THE ARGIVES

We men are wretched things.

Role Development Intern Year Summer 2024 Type TV Pitch · Prestige Drama · IP Adaptation

The Premise

THE ARGIVES is a prestige television drama chronicling the final year of the Trojan War — drawing from Homer's The Iliad, The Aethiopis, and The Little Iliad, alongside Greek tragedies including Ajax, Philoctetes, and The Trojan Women. The series follows familiar Homeric heroes and gods through the war's most explosive final act: heroes rising and falling, gods in open conflict, and the slow revelation that no side is clean.

"It is the ultimate war narrative — a poem of vast scope but intimate precision, so the reader never loses sight of the countless tragedies that combine to create an epic narrative."
— The New York Times on The Iliad

The Pitch

GAME OF THRONES meets TROY. The series positions itself at the intersection of sweeping battle spectacle and emotionally charged, character-driven drama — the kind of premium global storytelling that platforms chase and audiences devour. The source material is IP-rich, universally recognizable, and largely untouched in prestige television form. The opportunity is real.

More than a chronological retelling, the pitch conveys scale — visually, thematically, and emotionally. War is the backdrop. The unraveling of gods, men, and empires is the story.

Episodic Breakdown

Ten episodes. One war's final year. No clean endings.

E1
"The Boy on Scyros"

Things drag on in the Trojan War. Odysseus decides they need to find Achilles to win. He finds him disguised as a woman on Scyros — and convinces him to join the war effort.

E2
"Quarrel by the Ships"

Achilles arrives at the Greek encampment and aids the Greeks. When Agamemnon refuses to give Achilles his due, shaming him in front of the army, Achilles decides he won't fight again until he's recompensated.

E3
"The Prince of Troy"

The Greeks struggle to fight off the Trojans and try to get Achilles to come back. Hector says goodbye to his family to join the fray.

E4
"Achilles' Heel"

As the Greeks are battered by the Trojans in Achilles' absence, Patroclus decides to dress up as Achilles to scare them off. He is wounded by Apollo and killed by Hector.

E5
"The Menis of Achilles"

Achilles grieves Patroclus' death and enters a blind rage — he kills Hector. When Troy sends reinforcements, he strikes them all down.

E6
"The Armor of Achilles"

When Achilles pursues the Trojans into their city, Apollo helps Paris kill him. Odysseus and Ajax recover his body and fight over who gets to keep his armor. Ajax goes mad when Odysseus gets it.

E7
"Helenus' Prophecy"

Coming out of his madness, Ajax kills himself. Odysseus receives a prophecy that warrior Philoctetes is the key to winning the war — he recruits Neoptolemus to help find and recover him.

E8
"The Metis of Odysseus"

Philoctetes kills Paris. Odysseus devises the Trojan Horse. While it's built, he mutilates himself to sneak into Troy and spy — finding Helen, who plots with him. He steals the Trojan statue of Athena, leaving them without her protection.

E9
"The Sacking of Troy"

The Greeks pull their ships out of Troy's sight. The Trojans bring the horse to the gate, and when it's brought inside, the Greeks break out and overtake Troy.

E10
"The Spoils of War"

The war ends. Menelaus finds Helen and forgives her. The Trojan women are split off and given to the Greeks. Cassandra is violated by a Greek soldier in Athena's temple — earning her rage. She plots to disrupt the Greeks' journey home.

Key Characters

ODYSSEUS The Cunning King · Casting: Oscar Isaac

King of Ithaca. A tactician favored by Athena who relies on wit over brute force. He makes the hard calls — and his hubris can get the best of him. Ten years in, he wants nothing more than to go home.

ACHILLES The Greatest Warrior · Casting: Jacob Elordi

Son of a goddess. Lives under a prophecy — glory and early death, or long life without honor. He is determined not to fight Hector, while equally determined to prove his valor. Patroclus changes everything.

HECTOR Prince of Troy · Casting: Pedro Pascal

Elder brother of Paris. Eldest son of King Priam. Troy's greatest protector. Bound by a prophecy that if he falls, so will Troy — yet he leaves his wife and newborn son to defend his home.

ATHENA Goddess of Wisdom · Casting: Alexandra Daddario

Daughter of Zeus. The strongest of the goddesses. She sides with the Greeks and watches over Odysseus — level-headed and cunning, until dishonored.

HELEN The Most Beautiful · Casting: Priyanka Chopra

Wife of Menelaus. Persuaded by Aphrodite to run away with Paris to Troy, becoming the cause of the war. Whether she was a victim or a conspirator — no one can be sure.

AGAMEMNON General of the Greeks · Casting: Javier Bardem

Elder brother of Menelaus. King of Mycenae. Proud, stubborn, and petty when tested. His ego is the reason Achilles refuses to fight — and the reason Greeks die for it.

Commercial Packaging

Budget Range

$12M–$16M per episode. Comps: Game of Thrones ($12–15M/ep), Percy Jackson ($12–15M/ep), Avatar: The Last Airbender ($15M/ep).

Writer Targets

Ryan J. Condal, David Benioff, Fran Walsh, Neil Druckman, Tony Gilroy, Sam Levinson, Kerry Ehrin.

Director Targets

Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, Alfonso Cuarón, Alan Taylor, Mark Mylod, Alik Sakharov, Toby Haynes.

Comparable Series

Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Succession, Euphoria, The Bear.

The Pitch Deck

View the full presentation developed during the Tomorrow Studios internship.

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