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 chosen as finalists for the USC Libraries Scripter Awards, the USC Libraries announced on Wednesday.
The Scripters have been given out since 1988 and are awarded to the writers of adapted screenplays and the authors of the works that were adapted. The unusual decision to reward original authors means that “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 alongside author 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 Scripters television category, the finalists are “Baby Reindeer” (Richard Gadd), “Ripley” (Steven Zaillian and the late novelist Patricia Highsmith), “Say Nothing” (Joshua Zetumer and nonfiction author Patrick Radden Keefe), “Shōgun” (Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks and the late novelist James Clavell) and “Slow Horses” (Will Smith and novelist Mick Herron).
Gadd is the only finalist in either category who is nominated for adapting his own work. “Slow Horses” will be looking for its third straight win in the episodic series category, where no other program has been nominated more than once.
Over the past 15 years, about 70% of Scripter finalists have gone on to receive Oscar nominations in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. In the 36 years of the Scripters’ existence, the two groups have matched exactly only once, in 2016.
This year’s Scripter finalists are all considered strong candidates for the adapted-screenplay Oscar, alongside other films that include “Emilia Pérez,” “Dune: Part Two,” “I’m Still Here” and “Wicked.”
Scripter finalists were chosen by a selection committee chaired by screenwriter and USC professor Howard Rodman and made up of screenwriters, authors, entertainment industry executives and USC faculty. The committee made its selections from among 42 films and 66 episodic series.
Winners will be announced at a ceremony on the USC campus on Saturday, Feb. 22, which will be a very busy day for awards: The Film Independent Spirit Awards, Cinema Audio Society Awards and 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 novelist Peter Brown
Episodic series finalists:
“Baby Reindeer” – 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 book “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