You know the love for “Green Book” is strong if it earns a nod from the Writer’s Branch, but we still expect Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara’s witty script for “The Favourite” to prevail. If “Green Book” does win this category it does not bode well for “Roma’s” hopes in taking Best Picture. [Updated Feb. 12]

Likely Frontrunners
1.  “The Favourite” – Written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
2.  

Continue reading 2019 Best Original Screenplay Oscars Predictions at The Playlist.

 [Updated Feb. 4]

Winner Prediction:
1. Jordan Peele, “Get Out”
2. Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird”
3. Martin McDonagh, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
4. Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor, “The Shape of Water”
5. Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjani, “The Big Sick”

Current predictions:

Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Director
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography
Production Design
Original Score
Best Song
Costumes
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing
Documentary
Foreign Language Film
Animated Feature Film
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects

Continue reading 2018 Best Original Screenplay Oscars Predictions at The Playlist.

When I walked into Taylor Sheridan‘s hotel room to record this podcast I felt like I’d interrupted something important. There were different shirts lined across the bed and a rack of other options and jackets on hangers that had been rolled into the room. As his fashion stylist and her two assistants hurriedly made their way out they jumped on the phone to request one change or another. This is all because their client is a top nominee at three awards shows over the next 10 days, the WGA Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards and, the most important of all, the Academy Awards.

Continue reading 4 Quadrant Podcast: ‘Hell Or High Water’s’ Taylor Sheridan On Oscars And ‘Wind River’ at The Playlist.

The Writers Guild of America announced their nominees for the 2017 WGA Awards this morning, and there were some interesting selections, to say the least.

The industry clearly adores “La La Land” as Damien Chazelle‘s screenplay, arguably the weakest aspect of the film, made it into the Original category over Mike Mills‘ “20th Century Women,” Noah Oppenheim‘s “Jackie” and Matt Ross‘ “Captain Fantastic.” The other nominees in this category include Taylor Sheridan‘s “Hell or High Water,” Kenneth Lonergan‘s “Manchester By The Sea,” Barry Jenkins‘ “Moonlight” and Jeff Nichols‘ “Loving.” These five will not repeat in the Academy Award nominations announced later this month as both “Moonlight” and “Loving” have been deemed adapted screenplays by the Academy’s writers branch.

Continue reading ‘La La Land’ and ‘Deadpool’ Earn Somewhat Surprising WGA Awards Nominations at The Playlist.

It’s been quite a monumental week for this particular awards season. We’ve had monumental upset nominations at the SAG Awards and somewhat surprising disqualifications in the Original Score race. And now the Academy’s screenplay races have officially flipped.

As first reported by Pete Hammond at Deadline and confirmed by The Playlist, the Writer’s Branch has determined that the screenplays for “Moonlight” and “Loving” should qualify for Adapted Screenplay and not Original Screenplay.

Continue reading Another Day, Another Oscar Surprise As ‘Moonlight’ And ‘Loving’ Deemed Adapted Screenplays at The Playlist.

Noah Oppenheim has waited a long time for this moment. Today, his first spec script, “Jackie,” is finally hitting theaters. As you’ll soon learn, there were moments when Oppenheim thought it might never happen.

The acclaimed drama went down a long development road when he first sent it out for consideration five years ago. Darren Aronofsky was going going to direct it at one point, but after deciding against it, he never stopped looking for the right person to do it.

Continue reading Noah Oppenheim On ‘Bizarre’ Back And Forth Of Making ‘Jackie’ And Covering The Election at The Playlist.

Prediction based on nominations [Feb. 5]

TOP FIVE
1. Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”
2. Taylor Sheridan, “Hell or High Water”
3. Efthymis Filippou, Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Lobster”
4. Mike Mills, “20th Century Women”
5. Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”

PREVIOUS CONTENDERS (for historical context)
Anthony Bagarozzi, Shane Black, “The Nice Guys”
Kelly Fremon Craig, “Edge of Seventeen”
Jim Jarmusch, “Patterson”
Nicholas Martin, “Florence Foster Jenkins”
Noah Oppenheim, “Jackie”
Matt Ross, “Captain Fantastic”
Maren Ade, “Toni Erdmann”
Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Phil Johnson, Jennifer Lee, Rich Moore, Jim Reardon, Josie Trinidad, “Zootopia”
John Carney, “Sing Street”
Jean McGianni Celestin, Nate Parker, “The Birth of a Nation”
Chad Hartigan, “Morris From America”
Kyle Hunter, Arien Shaffir, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, “Sausage Party”
Steven Knight, “Allied”
Richard Linklater, “Everybody Wants Some!”
Jon Spaihts, “Passengers”

Gregory Ellwood’s Current Oscar Predictions:
Best Picture
Director
Best Actress
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay
Editing
Cinematography 
Production Design
Animated Feature Film
Foreign Language Film
Documentary Feature
Original Score
Original Song
Costume Design
Makeup and Hairstyling
Visual Effects
Sound Mixing
Sound Editing

Continue reading 2017 Best Original Screenplay Oscar Predictions at The Playlist.