The screenplays for “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Nickel Boys,” “Sing Sing” and “The Wild Robot” and the original works on which they were based have been selected as finalists for the USC Libraries Scripter Awards , USC Libraries announced Wednesday .
Awarded since 1988, the Screenwriters Awards are awarded to the writers of adapted screenplays and the writers of adapted works. The unusual decision to reward original writers means “A Complete Unknown” writers James Mangold and Jay Cocks share their nomination with Elijah Wald, who wrote the book “Dylan Goes Electric!”; “Conclave” screenwriter Peter Straughan is joined as a nominee by novelist Robert Harris; “Nickel Boys” writers RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes are nominated along with writer Colson Whitehead; “Sing Sing” writers Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin and John “Divine G” Whitfield are nominated with Esquire magazine journalist John H. Richardson; and “The Wild Robot” writer Chris Sanders shares his nomination with novelist Peter Brown.
In the TV Scripters category, the finalists are “Baby Reindeer” (Richard Gadd), “Ripley” (Steven Zaillian and the late novelist Patricia Highsmith), “Say Nothing” (Joshua Zetumer and nonfiction writer Patrick Radden Keefe), “Shōgun” (Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks and the late novelist James Clavell) and “Slow Horses” (Will Smith and author Mick Herron).
Gadd is the only finalist in either category to be nominated for having adapted his own work. “Slow Horses” will be looking for its third straight win in the episodic series category, where no other show has been nominated more than once.
Over the past 15 years, approximately 70% of screenplay finalists have received Academy Award nominations in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. In 36 years of the Scripters’ existence, the two groups have only matched exactly once, in 2016.
This year’s scripter finalists are all considered strong contenders for the adapted screenplay Oscar, along with other films that include “Emilia Pérez,” “Dune: Part Two,” “I’m Still Here” and “Wicked.”
The screenwriter finalists were selected by a selection committee chaired by screenwriter and USC professor Howard Rodman and comprised of screenwriters, writers, entertainment industry executives and USC faculty. The committee made its selections among 42 films and 66 episodic series.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony on the USC campus on Saturday, February 22, in what will be a very busy day for awards: the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the Cinema Audio Society Awards and the NAACP Image Awards are also scheduled to take place that day.
Film Finalists:
“A Complete Unknown” – screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks, based on the nonfiction book “Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties” by Elijah Wald
“Conclave” – screenplay by Peter Straughan, based on the novel by Robert Harris
“Nickel Boys” – screenplay by RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, based on the book “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead
“Sing Sing” – screenplay and story by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, story by Clarence Maclin and John “Divine G” Whitfield, based on the Esquire magazine article “The Sing Sing Follies” by John H. Richardson
“The Wild Robot” – screenplay by Chris Sanders, based on “The Wild Robot” by author Peter Brown
Episode Series Finalists:
“Baby clean” – written by Richard Gadd, based on his stage play of the same name
“Ripley,” episode “V Lucio”, written by Steven Zaillian, based on “The Talented Mr. Ripley” by Patricia Highsmith
“Say Nothing” episode “The People in the Dirt” – written by Joshua Zetumer, based on the nonfiction “Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland” by Patrick Radden Keefe
“Shōgun,” episode “Anjin” – written by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, based on the novel by James Clavell
“Slow Horses,” episode “Hello Goodbye” – written by Will Smith, based on the novel “Spook Street” by Mick Herron
