Barbie Screenplay At 2024 Academy Awards Reactions

So, what’s the big deal about this Academy Award category? Variety initially reported Barbie was campaigning for Best Original Screenplay since the film was designated an original by the Writers Guild of America.

According to the WGA, an adapted screenplay is “assigned material written outside of the Guild’s jurisdiction including, but not limited to, previously published material ( e.g., a novel, comic book, graphic novel, play, or article) or literary material not covered by the MBA. Sequels and Remakes are also considered nonoriginal screenplays.”

An original screenplay is “not based on assigned material.”

*One caveat is if the “appointed material is non-fiction and does not contain a narrative or is used as research material for the project (i.e., the screenplay is not an adaptation of the underlying material), the rules for Original Screenplays will apply.”