The Slime Alchemist
feature / 105pp / family adventure / superhero / dramatic comedy
A girl searching for her missing environmental activist parents discovers incredible powers that can change the world, but first, she must save a deeply troubled boy with destructive powers of his own.
“It’s a fun and inventive story, and I like how you’ve used the format of a kid’s superhero movie to explore themes of the environment and social justice, while Rosy and Max are sweet, likeable characters whom it’s easy to invest in.”
The pitch
Alchemist: Someone who transforms things for the better.
A timely family adventure movie with environmental, social justice and mental health themes. Featuring female superheroes, rainbows, slime, a lot of mud, and a unicorn! Fantastical but also very much rooted in the real world, but with some extraordinary enhancements. The tone is positive, despite being a reminder that we have work to do to look after our people and our planet.
Set in modern-day New York, this is a story about Rosy, a 10-year-old schoolgirl - placed in foster care when her environmental activist parents went missing at a protest in the Amazon - who makes then sells colorful slime to her classmates. When a magical ingredient gives her incredible powers her courage is tested as she becomes painfully aware of the precarious state of the world today… At the same time, her classmate Max, a deeply troubled boy with a penchant for mud, discovers destructive powers of his own; as his world collapses around him, consumed with loneliness, sadness and thoughts of vengeance, he begins to spiral out of control.
Like a Marvel or DC movie but replace the fighting, explosions and aggression with transformative rainbows, marauding mud jets and the innocence of children!
Inspired by Greta Thunberg and the impact she’s had in mobilising young people around the world, by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a rare shining light in politics, by a 9-year-old slime entrepreneur I met in Brooklyn, and by my mud-loving nephews and niece!
My ode to family adventure movies of the 80s/90s such as The Goonies, Home Alone and E.T. My aim is for this film to appeal to kids of all ages, and adults - particularly the ones who like watching movies with their kids, or just want some fun escapism with a strong dose of heartfelt humanity and comedy - the Taika Waititi kind.
Shazam! meets Joker… on the schoolyard.
Tonally more like Ghostbusters: Afterlife meets Harry Potter.
**Academy Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship - Quarterfinalist 2020**
commercial potential
Though not based on existing IP, there is a huge potential audience…
In 2018, slime content generated 25.4 billion views on YouTube. That’s 1.7M online slime video uploads from 800K different YouTube channels. The top two slime influencers of 2018 not only saw an equal male / female split, but many of their views came from those in the 25-34 age group. Kids love it, but there’s also a growing number of adults who find slime extremely fun, creative, and calming.
Disney and Nickelodeon have the most successful corporate YouTube slime channels. Nickelodeon have a long history with slime and have recently begun selling a wide range of branded slime products.
Google state that “slime” was 2017’s biggest DIY trend, causing a national shortage of glue in the U.S. According to trend forecasters (New York Magazine Oct 2019), slime is still one of the most popular toys around. Which explains the 2019 opening of the Sloomoo Institute, a successful slime exhibition in New York that attracted as many excited adults as it did children, including the wonderful Drew Barrymore!
merchandising opportunities
Slime - Massively popular always. Nickelodeon already sells slime products, but if I may be so bold, they lack a good branding story.
Mud toys - Mud kitchens are very popular, so are the utensils that go with them.
Onesies - Rainbow Girl’s costume is a rainbow colored onesie with ears and a unicorn horn. Harmony’s is dark blue with stars and musical notes. They wear gold star-shaped glasses and mirrored shades.
Unicorns - Iris the unicorn is equally lovable in her form as a downcast brown mule, or in all of her splendor as the Goddess of Rainbows.
Mystery Jars from the Emporium of Enchantments: weird, wonderful and magical.
Art / Painting Toys - Rainbow Girl paints giant murals on buildings, bridges etc.
sequels, spin-offs and supporting content
The story is left wide open for a sequel, with set-ups for spin-offs for the supporting cast. For example, Rainbow Girl’s superhero sidekick Harmony is given special powers that are teased towards the end of the film - when she plays music on her Keytar a healing soundwave blasts out.
There’s a potential origin story for Ellie and Nelly, the old couple who run the Rainbow Warriors Emporium of Enchantments - which is the place Rosy acquires the unicorn tears that are the source of her powers. Ellie and Nellie were environmental activists who became disenchanted until Rainbow Girl gave them renewed hope.
I have also set-up the potential to have supporting documentary-style content around the themes of the environment and mental health. Rosy’s foster sister Mia, is a film student who throughout the film is making documentaries about inspiring women, and shows interest in making a documentary about the Rainbow Warriors activists.
So my vision is to create a Rainbow Warriors ‘mini-verse’ if you will.
“I am NOT mad! I, am MUD!!”
environment & politics
Millions of children around the world have been taking part in a global climate change protests over the past few years. Protestors from over 150 countries have taken part in demonstrations aiming to put pressure on governments and decision-makers to do more about climate issues. Children are more politicised and conscious of the precarious state of their environment than ever before.
the whirling rainbow prophecy
“There will come a day when people of all races, colors, and creeds will put aside their differences. They will come together in love, joining hands in unification. They will move over the Earth like a great Whirling Rainbow, bringing peace, understanding and healing everywhere they go. Many creatures thought to be extinct or mythical will resurface; the great trees that perished will return. All living things will flourish, drawing sustenance from the Earth.”
