Pitch
Logline
An introverted yet gargantuan-sized man joins a circus at the behest of his long-lost friend and unwittingly gets himself involved in her diabolical plans to convert the family-friendly outing into an adults-only rock and roll, sex-infused alternative carnival.
Summary
Rashaan Paul is a gentle giant. A gargantuan-sized man who lives a simple, quiet life with his simple, quiet job in his simple, quiet apartment. When Sara, an old friend who works in a family-friendly traveling circus, reaches out and asks him to join her in saving the fledgling business, he accepts the invitation. Unbeknownst to him, Sara includes him in her plan to convert the kid-friendly outing into an adults-only rock and roll, sex-infused alternative carnival, much to the chagrin of all of the carnival workers, including her fellow acrobat and sister Poe and her parents, the perpetually nurturing Gabriéla and the perpetually sad Tomás. While Sara continues her reign of deception, lies, and even murder to accumulate more fame and fortune from her endeavors, she and Rashaan reveal truths about themselves that change their paths and the path of the circus forever.
Tone
Little Wonder is a dark comedy in the vein of cinematic works created by Tim Burton and Jordan Peele and authors Neil Gaiman and Chuck Palahniuk. The main story revolves around a traveling circus and all the colorful, bright, and effervescent trimmings associated with carnivals. But the everpresent dark intentions of the characters give those luminant embellishments a broader depth and texture and a foreboding sense of danger, peril, and risk. A progeny of classic psychological thrillers such as "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962) and "Freaks" (1932), as well as modern fair such as the "American Horror Story" franchise (2011-) and "us" (2019), the purpose of Little Wonder is to nudge audiences with chills, humor, and horror to view the world from a different perspective.
Themes
The main themes of Little Wonder revolve around living your life with a sense of intention and integrity, and as Andre, Rashaan's elderly coworker, says, "suit toujours ton coeur"... always follow your heart. All good antagonists are misunderstood protagonists, and as Sara's fellow coworkers don't appreciate or understand or reign of terror, her ability to follow her heart and act with a sense of intention and purpose is not only admirable but contagious as other members of her world follow suit with less devastating results. A morality tale at heart, Little Wonder is a tale that questions the true value of "success" and following your heart to find your bliss.