WGA Awards Film Nominations: ‘La La Land’, ‘Fences’ & More

The WGA has unveiled its film nominations for the 2017 WGA Awards, set for February 19 in simultaneous ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles. The lists in three categories — Original, Adapted and Documentary screenplays — includes what has become the usual suspects this awards season like Lionsgate’s La La Land, Amazon/Roadside’s Manchester By The Sea and A24’s Moonlight. That trio is in the mix for Original Screenplay along with Focus’ Loving and CBS Films’ Hell Or High Water.

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There is a twist this year: As Deadline’s Pete Hammond broke earlier, Barry Jenkins’ script for Moonlight and Jeff Nichols’ script for Loving are in the Original category per the WGA, but will be in the Adapted race for the Oscars.

Last year, Spotlight won in the WGA’s original category and The Big Short scored in the adapted field. Both went on to win in the same categories at the Oscars.

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This year’s WGA adapted field includes Fox’s superhero genre-buster Deadpool and Hidden Figures, Paramount’s Arrival and Fences, and Focus’ Nocturnal Animals.

Among the notable screenplays that failed to meet the guild’s eligibility requirements and thus could not be nominated: The Weinstein Company’s Lion, the Saroo Bierley-Luke Davies script which could nab a spot in Adapted at the Oscars, Florence Foster Jenkins, and Disney’s animated hit Zootopia,  both possible for Oscar’s Original Screenplay category.

Here are today’s WGA noms:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Hell or High Water, Written by Taylor Sheridan; CBS Films

La La Land, Written by Damien Chazelle; Lionsgate

Loving, Written by Jeff Nichols; Focus Features

Manchester by the Sea, Written by Kenneth Lonergan; Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions

Moonlight, Written by Barry Jenkins, Story by Tarell McCraney; A24

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Arrival, Screenplay by Eric Heisserer; Based on the Story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang; Paramount Pictures

Deadpool, Written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick; Based on the X-Men Comic Books; Twentieth Century Fox Film

Fences, Screenplay by August Wilson; Based on his Play; Paramount Pictures

Hidden Figures, Screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi; Based on the Book by Margot Lee Shetterly; Twentieth Century Fox Film

Nocturnal Animals, Screenplay by Tom Ford; Based on the Novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright; Focus Features

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Author: The JT LeRoy Story, Written by Jeff Feuerzeig; Amazon Studios

Command and Control, Telescript by Robert Kenner and Eric Schlosser, Story by Brian Pearle and Kim Roberts; Based on the book Command and Control by Eric Schlosser; American Experience Films

Zero Days, Written by Alex Gibney; Magnolia Pictures