In an interesting turn of events, the hit comic book adaptation “Guardians of the Galaxy” & writers James Gunn and Nicole Perlman have been nominated for the Writers Guild of America award for Best Adapted Screenplay, alongside Jason Hall for “American Sniper”, Gillian Flynn for “Gone Girl”, Graham Moore for “The Imitation Game”, and Nick Hornby for “Wild”.
Though technically not the first comic book adaptation, with “The Dark Knight” and “A History Of Violence” having come before it, “Guardians of the Galaxy” is certainly a different entity given its much more light-hearted and comedic tone compared to the other two darkly dramatic films. The only other similar film to be nominated in years past is the sci-fi adventure “Star Trek” in 2010, which did not originate as a comic book. Also worth noting is that the other two comic book adaptations are DC properties, while this is the first such nomination for a Marvel property. Though the film actually a Disney property, which I still believe is a first.
The full list of nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay:
- American Sniper – Written by Jason Hall; Based on the book by Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice; Warner Bros.
- Gone Girl – Screenplay by Gillian Flynn; Based on her novel; 20th Century Fox
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman; Based on the Marvel comic by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- The Imitation Game – Written by Graham Moore; Based on the book Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges; The Weinstein Company
- Wild – Screenplay by Nick Hornby; Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed; Fox Searchlight
To be nominated beside some of last year’s best films like “Gone Girl” and “Wild” is truly a testament to the power of the film’s script, regardless of whether it wins. If it were to do so it would definitely be a first, as neither previous comic book screenplay nor “Star Trek” won. Nor has any of the few sci-fi/fantasy films nominated in years past. Having only seen two of the five nominees (“Guardians” and “Gone Girl”) I hesitate to guess who would win, but my gut keeps telling me “Gone Girl” due to it’s “break your bones softly” brand of storytelling.
It’s also worth noting the WGA’s nominees for Best Original Screenplay:
- Boyhood – Written by Richard Linklater; IFC Films
- Foxcatcher – Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman; Sony Pictures Classics
- The Grand Budapest Hotel – Screenplay by Wes Anderson; Story by Wes Anderson & Hugo Guinness; Fox Searchlight
- Nightcrawler – Written by Dan Gilroy; Open Road Films
- Whiplash – Written by Damien Chazelle; Sony Pictures Classics
Again I’ve only seen “Nightcrawler” as far as these nominees are concerned and would be thrilled if it were to win, as it was a fantastic film. Though it faces some stiff competition itself, so we’ll all just have to wait and see when the awards are handed out February 14th.
Naturally the Hollywood Reporter has more on the nominations, such as how they’re chosen and its relation to the Academy Awards, so be sure to pay them a visit at www.HollywoodReporter.com
