Writers Guild Awards Screen Nominations For 2008 Announced

The Writers Guild of America has announced nominations for Outstanding Achievement In Writing For The Screen (the Writers Guild Awards Screen Nominations) during the 2007 season to be honored at the 2008 Writers Guild Awards held on February 9, 2008, in Los Angeles and New York (assuming the writer’s strike by, ironically, the Writers Guild of America doesn’t make them call it off?).Surprises were kept to a minimum as the WGA nominations largely mirrored other awards that have already been given out or have already made nominations. In fact, four out of the five Directors Guild of America feature film nominees – Joel and Ethan Coen, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sean Penn and Tony Gilroy – were also nominated Thursday for the Writers Guild of America award for their screenplays.

Writers Guild Awards Screen Nominations

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

JUNO, Written by Diablo Cody, Fox Searchlight

MICHAEL CLAYTON, Written by Tony Gilroy, Warner Bros. Pictures

THE SAVAGES, Written by Tamara Jenkins, Fox Searchlight

KNOCKED UP, Written by Judd Apatow, Universal Pictures

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, Written by Nancy Oliver, MGM

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, Screenplay by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, Based on the Novel by Cormac McCarthy, Miramax

THERE WILL BE BLOOD, Screenplay by Paul Thomas Anderson, Based on the Novel Oil by Upton Sinclair, Paramount Vantage

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY, Screenplay by Ronald Harwood, Based on the Book by Jean-Dominique Bauby, Miramax

INTO THE WILD, Screenplay by Sean Penn, Based on the Book by Jon Krakauer, Paramount Vantage

ZODIAC, Screenplay by James Vanderbilt, Based on the Book by Robert Graysmith, Paramount Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

THE CAMDEN 28, Written by Anthony Giacchino, First Run Features

NANKING, Screenplay by Bill Guttentag & Dan Sturman & Elisabeth Bentley, Story by Bill Guttentag & Dan Sturman, THINKFilm

NO END IN SIGHT, Written by Charles Ferguson, Magnolia Pictures

THE RAPE OF EUROPA, Written by Richard Berge, Nicole Newnham and Bonni Cohen, Menemsha Films

SICKO, Written by Michael Moore, Lionsgate/The Weinstein Company

TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, Written by Alex Gibney, THINKFilm

The most interesting aspect of the nominations was the clear separation of genres within each category. In the Original Screenplay category, four of the five nominees are comedies or dramedies. In the Adapted Screenplay category, however, all five nominees are very much in the dramatic genre and are all based on successful books.

The Documentary Screenplay category is full of the usual murder and mayhem type documentaries with some political bashing and the obligatory Michael Moore movie thrown in for good luck.

The Writers Guild Awards are set for Feb. 9 at simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.