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What precisely is an tailored screenplay? Is it primarily based on a e book? An expertise? What about an eponymous doll with a penchant for pink?
These are the massive questions the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences has sparked because the “Barbie” film angles for awards season.
The blockbuster movie, which broke records upon its debut final summer season, had been campaigning for the most effective unique screenplay class on the upcoming Oscars, according to Variety. However forward of Oscar voting, which begins Jan. 11, the writers department of AMPAS dominated that the movie is definitely eligible for greatest tailored screenplay beneath the group’s tips as a result of as a result of it’s primarily based on current characters and credit Mattel in its billing.
Right here’s what an tailored screenplay is, and why this distinction could possibly be vital.
There are two Academy Awards classes for screenwriting: Finest Tailored Screenplay and Finest Authentic Screenplay. The latter is for purely new works created by the writers, primarily based on no supply materials aside from their creativeness.
The previous, the tailored screenplay, is completely different. This class is for films based on some sort of preexisting work – whether or not that be a play, a e book, or even a sequel (for instance, “Toy Story 3,” which was nominated within the class in 2011).
That doesn’t imply tailored screenplays are higher or worse than unique screenplays. A few of your favourite Oscar nominees probably fall into the class: “Top Gun: Maverick” (a sequel), “12 Years a Slave” (primarily based on a memoir) and “Joker” (primarily based on the character and comedian e book franchise) are all thought of tailored by the Academy’s requirements.
Even the “Transformers” films – which have been nominated for a few Oscars – could be thought of tailored, as they’re primarily based on a toy line and are largely composed of sequels.
“Barbie” is trickier. Whereas AMPAS considers the film an tailored screenplay, the Writers Guild of America feels otherwise. “Barbie” will compete within the WGA Awards as an unique screenplay.
AMPAS and the WGA normally align on what screenplays are tailored and what are unique, however every now and then they differ, with AMPAS tending to be extra conservative. Living proof: The group famously labeled the 2016 film “Moonlight” an tailored screenplay as a result of it was primarily based on a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney referred to as “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue” that was by no means really produced for the stage. “Moonlight” did go on to win within the class, and was thought of to be an unique screenplay by the WGA.
That is the place issues get attention-grabbing. By way of awards, profitable for tailored isn’t very completely different from profitable for unique – an Oscar trophy is an Oscar trophy, in spite of everything.
However some classes could possibly be more durable to win in than others. If “Barbie” is nominated for greatest tailored screenplay, writers Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach will probably face, in response to Selection, “Killers of the Flower Moon” by Eric Roth and Martin Scorcese (primarily based on a e book by David Grann) and “Oppenheimer” by Christopher Nolan (primarily based on an autobiography of Oppenheimer referred to as “American Prometheus”).
In the meantime, the unique screenplay class this 12 months will probably function movies like “Previous Lives,” written by Celine Tune, and “The Holdovers,” written by David Hemingson.
None of this modifications the very fact “Barbie” will probably be a talker on the 2024 Academy Awards, whether or not the doll will get a statuette or not.
Nominations for the 96th Academy Awards will probably be introduced on January 23. The ceremony will happen on March tenth.