PROTOPIA: A New Horizon for Screenwriters

Lost in Dystopia.

Humans have always looked to the horizon for hope. It’s part of our nature, even our evolution; our ability to see far distances helped us detect threats or find our next meal. The horizon has always symbolized opportunity, a new beginning (“Go West, Young Man!”). A chance to venture beyond the known.

And not just physically. Our brains are wired to envision the future; the same neural networks that enable memories allow us to imagine what could be.

But lately, the horizons envisioned by Hollywood seem fixated on dystopia. Stories of the future (whether in TV, movies, video games) repeatedly show societies crumbling and nature in collapse (even if climate change references are repeatedly omitted). Not that dystopian stories can’t be entertaining or impactful, but these ‘end of the world’ narratives of gloom and doom feel like a persistent feedback loop, shaping our collective unconscious, making bleak futures appear… inevitable.

But don’t take my word for it. Hugh Laurie makes a far more compelling, eerily prophetic warning in Brad Bird’s 2015 film Tomorrowland:

Here, Laurie’s character pleads that apocalyptic stories were only meant to serve as warnings, to spur us into action. Instead, we became so enamored with these visions of disaster that we accepted them as fate, “gobbling them up like chocolate eclairs”. It seemed Utopia was just too much work.

”(But) in every moment, there's the possibility of a better future…”

Better… not perfect. And that’s where the concept of Protopia comes in.

What is Protopia?

A Protopia isn't Utopia. Coined by futurist Kevin Kelly, Protopia describes a world that is incrementally better than today. Progress comes through small, human centric steps. Protopias acknowledge imperfections and challenges but focus on resilience, adaptability, innovation, inclusivity and the power of collective action. It's not just about individual triumphs but shifting from "me" to “we"—where communities come together.

Take Star Trek, where humanity has overcome many of its worst tendencies but still faces new challenges across the galaxy. Or After Yang and Her, which both explore a nuanced future where technology and humanity intersect in deeply personal ways, both for good and ill. In the Apple+ series Dark Matter, the lead characters ‘quantum shift’ to an eco-friendly future Chicago, a respite to the bleak futures they have been discovering. These stories present evolving worlds — not perfect — but filled with possibilities and personal dramas (because a script must have conflict!).

Look to the work of futurist Monika Bielskyte, author Kim Stanley Robinson’s ‘The Ministry for the Future’ or PBS’s ‘A Brief History of the Future’, showcasing technologies and innovators working towards a sustainable world.

These are the types of stories we need on our screens.

The Role of Screenwriters in Shaping Futures

There’s a flip side to the Tomorrowland monologue, found in Ray Bradbury’s 1984 short story The Toynbee Convector. It tells the tale of the world’s first time traveler, who returned with vivid tales of a future so extraordinary that it inspired humanity to build it. But an investigative reporter uncovers the shocking truth 100 years later: the traveler had fabricated the entire journey to divert the bleak path he saw mankind on. Yet the sheer power of that fabricated vision—a world flourishing in harmony with nature—was enough to make it real.

Screenwriters are world-builders. Our stories don’t just reflect society; they shape it, influencing how people perceive what’s possible and even inspiring them to reimagine it.

Today’s challenges call for that kind of vision. But to craft compelling Protopian narratives, we need to understand the forces shaping our world. Emerging technologies and the climate crisis are transforming our reality. As Margaret Atwood said, “It’s not Climate Change, it’s Everything Change.” Writers have the unique opportunity to help society make sense of these shifts by bringing insight—and heart—to these pressing issues, and even spark change. For Hollywood writers, understanding these developments isn't just beneficial; it's essential in order to grapple with disruptions like A.I.

Climate Emotions & Characters

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Escaping the Trap of Dystopian Narratives

But what about the drama — won’t Protopias be….boring? I’m not saying that iconic films like Blade Runner, The Terminator, The Matrix and Mad Max weren’t amazing and mirrored the anxieties of the time. Yet, as NY Times writer Alissa Wilkinson points out, the latest wave of apocalyptic films reflects a state of acute loneliness. This is why we must lean towards Protopias, where collective action takes center stage.

And let’s face it, dystopias are a little lazy. An apocalyptic event wipes the slate clean, erasing our existing systems and structures. I’s easy to start from scratch, but it robs us of the creative challenge of imagining real change, the kind of change an audience wants to see.

A Call to Action: Writing Protopias

So, how do we begin crafting Protopian narratives?

1. Be your own Time Traveler: Imagine your Future. The one you’d like to live (not the one promoted by tech billionaires). Leap 10, 20 years forward and let your imagination take hold. 

2. Become a Futurist: No degree necessary — just become curious about emerging technologies and the forces reshaping our world. Extrapolate what could transpire, not just for ill but for good. We have a universe of knowledge at our fingertips. There are also a number of resources like the Good Energy Project, The Lear Center, and The Science and Entertainment Exchange to assist in your research (and I even wrote ‘A Futurist’s Handbook for Hollywood’ for this very purpose).

3. Embrace Imperfection: Instead of envisioning a perfect society or a total collapse, explore the middle ground. What do positive failures look like? How do people navigate both the risks and rewards of AI, climate solutions, and systems change?

4. Rethink the Rules and Tropes: Yes, there are rules to screenwriting, but if you’re telling a different type of story about the future, challenge yourself to rethink how you tell it. Push past the traditional (Lone Male) Hero’s Journey (but definitely save the cat). 

5. Find Your Guide: Though rare in Hollywood, Protopian stories exist! Google ‘Solar-Punk’, explore the powerful short stories at Grist and the ‘positive climate fictions’ from ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination. 

6. Address the Elephant: Don't shy away from today’s pressing issues—climate change, social and racial inequality, technological ethics. But approach them with a lens of possibility. More Awe and Wonder, less shock and defeatism. 

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Building Futures We Want to See

The horizon is still there, waiting for us to look out and imagine what's next. As screenwriters, we have the power and the opportunity to guide that vision towards something new and better, yes, even hopeful. By exploring the technologies and societal changes shaping our world, we can craft stories that not only entertain but might also just inspire collective action (the pen is mightier than the sword, after all).

So the question is: As you embark to write a story about the future, will you keep following well-worn paths of dystopia, or will you dare to explore this evolving terrain of Protopia… writing the futures that we might actually want to live in?