The best story category closely resembled modern film treatments or prose documents describing the plot and characters. Is it time to bring back the three separate screenplay categories? From 1927 to 1956, the Academy had three categories for scribes – screenplay (original), screenplay (adapted), and the now-defunct best story. The answer to this debate likely lies in two potential solutions. How does social media fit into the future of screenwriting?Ĭourtesy of SONY PICTURES CLASSICS Original story vs. The Janicza Bravo dark comedy based on the Twitter (now called “X”) thread about a girl’s impromptu road trip was campaigned for adapted, which cited the tweets and the magazine article that was written about it. I’d also argue this ties into the “Zola” question as well. The seven screenwriters receive nods.īut what makes an IP “established” anyway? The first “Borat” movie was campaigned and nominated for adapted screenplay because Sacha Baron Cohen’s character was featured on episodes of his TV series “The Ali G Show.” There is the added wondering about how we classify the improvised moments and how that constitutes “screenwriting,” but that’s a discussion for another time. Potato Head, the plastic green army men, and a piece of Barbie’s leg. Pixar’s “Toy Story” creates a fresh concept with Woody and Buzz going from enemies to friends, but the film includes classic toys like Mr. Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s “The Lego Movie” (2014) was campaigned for original and has Lego toys and Batman in the movie. Now, as a person who is often passionate about calling out “category fraud,” as the definitions currently being stated, I’m not passionate about either choice.īut the argument regarding established IP isn’t always followed. The “Barbie” script is credited as “based on ‘Barbie’ by Mattel’ - a doll made by a toy company, not a book or play. Many who have read “Oil” say the only similarities between the movie and the book are the main character’s name, Daniel Plainview, and his oilman profession. That didn’t stop the Academy from keeping Tony Kushner’s “Lincoln” (2012), loosely based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals” or Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood” (2007), based on the 1927 novel “Oil” by Upton Sinclair in adapted. Stephen Gaghan’s “Syriana” (2005), based on the memoir “See No Evil” by Robert Baer, was moved from adapted to original, given the film’s numerous differences from the source material. Is the decision based on the existence of the toy itself? Or is it because of the 47 previous Barbie movies - mostly straight-to-video kids fare - before Gerwig’s box office smash? Regarding “Barbie,” it would help whatever the committee decides to be clear about its reasoning. I’m actually open to that line of defining works. Even though co-writer Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play “Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue” was never published, the Writer’s Branch committee kicked the movie from original to adapted, where it eventually won. “Moonlight” Courtesy Everett Collection What does “previously produced” actually mean?įilms like “Moonlight” (2016) were booted to adapted screenplay. Even though the characters are portrayed in an earlier film, does that not make the concept or new marriage issues they’re facing original? Richard Linklater’s critically acclaimed “Before” series that follows the relationship of Jesse and Céline (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) series has managed two adapted nods for its two sequels - “Sunrise” (2004) and “Midnight” (2013) - despite the inaugural “Sunrise” (1995) failing to get nominated. That’s due to the central detective character Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig) returning to the film, although it does not reference its successor, and is a brand-new case to unpack. The most prominent example is Rian Johnson’s whodunit mystery series “Knives Out” (2019), nominated for original, and last year’s hit sequel “Glass Onion” (2022) being recognized for adapted screenplay. I don’t think I wholeheartedly agree with this notion. If the first movie in a franchise is nominated (or campaigned) for best original screenplay, any subsequent films that follow are typically relegated to the adapted category. “Before Midnight” ©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection The “every sequel is adapted” issue.
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