With 'The Favourite' out of the running, the WGA was able to make some surprise screenplay nominations.
The Writers Guild of America has announced their 2019 nominees, further muddling the tea leaves of this year's Oscar fortunes. (As if Sunday's Golden Globes hadn't done that enough.) While A Star Is Born and the Globes' Best Screenplay winner, Green Book, both made the list, there were a number of notable omissions.
Which aren't snubs, exactly. British screenplays such as The Favourite (which should be a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination), indies Sorry to Bother You and Hereditary, and animated films like Isle of Dogs and Incredibles 2 had all previously been deemed ineligible, due to WGA guidelines. First Reformed, the National Board of Review's Best Screenplay winner, however, was eligible, yet ultimately missed out.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Eighth Grade, Written by Bo Burnham
Green Book, Written by Nick Vallelonga & Brian Currie & Peter Farrelly
A Quiet Place, Screenplay by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck and John Krasinski, Story by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck
Roma, Written by Alfonso Cuarón
Vice, Written by Adam McKay
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BlacKkKlansman, Written by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee (Based on the book by Ron Stallworth)
Black Panther, Written by Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole (Based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Screenplay by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty (Based on the book by Lee Israel)
If Beale Street Could Talk, Screenplay by Barry Jenkins (Based on the novel by James Baldwin)
A Star Is Born, Screenplay by Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters (Based on the 1954 screenplay by Moss Hart and the 1976 screenplay by John Gregory Dunne & Joan Didion and Frank Pierson)
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Bathtubs Over Broadway, Written by Ozzy Inguanzo & Dava Whisenant
Fahrenheit 11/9, Written by Michael Moore
Generation Wealth, Written by Lauren Greenfield
In Search of Greatness, Written by Gabe Polsky
So, what does this tell us about the Oscars? Last year's WGA winners for Original Screenplay (Get Out) and Adapted Screenplay (Call Me by Your Name) both went on to win the Oscar, but this year's race should prove less certain. And while smaller films like Eighth Grade and A Quiet Place got a nice (and well deserved) bump with this nod, it's still TBD whether they'll make the Academy's list.
The WGA will announce the winners on Feb. 17 during dual ceremonies at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles and the Edison Ballroom in New York.
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