Oscars Predictions: Best Original Screenplay — ‘Barbie’ Categorization Could Determine Whether Greta Gerwig Wins
25.08.2023 - 01:59
/ variety.com
Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events.
Predictions are updated every Thursday. Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below: OSCARS | EMMYS | GRAMMYS | TONYS Weekly Commentary (Updated Aug. 24, 2023): “Barbie” is the highest-grossing film of the year (so far) and Warner Bros.
has a viable awards player across the board. One lingering question remains: Which screenplay category it is designated to compete in? On the title cards, it reads “Based on ‘Barbie’ by Mattel,” which is a toy company. At the same time, multiple CGI films and TV series have featured the fashion doll since its debut in the late 1980s (42 to be precise).
This would point to an “adapted” run. However, take the case of Pixar’s inaugural feature “Toy Story” (1995), which picked up an original screenplay nom (Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow, John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Joe Ranft). In that case, it offers a pathway for original.
The CGI classic features characters such as Mr. Potato Head, a Hasbro product, and other toys such as Etch A Sketch, Magic 8 Ball and even parts of Barbie herself. Part of the Mutant Toys, which are creations of Andy’s sadistic kid neighbor Sid, he has one called
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