's Syndrome as well as autism because I've been always interested in people with different kinds of disabilities. What is more, I think every opportunity to present a disability in the classroom is a great way to provoke discussion among students, exchange ideas, thoughts etc.

For my adaptation project, I decided to write a few pages of Adam’s diary, because I didn't feel like doing anything digital. I have always liked writing, so having an opportunity to become a character from one of my favourite films and trying to feel what he might have felt was an ideal thing for me to do regarding the creative project. I also loved the idea that I could be creative and imaginative and I could write the background story of Adam's past life (the part where I mention why he writes his journal as well as the part when he mentions why his mother left him). I  also thought that writing his journal is a great opportunity to give him space to write about his own emotions and thoughts about the surrounding world – as an Aspie he is very shy and “shut” in his own world, not knowing how to express his emotions and thoughts.

When it comes to methodology, I chose for this project to what I would call a biographical/ psychological approach. This idea was my own and the fact that it gave me a lot of space to develop it into whatever direction I wanted ( I focused mostly on his past and present life – mixed with certain scenes from the film). I think it has a great potential to develop it a story about Adam’s future life (after moving to California to find a new job). This is the biographical approach. When it comes to the psychological approach I think trying to become Adam for a moment and trying to think of his emotions and thoughts in general, especially taking into consideration the fact that this character is a person with a very specific kind of disability, allowed me  as the author of this project to enter the mind of a person with an Asperger's Syndrome and imagine such a person's inner world.

     

When Harry Potter book series was first being published the character of Albus Dumbledore was portrayed as the good-natured grandfather figure, who cared deeply for all those in his charge. The Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was seen by both the characters and the young readers as a hero of a clyster-clear heart and pure intentions. The characters, especially the Golden Trio – Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley, held him in high esteem until the very end of the series. As the years passed, however, and the young and impressionable readers grew up, they started perceiving Dumbledore in a different light. The readers now in their twenties developed a more critical approach to the world and to the entertainment they consume. Now, they see Dumbledore for who he really is, a morally ambiguous and ambitious wizard, so powerful he was the Minister of Magic in all but name. This powerful wizard blatantly favoured Gryffindor house in Hogwarts, allowed dangerous or unsuited teachers to work at Hogwarts, left the fight between the good and the evil to be carried out by children, essentially raising child soldiers, as well as, raised Harry Potter to be sacrificed as the Chosen One on the alter of prophecy. That is why, we have decided to adapt Albus Dumbledore’s story and portray his rise into power.
Plot overview
ALBUS is a 5 episode mini series that explores Albus Dumbledore as a morally-gray, complex character. It begins in his youth and shows all the events that shaped his problematic personality: the death of his sister, the fallout with his brother, toxic relationship with his manipulative best friend and lover, Gellert Grindewald.
The show follows four plot lines, happening at the same time: Albus’ personal problems, which coincide with his spreading influence in the wizarding Britain, growing ambitions and controlling streak, Gellert Grindewald’s quest for the Deathly Hallows and the threat it poses to the entire magical community, and young Rita Skeeter’s espionage mission for the Daily Prophet, during which she learns more about Albus Dumbledore than she is comfortable knowing.
As time progresses, the series grows darker, with lively sepia colours fading into more life-like, until they arrive at lifeless greyish tint. The pacing slows down as Dumbledore grows in power and becomes the chess master of the political scene, Grindelwald comes closer to achieving his goals and Rita learns more and more disturbing facts.
The multitude of background characters represents the amount of lives in Dumbledore’s grip, as everything comes down to only two: the cunning man and the first dark lord, as Rita becomes a silent observer.
Finally, it arrives at its culmination: Dumbledore’s stand-off with Gellert, both of whom set the path Voldemort would walk later on. Dumbledore defeats Grindewald and the world rejoices, but Gellert is the only one to understand that everyone has been underestimating Dumbledore, and while he is locked away as a danger to the society, it celebrates a narcissist, who firmly believes in his own grandeur.
Many years into the future, once Dumbledore is gone, Rita Skeeter writes a book, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, which causes an outrage amongst his followers, whom he gradually groomed to fit his purpose – and she quietly accepts the bashing as she knows that no one would fully believe in the stories she has to tell about Britain’s greatest good wizard to ever live.

 

 

Inspired by the tenets of Internet participatory culture combined with a morbid fascination with the two of these properties, I have decided to construct my project around the idea of an adaptation of both American Psycho (2000) and Gone Girl (2014) as a romantic black comedy featuring the lead characters. In the figures of Patrick Bateman and Amy Dunne, both already adapted from their literary sources, I have identified kindred spirits of sorts, both in terms of their behavior in text and how the films’ paratext frames them. Both Bateman and Amy are semi-ironically revered in online fandoms, mostly by male and female fans respectively. People enjoy the exploits of Bateman as he joyfully murders people than proceeds to despair over not having the best business card, while Amy’s monologue regarding to her dissatisfaction with the female experience based on her joyless marriage and relations with men is considered iconic and bitterly relatable for many women. The decision to pair up the two is a not-so-subtle lean into the classic Hollywood insistence on a heterosexual romance and an acknowledgement of the impact of participatory culture, owing to which such a pairing is even comprehensible.  Based on the fact that the characters do not occupy the same narrative world, I prepared some promotional material for this hypothetical film, as I decided to keep the characters in their original medium, as the filmic renditions of Amy and Patrick are certainly more iconic and recognizable than their literary counterparts. The title is American Psychos, stylized as AMERICAN❤PSYCHOS, as I focus more on the narrative frame present in that film, since Amy’s source material is less flexible in terms of the genre. The poster is based also mostly on American Psycho, as I find that film’s paratext more visually interesting compared to the rather dull poster of Gone Girl. The trailer pairs up scenes from both films where the characters’ action mirror one another, establishing a likeness in character and behavior which this film would explore. The song used in the trailer, a cover of Something Stupid performed by Lola Marsh, is a reference to a similar usage of the number in AMC’s TV show Better Call Saul, which also spotlights a couple of complex, problematic individuals going about their day, their actions juxtaposed by the split screen. Therefore, the American Psychos projects leans more into the genre of dark comedy of American Psycho than the grim, psychological thriller of Gone Girl. The romantic aspect of the film is in part due to my own wishful thinking that the two characters would not simply kill each other upon meeting and a desire to explore less conventional relationships in such films – here, it is two vicious killers who I find to deserve another stab at love.

WATCH HERE

 

Mirana as the new Mina or Dracula Reinvented

For my project I decided to do something connected with the movie “Dracula” by Coppola. Despite the fact that I weirdly enjoyed watching this movie, although it has aged pretty badly, still I have some major problems with it. For example – women. Basically, they are presented from a very misogynistic viewpoint. They are just present there to serve as an object of admiration for men, as a tool to track down Dracula, to be venerated for their beauty, chastity, compliance or condemned for their frivolous, assertive nature, being direct in contacts with men, interacting a lot with different men, and for sexual desire etc.

And what I have just described is basically Mina and Lucy. Or rather the distinction between them. The message of this movie conveyed by use of those two characters totally pissed me off. So basically being a woman who is not coy and meek, who doesn’t conform to some customs or code of conduct rooted in patriarchy and Christian dogma is highlighted here for example by the women’s appearance and their clothes. Winona Ryder is, I would say, more innocent looking, more plain and modest, whereas Sadie Frost looks more “loud”, she wears red lipstick, she even has got red hair, that might be stereotypically associated with wild character, rebellious nature, her clothes are more extravagant. I also noticed that she often wears red colored clothes, which, I think, considering the epoch in which the action takes place, could be associated with prostitution, with sexual desire that she doesn’t inhibit, and for which she is punished in the end by being turned into a vampire.

In this movie, the function of being a supernatural being is punishment and damnation. At least this is my interpretation. Lucy seems to be punished for promiscuity and Dracula for sacrilege and blasphemy against God, for not conforming to this Christian/Catholic dogma. In a way, Dracula’s story arc begins in the church, when he renounces God and ends in the church, when he asks “Where is my God? He has forsaken me.” And finally asking Mina to “give him peace.” So he understood that what he had done was wrong and that he should have accepted his fate, that his wife died. So this time he chooses wisely and lets Mina be; he doesn’t want her to suffer from the same curse.

So I have decided to come up with an idea for a movie that would, kind of, subvert this patriarchal/Christian narrative. Just as it was suggested by the title of my presentation, I would like to focus on Mina/Elisabeta-Dracula’s wife/Lucy and generally women andthe supernatural theme

First, let me show you a scene in Coppola’s Dracula which sparked this idea and inspired me.

In a way, I liked this scene because we see Mina taking some action, defying Van Helsing and fighting his men. Basically turning into a badass powerful witch. However, I realize that her power in that moment comes from Dracula, because she drank his blood and now she’s turning into a vampire. So still, unfortunately, it’s not her own. But that made me think – what if it was her own? What if she is/was actually a witch and in this moment she’s simply getting her power back for some reason? And, once I asked myself these questions, I couldn’t stop thinking about it and reimagining this story – her story – and, you know, what would happen if...?

I don’t know if it all adds up, if it’s logical but, anyway.

My idea for this movie is to present a reimagination of the character of Mina/Dracula’s wife and her story.

I named my character Mirana. That’s like a variation of the name Mina but, I’m sorry but Mina sounds pretty boring to me and it’s very plain, whereas the name Mirana is distinguished, noble, and strong – just like its owner. She’s a witch – a daughter of a Greek god Poseidon and mortal woman – just like Percy Jackson. You may ask – why Poseidon? I have no idea. No, but seriously, I chose him because I want her element to be water. Water means protection, nourishment, life but also, according to some theories, ability to adapt to different states and situations.

When it comes to the casting, I couldn’t help but only imagine Mirana as Anya Taylor-Joy. I know she’s currently very popular but she would be perfect. She has this aura of a goddess that’s lived for centuries and can offer you a helping hand but if you insult her – she won’t even hesitate to cut your throat. Also, I would like her to look like a fragile, innocent and delicate woman but her spirit to be brave, feisty, cunning and quick-witted. Moreover, Anya would be perfect for this because she has feminist views as far as I know.

So, what’s the story? Second half of 14^th century. Invasion of the Ottoman Empire that is a serious threat to Wallachia. But here I would like to note that it’s only loosely based on historical facts. I would have to do a thorough research, maybe read some books to create more solid foundation for this story. Anyway, Ottoman Empire attacks, Vlad courageously fights back but his army looses every battle and the sultan’s army moves farther and farther into the Wallachian territory. But there’s another side in this conflict – namely, Mirana and her hidden community of magic folk, as I called them. She acts as their leader and protector and she’s also a part of a coven of witches and all of them are simply taking care of various magical creatures and this little enclave that is their home.

However, at some point they face a difficult decision – should they continue the fight in hiding using guerilla tactics and magic, which as they can see doesn’t bring the desired effects, or maybe they should try to join forces with Vlad Tepes aka Dracula and possibly win the war. They cannot just escape since many of the supernatural beings that live there are bound to the territories they inhabit and that’s their home.

So the coven of witches makes a decision – they will pay Vlad a little visit and offer alliance – to help Vlad’s army with magic but to ask for help in protecting their territory. But they have a lot of fear since they are the magic folk – “the forces of darkness” as Anthony Hopkins said in Coppola’s “Dracula” – and Vlad’s people are Christians.

To cut the long story short, Vlad agrees at least on one condition – he wants to marry some witch of the coven. And, obviously, you know who will be his “beloved.”

And here I would like to say that I want to end this myth of Dracula as tragically infatuated, charming, romantic and stuff – no, he will be a total psycho; he won’t be in love with his wife but he will be morbidly obsessed with her, consumed by the desire to control and dominate her. Even more so because she’s a witch – she’s also his enemy and enemy of the church. Therefore, he would be so satisfied, so pleased that he conquered a witch, that he practically enslaved her.

Generally this movie/tv series genre would be fantasy, for sure, period drama, and maybe with elements of psychological thriller because of this mentally unstable and completely toxic character of Dracula and the new life of Mirana in the castle which would basically be equal to entrapment, attempts to silence her and change her. On the one hand, she would definitely fight for her freedom not to be taken from her entirely, but on the other, she cannot be too rebellious because she’s a hostage and a warranty for her people’s survival.

And now you may wonder – why will she commit suicide? How will Vlad become a vampire? Well, even with the joined forces, the diverse Wallachian army doesn’t seem to be winning. The situation gets more and more intense – on the battlefield, in the court, between Mirana and Vlad; they’re basically this close to killing each other. And again Mirana is faced with a dilemma – she has to make some decision. At this point, she’s so exhausted, both mentally and physically, that her magic power has deteriorated because of her being bound by Christian sacrament to a man. She is trapped in the court, only sometimes sneaking out to help her coven sisters and other friends. Psychologically, physically, and sexually abused by her “beloved” husband, she decides to do what the Greek gods love – a human sacrifice, especially that she’s not just a human – she’s a witch and a daughter of Poseidon, so the gods will probably be pleased with such sacrifice even more and offer some help instead. And just before the fall, Mirana says these words:

May my sacrifice save lives of those I love

May it damn those that drank it every day

For years, until just a few drops were left

Shortly after she falls from a high tower, Dracula discovers her body in the puddle of blood and he goes mental. Not simply because she died but mainly because by dying she freed herself from his control and she chose her own death. So while he screams and groans his nostrils fill with the scent of her blood and in the middle of this madness he starts drinking it and hence turns into a vampire. Here, in my version of this story, it is also a curse but it’s only a curse for him because he’s always despised the supernatural beings and now he becomes one of them, which instantly excludes him from his own people.

And then, as you know, there’s Mina, the reincarnation. Here, I’m still hesitating when it comes to the reason why she might have reincarnated. It might be because the gods or just her father appreciated her sacrifice so much that he decided to put her back there to be reunited with her magic folk, or rather what was left of them after a couple of centuries, or maybe it worked like in Harry Potter with the horcruxes that Dracula by drinking her blood ensured her survival and being reborn in a different body, I don’t know. But after the reincarnation she’s so drawn towards him because he’s now the key to her full rebirth, to regaining her power because she made him a monster. And after killing him in the church, she doesn’t go back to Jonathan to be a dutiful wife, oh no, she embarks on another journey, to trace survivors among her people and to learn to live in a different world.

Am I your dream girl?

You think of me in bed

But you could never hold me

And like me better in your head

Make me evil, then I'm an angel instead

At least you'll sanctify me when I'm dead (“Dream Girl Evil”)

I would like to present my idea about a possible sequel TV series, an adaptation of the Harry Potter franchise, and of the Wizarding World created by J.K. Rowling as a whole.

First of all, here are some basic ideas and mechanics I chose for this project. I decided to create a setting for a potential sequel TV show. My approach is to present to you a base, which could later be used to create a story, so in my presentation I have included some information about the setting, character concepts, and potential plotlines, rather than one, complete narrative summary.

So, let’s start with the setting. The main idea for this series is centered around the problem that we have mentioned a bit during one of the lessons. There are some problems that can be noticed in the world created by Rowling. They are not really noticeable in the movies, although some traces of them are still there; but they are definitely more apparent in the books and most of all, in the additional materials, that is: video games, official blogposts etc. There is some problematic symbolism, some neglected themes or some poorly designed parts of the universe. They aren’t very noticeable at first, but when noticed, they kind of spoil the whole series. And the author herself has some strange tendencies in her writing, smuggling some of her political beliefs into the background of the story, or reacting poorly to any criticism: For example, when the fans started to argue that time travel is too powerful of a tool in the universe, her reaction was to first completely destroy all the time-turners in the fifth book and then to write “The Cursed Child” play that bluntly shows that everything will always turn worse when attempting to turn back time.

There is also, of course, the issue of Rowling’s current beliefs and problematic behavior, the issue that I will return to for a bit more at the end of the presentation. But for now, I want to say, that to me Harry Potter universe has some potential that was never fully used by its author. Many people who also grew up with the series have a strong nostalgia for it and would likely watch some good shows that expand the universe. Furthermore, if that now-adult audience would ever return to the books, they would most likely start noticing all of those aforementioned problems and inconsistencies, so the expansion is also a chance to fix that, to find some long-overdue solutions.

With all that, I decided to set my idea in the Harry Potter Cinematic Universe (from movie 1 to 7.2), and a couple of years after the main series has ended, so around the year 2002.

So, moving to the main part of my presentation, I would like to present the new main group of the series, “The Knockturners,” named after the Knockturn Alley, a shady street neighboring the more upper-class Diagon Alley, and a place where our main characters have their hiding spot. Knockturners are a group of wizards, witches and magical creatures that are fed up with the Ministry of Magic, and its discriminating policies. They employ various underground, guerrilla tactics to topple the existing government, and fight for the rights of certain discriminated groups. They also are not afraid to experiment with magic, breaking the old-fashioned, binary boundary between the “good” and “evil” magic, and introducing new, creative ways of using it.

If you watched the movies, you know that at some point most fights became just a simple duel of “Expelliarmus” versus “Avada Kedavra,” and in my series, I would like to restore the creativity to magic. The best example of my approach would be the fight of Voldemort and Dumbledore at the end of the fifth movie, two wizards using their environment to fight, and quickly inventing new attacks, trying to outsmart, not overpower the opponent, and find an attack that would somehow break their defense. Dr Strange in Marvel movies also often does this. Moreover, there is this theme of forgotten rituals and spell creation, which is never really expanded upon. For example, Snape managed to invent a new, violent spell, “sectumsempra,” that is never used after the sixth chapter. It is never explained how he managed to do it. In my series, we can have the main characters experiment with magic, try to create new spells, uncover some long forgotten magic (in vein of the spell that protected Harry when he was a baby), and even blur the line between white and black magic – since all of them are renegades fighting against the government, they won’t be afraid to use all kinds of power, and the story can present some moral dilemmas connected to it, perhaps some characters would be more keen to use violence than the rest of the group…

But before we move to the characters, we should quickly focus on one more question: What happens to the classic main trio in this scenario? They have just won their own war, and now a new threat appears. Which side would they choose? Well, to me it is best to let the classic trio retire and put more focus on the new characters. This is why we must ignore all the canon material short of the movies, since in that material the future of these characters is already explained. All have the jobs in the Ministry of Magic, and Hermione even eventually becomes a Minister of Magic. However, their work supports the status quo, and the revolutionary ideas Hermione had during school years are tempered. She brings only some minor changes to the situation of the magical creatures.

Still, we have the ending scene, with adult characters accompanying their children to the Hogwarts’s Express. So, my solution to this is that they would initially stay away from the conflict, especially since the Knockturners would only sabotage the Ministry from the shadows at the beginning of the series. The trio would enjoy their daily lives, then at first, they would suspect the rebels of being some radicals, mirroring the actions of Voldemort; to finally realize that in this conflict, the Ministry is wrong, and support the rebellion by some small actions. By this, after the “Knockturners” manage to reach the happy end of their story, they force some changes and reform the magic society. The final scene of the movies can still play out all the same.

With this, let’s finally move to characters and possible plot ideas. The first character is a representant of traditional pure blood family. So pure blood in fact means that he is a vampire, a type of creature that was underrepresented in “Harry Potter” so far. He was obviously in Slytherin at Hogwarts. Yet he sees and disagrees with the injustice in the magic society. He wholeheartedly supports the group, both in action and financially. He would also be the character that would have a tendency to “go too far,” to use violence, and quick, direct actions, something that he would need to eventually improve.

Another character is a witch form muggle family and a graduate of Hufflepuff. She experienced discrimination before, and still does, even post-Voldemort. She wants to eliminate the secrecy of the wizard world and combine the two sides. She experiments with the use of modern technology in the wizard world. She also recruits other muggle-born wizards, and even muggles to the group.

Then, there is a representant of Goblins, who fights for the rights of his race, and of other magical creatures. The other financial pillar of the group. With him, I would suggest an approach similar to the one seen in the representation of alien races of “Star Trek” – he would learn the balance between celebrating the traditions of his culture and removing some bigoted elements of it, which he would achieve by interacting with people and other magical creatures, and learning from experience. I believe this can also solve the problem with the portrayal of Goblins in the original series as they would stop being just a caricature, or a narrative device, and finally become their own fully functional characters. Plus, it would acknowledge that the Goblin race, as presented in the original series, has some problems with their traditions – like the greediness or the tendency to prioritize the profit above anything else; and yet they still can and should be proud of their culture, in a more “empathetic” way.

Finally, the last main character would be a Lich, another famous fantasy concept unseen before in “Harry Potter”. This character opens some very interesting interactions and options for the group. They are nonbinary, being a soul bound to an animated, humanoid mannequin. They lived a long time ago and possess some useful knowledge, unknown for the majority of the modern magic world. They also represent the issues of non-human and non-traditional beings in the “Harry Potter” universe. They have recently awoken from their regeneration, after being stopped by Ministry’s aurors centuries ago.

This is the main cast, but other than that, there would be many background characters that join the group, or otherwise support it or oppose it, similarly to the many students of Hogwarts presented in the movies and the books.

Some potential plot ideas can now be seen on the screen: the werewolves that earlier supported the Voldemort having a chance to redeem themselves and acquire the medicine that prevents them from changing; The Goblin society, with its traditions, history, and problems; the Centaurs joining the fight; the attack on Azkaban, and an attempt to free the wizards and witches that were sentenced for crimes against the Ministry; The group first meeting during the Voldemort’s reign, while they tried to oppose him in some small, individual ways, and the establishment of Knockturners after his defeat; The attempt of mixing the muggle world with the magic world, of using the technology and magic interchangeably; and many others.

Unfortunately, such a story, which to me is a logical step forward after the movies, would most likely never happen. Most of us have heard about the controversies surrounding J. K. Rowling, both as an author and as a political activist. She and the Warner Bros. company have complete control over the brand and seem to steer it towards a strange, rather tempered direction, especially seen in the parts of “The Cursed Child” play, or “Hogwarts’s Legacy” game, and some others. Recently, a new television series has been announced that is supposed to be “more faithful to the books,” which clearly shows what side of this issue the corporation choose. Still, “Harry Potter” is often reclaimed by some fan communities and lives through endless fanfictions, so it is still possible to enjoy the series in some, sometimes perhaps better, form.

Thank you.

Introduction:

Most people know Phoebe as one of the main characters in the popular sitcom “Friends”. She is associated with her bohemian lifestyle, silly wit and guitar playing in Central Perk. However, since the very beginning of the show, she gave the signs indicating that she was not the person she claimed to be. One could simply notice that her intentions toward her friends were not as pure as they seemed to be. Despite her behaviour being funny, quirky, and harmless, the truth was completely opposite. At first, she didn’t use her violence against her friends, but with time, her frustration and irritation with their behaviours was noticeable.

The opening scene:

Twenty years later, New York, Phoebe comes back to the place where she buried Rachel, Monica, Ross, Chandler, and Joey. She reminisces about the events that forever changed her life. While standing over their grave, still in disguise as there is an ongoing investigation to solve her friends' death, we can hear her addressing them, just like Joe Goldberg does with all his victims.

“Hello, you. It’s been almost 20 years. No one told me life was gonna be this way. You know, it's funny how things work out. How life can take a series of unexpected turns, leading us down paths, we never thought we'd tread. But in the end, when I look back at all the people I've had to eliminate from my life, I can't help but feel a strange mix of sadness and anger. Sadness for the loss of what could have been, and anger at the circumstances that forced me to do what I did. It's a pattern, you see. A vicious cycle. I meet these people, hoping for a chance at connection and happiness, and yet they always find a way to disappoint me. They force me to become the monster they fear. Just as you did when you unexpectedly decided to move on with your lives, start your families, and give our friendship up. Did I want to kill you right after we left the apartment? No. But you left me no choice. I never asked for this life, this burden of taking lives, but I refuse to let anyone stand in the way of my happiness.

Each time I took a life, it wasn't out of some twisted desire for power or control. No, it was always a necessary evil—a means to protect myself and sometimes even the ones I loved. You see, every single one of you played a part in your own demise. You pushed me to the edge, forcing me to make the impossible choice between self-preservation and letting you ruin everything.

So, to all of you, the ones whose lives I’ve taken, you have only yourselves to blame. Your actions and choices pushed me to the point of no return. I’m not a cold-blooded killer; I’m merely a victim of circumstances. And if you can’t understand that, then perhaps you deserved the fate that befell you. I will continue on this path, eliminating anyone who threatens the life I’ve built. I won’t stop until I find the happiness I so desperately seek. Because in the end, it’s not about me; it’s about the lengths we go to for FRIENDS.

 

The plot:

After killing her friends, hiding from the authorities, and sabotaging her own death, Phoebe Buffay relocates to Los Angeles to reunite with her estranged triplets, whom she gave to her brother 25 years ago. She chooses this city as it is there where her brother, Frank, moved with his family two decades ago. Being lonely and depressed, she desires to rebuild her relationship with the family. Phoebe promises herself that her intentions are peaceful and driven by pure love. However, despite trying her best not to succumb to her true self, she becomes obsessed and wants the children to acknowledge her as their mother. It turns out very quickly that she must use the methods she tried to abandon to realize her plan. To get up close and personal with Chandler, Frank Jr., and Leslie, become a mother figure for them, and find her place in the world, she goes on yet another killing spree and stoops to immoral things just to satisfy her inner needs.

 

Phoebe’s and Joe Goldberg’s similarities

Phoebe and Joe from “You” share similar childhood traumas, which affect their behaviours in their adulthood. Both of them kill people they know and blame their victims for provoking them to do it. They look for rational explanations for their actions and have inner dialogues during which the audience learns about their motives. Moreover, both characters come from New York, and it is there where they start their killing sprees. Then, they relocate to Los Angeles, where their next victims live. What is more, both characters manage to escape the justice system and live freely.

 

Cast:

• Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay (She played Phoebe in Friends)
• Giovanni Ribisi as Frank Buffay, Jr. (He played Frank Buffay, Jr in Friends)
• Debra Jo Rupp as Alice Knight (She played Alice Knight in Friends)
• Charlie Heaton as Frank Buffay, Jr., Jr. (He is mostly associated with the mysterious role of Jonathan from Stranger Things)
• Victoria Pedretti as Chandler Buffay (She is mostly associated with the role of Love from You series, which Phoebe series is loosely based on)
• Anya Taylor-Joy as Leslie Buffay (She is best known for dark and mysterious movies, such as horrors and thrillers, which fits her role in Phoebe series as well)

My creative presentation was dedicated to the film called Notting Hill (1999). The idea originated from a discussion in which we raised a question if anything would look the same in 2023? Would it be possible to have the same type of rom-com these days or it has already aged?

As much as I love Hugh Grant’s romantic comedies I believe that it may, in fact, have grown old and to hit the target it would need some modernisation which would require some changes regarding technology as well as film qualities.

Today’s Notting Hill would probably happen in the gym, as no one goes to bookshops anymore. Gym appears to me as a safe space for such events especially if we take into consideration Anna’s temper. Anna in the original film is a movie star – a beautiful, clever and confident woman, who simply does what it takes, but at the same time she is a sensitive and playful character seeking for true love and affection. Gym would be a perfect location for the meeting of characters as it is usually associated with masculine energy whereas Anna would find fit just fine there. She owns the situation even though she can also be soft and delicate when it comes to love. In the new version of the film she would be an Instagram star – as today such people are even more recognisable than actors.

I also imagine Hugh Grant as a gym receptionist who deep down is a sensitive gentleman who writes poems at night.

Remaking a film because of its lack of correspondence to our times is one thing, but the original film’s slow pace also needs adjusting; original Notting Hill is a slow-paced film focused on characters who simply talk to each other and find themselves in amusing but also quite ordinary situations. In today's comedies there is much more action and plot twists than almost 25 years ago as viewers also are used to different types of storytelling.

Unfortunately I haven’t decided yet if I would like to create a real rom-com or more a satire of our times. However, this simple picture illustrates what their first meeting may look like.

We would also need a modernisation of technology which appears in the film as we do not use landlines or phonebooks anymore and it makes the original Notting Hill distanced from the current audience. Even though I would like it to be up-to-date, I want it also to be romantic in an old-fashioned way, that’s why I want to start the film with a poem which I prepared:

“Times don’t change”

such love would never

find anyone

in the bookshop

these days

cause no one goes there

anymore

 

not even one Hugh Grant

runs his business

in the suburbs

or anywhere

I don't even know if anyone

writes for Horse & Hound anymore

 

nobody closes parks

to jump through the fence

with your date

nobody has a phonebook

or even a landline

to call and leave a message

which would almost be forgotten

by a weird friend anyway

 

these days everyone is a celebrity

and no one is a star

but isn't everyone

a girl who

simply asks a boy

to love her?

 

Nevertheless, I do hope that the cinema will still entertain us in this slow, emotional, romantic way and such classics will always be up-to-date in a way.

As we can see, movies about multiverses are very popular these days. My idea is: multiverse of Disney villains: VILLAINOUS—THE MULTIVERSE OF DARKNESS.

Puss in Boots, Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse, Avengers: Endgame.

 

And where are WE, Disney?

Imagine a world where the most iconic Disney villains have escaped their own universes and joined forces to conquer the human world. They have discovered portals to different realities, and they are not afraid to use this knowledge for their own merit. Led by Maleficent, Evil Queen, Capitan Hook, Ursula, Jafar, Hades, Queen of Hearts and other vile tricksters have a common goal: to create a new world order where they rule supreme and everyone else lives in fear. But there is hope. A group of brave heroes from our world and different Disney movies have also crossed the multiverse to prevent them. They have to find a way to stop an invasion of the dark forces and send the villains back to where they belong. Along the way, they will face many dangers, discover new worlds, and learn valuable lessons. It is a thrilling adventure that will appeal to fans of all ages and backgrounds. It will feature some of the most beloved and hated villains and heroes from Disney’s history, as well as some new ones. It will explore themes such as the struggle for total power, complicated relationships, conspiracies and hidden intentions between evil allies, redemption, but also friendship and courage. Of course, it will showcase stunning visuals, catchy songs, and witty humour. Villainous: The Multiverse of Darkness is a movie that has something for everyone. It is a unique concept that will expand the Disney brand and attract old as well as new audiences. It is a movie that will make you laugh, cry, cheer, and gasp. It is a movie that you don’t want to miss.

 

Now the question is: DO YOU BUY IT?

 

The film takes inspiration from Avengers: Endgame, Enchanted (which now apparently gets a sequel) and Disney’s lesser villain games where evil and good clash in a battle for world domination. The main inspiration and adaptation source was the Kingdom Hearts game series, where Disney heroes and villains travel between the worlds of Disney fairy tales and the universe is connected with that of Final Fantasy game series.

 

Rationale behind the project’s idea:

There are several inspirations for my Villainous project. First of all, it’s the recently popular idea of creating multiverses, where different heroes and villains meet in one world and clash in the fight between good and evil. Such films are, for example, Puss in Boots, Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse, Enchanted and Avengers, from which I mainly drew the idea of uniting the forces of evil and fighting. The adaptation source is the Kingdom Hearts game series, which in a rather complicated way tells the story of the protagonists entangled in the invasion of sinister, heart-devouring creatures called Heartless. The main characters team up with the Disney princesses and other heroes to stop once and for all the Heartless invasion led by conspiring Disney villains. Due to the rather low popularity of the Kingdom Hearts series worldwide, and for other reasons, the story would be shown from the side of villains, not heroes; which would give a bit of originality to this creation. This way, the film would be intriguing to all Disney fans—depicting the complex relationships between the main villains, their own motivations and conspiracies would give the film a good dynamic, and give the villains a second life. The main setting would also change—it would not be Destiny Islands, but New York, since we are used to such symbolism that New York somehow represents our entire human world.

The poster features major Disney villains. I placed them in such a way that they give the impression that they tower over the recipient, looking at them as if challenging them. I placed Maleficent in the centre and singled her out as she is supposed to lead the evil team. I chose a cool colour scheme, mostly greens and purples, which are typical of Disney’s villains, but which bring to mind something dangerous, unhealthy and inhuman. I also added green fire, which is a symbol of evil magic used by Maleficent. I took the fonts from the Avengers posters; so that they evoke something powerful in thought and that they give an association with the above mentioned movie. The poster is designed to give the impression that the villains are the main part of the movie; they are important, huge and evil, united in some common dangerous purpose. I think that such a graphic representation of the film through the poster will stimulate the imagination of the recipient and encourage them to imagine the possible plot, as well as the villains in action.