Pitch Deck

Python Pursuit

WeScreenplay - August 29th, 2024 Analyst: SMDU1

PYTHON PURSUIT A conservationist stumbles into an illegal reptile import operation, putting himself and his loved ones at risk. Thriller Feature 90

WHAT WORKS? The writer has done a really good job integrating so many interesting facts about animals - especially reptiles - into this script in a really organic way. It's clear that they are not only knowledgeable about the subject, but really care about the animals they're writing about. Having that layer of realism and factual knowledge gives the script a sense of having something important to say, and makes the world feel all that more real to the reader and audience. I thought the writer might find a way to compliment the times that characters reveal information about animals by showing it - either as they say it, or paying it off later in the script. There may be a way to integrate Marina's social media/YouTube chanel into this in a fun and fresh/modern feeling way. There are some nice set-ups being paid off already in this early draft, too. The way Andrew is convinced that it's dog in the snake at the beginning being echoed in Cleo's death, and the whole bit around where everyone is from in Italy coming back into play in a meaningful way works well, too.

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Coverage Report for "Python Pursuit" Screenplay

Logline

When a passionate environmental biologist discovers that a ruthless mobster with an identical appearance is plotting to steal his identity and hijack his wildlife conservation organization, he must outwit and outfight his criminal twin in a deadly battle where the hunter becomes the hunted.

Evaluation: RECOMMEND

Strengths

  • Engaging premise with a unique antagonist who physically resembles the protagonist, creating a visceral identity theft thriller

  • Strong environmental message that feels authentic rather than preachy, seamlessly woven into the narrative

  • Tight pacing with the streamlined structure eliminating unnecessary exposition while maintaining emotional depth

  • The expanded fight scene at the tar pits provides a satisfying climax with high physical stakes and clever use of environment

  • Well-structured plot with clear stakes and escalating tension from the opening python scene to the final confrontation

  • Distinct and memorable characters with clear motivations—Roberto's passion, Little Dom's vendetta, Suzanne's ambition, Marina's instincts

  • Strong dialogue with natural flow, particularly in the improved capture sequence where action reveals character

  • The moral complexity of Roberto's character adds depth—he's willing to cross lines to protect those he loves

  • Visual storytelling throughout, from the python with its suspicious bulge to the tar pit's slow, horrifying consumption

Areas for Development

  • Some narrative threads could be expanded, such as Jason's character arc and his relationship with Roberto

  • The initial coincidence of the resemblance might need slightly more grounding, though the "seven doppelgängers" reference helps

  • The speed of Roberto's recovery from the sedative during the final fight might benefit from a line of medical justification

  • Suzanne's professional ambitions beyond the Italy trip could be explored more deeply in earlier scenes

  • Little Dom's backstory is now shown through action rather than exposition (a strength), but some readers may want more context about why he specifically targeted Roberto

Overall Assessment

"Python Pursuit" is a compelling thriller that skillfully weaves environmental themes with psychological cat-and-mouse dynamics. The streamlined narrative keeps the focus on Roberto's fight for survival while maintaining the high stakes of wildlife conservation. The physical resemblance between protagonist and antagonist creates a unique doppelgänger story with genuine suspense. With its dynamic settings (Beverly Hills, Italy, Bhutan), morally complex protagonist, and visceral action sequences, this screenplay offers a fresh take on the environmental thriller genre that would appeal to audiences interested in both action and ethical questions. The script successfully balances genre thrills with meaningful themes about conservation, identity, and the true nature of predatory behavior—both animal and human.

Act Summaries

Act 1

Roberto Rossi, a dedicated environmental biologist who runs Earth Trust, investigates a python found in Beverly Hills suspected of swallowing a missing woman. His organization works to stop illegal exotic animal trafficking. After a fundraiser where Earth Trust's latest wildlife rescue mission fails (the animals died in transit), the wealthy and mysterious Little Dom makes a generous pledge to fund Roberto's work. Despite Roberto's initial suspicions about Little Dom's criminal background, his fiancée Suzanne convinces him to accept the money and allow Little Dom to send Suzanne and Marina to Italy to help with his winery's marketing. Roberto discovers the snake was part of an illegal trafficking operation run by corrupt veterinarian Dr. Galve. What they don't realize is that Little Dom bears an uncanny resemblance to Roberto and is planning something far more sinister than they imagine.

Act 2

While Suzanne and Marina travel to Italy for what they believe is legitimate work at Little Dom's winery, Little Dom lures Roberto to his property under the guise of inspecting his exotic animal collection. There, Little Dom reveals his plan to steal Roberto's identity and transform Earth Trust into a front for his trafficking operation. In a violent confrontation, Little Dom captures Roberto using a taser and horse sedative, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Little Dom begins impersonating Roberto through video calls with Suzanne, practicing his mannerisms and voice. Marina, a native Italian, notices inconsistencies in "Roberto's" dialect during their Zoom calls and realizes the deception. Little Dom tests various methods to kill Roberto, including leaving him with a python named Monty. When that fails, he settles on Plan B: dropping Roberto into the La Brea Tar Pits. Suzanne discovers Roberto's captivity through a window at Little Dom's estate and devises an escape plan with him before fleeing.

Act 3

At dawn, Little Dom takes Roberto to the La Brea Tar Pits to execute his plan, using a pulley system to suspend Roberto over the bubbling tar. When Suzanne and Marina arrive to rescue Roberto, they disable Little Dom's commandos using camera tripods as weapons. Roberto, regaining strength as the sedative wears off, breaks free from the pulley system and crashes into Little Dom. The two men engage in a brutal hand-to-hand fight at the edge of the tar pit—Roberto fighting with a broken hand and barely-working legs, Little Dom armed with a knife. Using a rope garrote, Roberto ultimately forces Little Dom into the tar where he slowly sinks to his death, tar filling his mouth and pulling him under. Roberto temporarily assumes Little Dom's identity (shaving his beard to complete the disguise) to gather evidence against Dr. Galve, leading to the veterinarian's arrest by FBI agents. Roberto and Jason recover incriminating files from Little Dom's computer and access his two-million-dollar pledge to fund the rescue of Little Dom's illegally obtained exotic animals. Six months later, Roberto (with his beard regrown), Suzanne (now pregnant and going by "Mrs. Rossi"), Jason, and Marina are in Bhutan releasing rescued exotic animals into a wildlife sanctuary, having successfully reversed the illegal pet trade pipeline.

Save the Cat Beat Sheet Analysis

Opening Image: A python with a suspicious bulge in an affluent Beverly Hills garden—an invasive predator in a place it doesn't belong, foreshadowing both the exotic pet trade problem and Little Dom's intrusion into Roberto's life.

Theme Stated: When Roberto says, "The illegal pet trade had another victim today. In our fight—and it is a fight—humans are usually the villain," he establishes the theme that man is the true predator, more dangerous than any animal.

Set-Up: We meet Roberto, the passionate environmentalist; his fiancée Suzanne who handles Earth Trust's administration; Marina, the journalist who documents their work; Jason, Roberto's associate; and Dr. Galve, the corrupt veterinarian. We learn about the exotic pet trade problem, Earth Trust's mission, and their financial struggles.

Catalyst: Little Dom offers his million-dollar pledge to Earth Trust after seeing Roberto's livestreamed bust (where all the animals died).

Debate: Roberto debates whether to accept Little Dom's money, questioning his criminal background and motives, but ultimately swayed by the organization's desperate financial needs and Suzanne's persuasive argument about connections and creating his own intelligence network.

Break into Two: Suzanne and Marina travel to Italy while Roberto agrees to inspect Little Dom's exotic animal collection, setting both storylines in motion and separating our couple.

B Story: The romance between Roberto and Suzanne, culminating in his proposal before she leaves for Italy, provides emotional depth and raises personal stakes beyond the mission.

Fun and Games: Little Dom's meticulous identity theft preparations; the winery scenes with Katrina revealing the Taranto family history; Little Dom kidnapping Roberto in a violent fight sequence; Little Dom practicing Roberto's voice and mannerisms; the python-in-the-den sequences; and Suzanne and Marina's growing suspicions in Italy.

Midpoint: Marina realizes "Roberto" on their Zoom calls is actually Little Dom due to his Sicilian dialect mistakes—the truth is exposed, A-story and B-story collide, raising the stakes dramatically.

Bad Guys Close In: Little Dom tries various methods to kill Roberto (the python, Cleo the killer dog, planning the tar pit execution), tests sedatives on him, and prepares for his final plan at La Brea Tar Pits while Roberto grows weaker and more desperate.

All Is Lost: Roberto is sedated and seemingly helpless in Little Dom's den with Monty the python, his legs paralyzed, his phone destroyed, no way to contact help—a "whiff of death" as he faces being eaten alive or drowning in tar.

Dark Night of the Soul: Suzanne discovers Roberto's captivity through the window but must flee when Little Dom returns home. Roberto is loaded into the SUV and taken to the tar pits, believing this is the end.

Break into Three: Suzanne and Marina race to La Brea Tar Pits while Roberto, using his intelligence and the fact that the sedative is wearing off, prepares to fight back one last time—he hasn't given up.

Finale:

  • Gathering the Team: Suzanne and Marina arrive with camera tripods as weapons

  • Executing the Plan: They disable the commandos while Roberto breaks free from the pulley system

  • High Tower Surprise: The brutal fight between Roberto and Little Dom at the tar pit's edge, with multiple reversals

  • Dig Deep Down: Roberto, despite his broken hand and paralyzed legs, uses everything he's learned about survival and adaptation

  • Execution of New Plan: Roberto uses the rope as a garrote and forces Little Dom into the tar

Final Image: Roberto, with his beard regrown, and pregnant Suzanne release rehabilitated animals (including a tiny iguana—a callback to the dead baby iguana from Act 1) in Bhutan, symbolizing restoration of natural order, the reversal of the trafficking pipeline, and the couple's future together. The invasive species are returned home; nature is in balance again.

Selling Points

Compelling Doppelgänger Premise: The physical resemblance between identical adversaries creates natural tension and explores questions of identity theft in a fresh, visceral context.

Environmental Conservation Theme: Timely and relevant focus on wildlife trafficking (a $20 billion industry) with factual information seamlessly integrated into the narrative without feeling preach.

Streamlined Personal Conflict: Little Dom's vendetta against Roberto is revealed through action during the capture scene rather than exposition, keeping the pacing tight while maintaining emotional depth.

International Settings: Beverly Hills, Italy (Tuscany vineyard), and Bhutan provide visual variety and global scale that elevate the story beyond a typical thriller.

Dynamic Female Characters: Suzanne and Marina are active participants who drive the plot forward through their own investigative work (Marina's dialect detection, Suzanne's daring rescue), not just supporting players.

Visceral Action Sequences: The expanded capture scene and the tar pit fight provide satisfying physical confrontations with high stakes, clever use of environment (pulley systems, tar), and genuine danger.

Moral Complexity: Roberto's decision to let Little Dom die in the tar pit ("Even good guys have limits") shows moral complexity in the protagonist, avoiding simplistic good-versus-evil narrative.

Visual Storytelling: From the python's bulge to the tar slowly filling Little Dom's mouth, the script relies on strong visual moments that will translate powerfully to screen.

Clever Callbacks: The baby iguana that died in Act 1 returns as a living creature in the final scene; Harry's pet shop is both exposition and payoff; the "seven doppelgängers" statistic; Roberto's ring helping Suzanne cut the window.

Character Arcs: Roberto learns to cross moral lines when necessary; Suzanne discovers her own capabilities beyond administration; Marina's investigative instincts prove crucial; Little Dom's adaptation philosophy ("adapt or die") becomes his own downfall.

High Concept Meets Substance: While the doppelgänger identity theft is a marketable hook, the environmental message and character depth give the film staying power beyond the thriller elements.

Character Analysis

Roberto Rossi: A passionate environmental biologist whose moral clarity is tested when faced with an enemy who literally wears his face. His journey from idealistic conservationist to someone willing to kill to protect those he loves gives him complexity. His expertise in animal behavior becomes both his profession and his survival tool.

Little Dom (Dominque Taranto): A sophisticated antagonist whose plan to steal Roberto's identity is both practical (money laundering through Earth Trust) and deeply personal (revenge for his father's imprisonment). His belief in adaptation as survival makes him a dark mirror to Roberto's conservation philosophy.

Suzanne: More than just the supportive fiancée, Suzanne shows ambition (her reflections on Katrina's accomplishments), intelligence (detecting something "off" about Roberto), and courage (the daring rescue). Her arc from administrator to active participant strengthens the story.

Marina: The sharp-eyed journalist whose native Italian ear catches what others miss. Her cultural knowledge becomes a crucial plot device, and her friendship with Suzanne adds warmth to the story.

Dr. Galve: The corrupt veterinarian represents the banality of evil—someone who facilitates trafficking for profit without the personal vendetta driving Little Dom. His casual attitude toward animal suffering makes him more contemptible than the obvious villain.

Jason: Roberto's loyal associate who represents the "true believer" in Earth Trust's mission. His growing confidence (the beard in the final scene mirroring Roberto's) suggests he's becoming Roberto's successor.

Thematic Analysis

Predator vs. Prey: The script constantly blurs these lines. Is Roberto the hunter of illegal traffickers or the prey of Little Dom? Is the python an invasive predator or a victim of the pet trade? By the end, Roberto becomes the predator to save himself.

Adaptation and Survival: Both Roberto and Little Dom believe in adaptation, but in different ways. Roberto wants animals to adapt by returning to their native habitats; Little Dom adapts by becoming whoever serves his purposes. The irony is that Little Dom's philosophy ("adapt or die") leads to his death when he can't adapt to Roberto's resistance.

Identity and Legacy: Little Dom wants to erase Roberto and take his identity; Roberto wants to restore his father's family legacy through revenge. Meanwhile, Roberto's actual legacy (Earth Trust, the animals he saves, his future child) is the story's true focus.

Natural Order vs. Invasive Species: The python doesn't belong in Beverly Hills; Little Dom doesn't belong in Roberto's life; the trafficking pipeline disrupts natural ecosystems. The film's resolution is literally returning animals to where they belong—restoring natural order.

Moral Compromise: Roberto's decision to let Little Dom die forces the question: When does survival justify crossing moral lines? The film doesn't judge him for it but acknowledges the weight of that choice.

Comparable Films

  • Face/Off (identity theft between enemies)

  • The Fugitive (man fighting to prove his innocence while being hunted)

  • Prisoners (moral protagonist forced to dark acts to save loved ones)

  • Blood Diamond (thriller with environmental/ethical message)

  • The Ghost and the Darkness (man vs. predator with deeper themes)

Conclusion

"Python Pursuit" successfully combines the propulsive pacing of a thriller with the substance of an environmental message. The streamlined structure keeps focus on Roberto's immediate survival while maintaining the larger stakes of wildlife conservation. The doppelgänger concept provides a marketable high-concept hook, while the moral complexity and character development give the film depth. With strong visual storytelling, international locations, and a timely message about wildlife trafficking, this screenplay is RECOMMENDED for development.

Genre: Thriller / Environmental Drama
Tone: Tense, visceral, morally complex with moments of dark humor
Target Audience: Adults 25-54 who enjoy intelligent thrillers with social conscience
Budget Range: Mid-range ($20-40M) given international locations and animal work
Comparable Market: Fans of Michael Crichton adaptations, eco-thrillers, identity theft narratives