Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction” won outstanding film adaptations at the 36th annual USC Libraries Script Awards on Saturday, while Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses” won in the episodic series category for the second year in a row.
“American Fiction,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Oppenheimer,” “Origin” and “Poor Things” comprised the film nominees, while “The Crown,” “Daisy Jones and the Six,” “The Last of Us,” “Slow Horses” and “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” received TV nominations.
Considered an indicator for the best adapted screenplay category at the Oscars, past Scripter winners that have gone on to win at the Academy Awards include “12 Years a Slave” (2013), “The Imitation Game” (2014), “The Big Short” (2015), “Moonlight” (2016), “Call Me by Your Name” (2017), “Nomadland” (2020) and “Women Talking” (2022). Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” (2019) is the only film to win the Oscar for adapted screenplay without also receiving a Scipter nomination.
“American Fiction,” “Oppenheimer” and “Poor Things” all received Oscar nods in the adapted screenplay category, along with “Barbie” and “The Zone of Interest.” However, the “Barbie” awards team confirmed to Variety that the film was not submitted for consideration at the Scripters. It is unclear whether the film was eligible for submission, as it was not based on a book or printed material. Instead, it is credited as “based on ‘Barbie’ by Mattel” — a toy company. In addition to “The Zone of Interest,” other notable snubs include “All of Us Strangers” and “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.”
The Scripter finalists were selected from a field of 80 films and 56 episodic series.
