WGA Nominations

LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK — The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen during the past year. Winners will be honored at the 2010 Writers Guild Awards held on Saturday, February 20, 2010, at simultaneous ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.

Between this and the PGA nom., its looking more likely  that STAR TREK will be among the 10 Best Picture Oscar  nominees. However, more bad news for INVICTUS and NINE as they were both left off today’s list. Ineligible for WGA nods are INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, UP,  AN EDUCATION, and A SINGLE MAN due to not meeting the requirements set by Minimum Basic Agreement of the WGA.

Best Original Screenplay:

“(500) DAYS OF SUMMER” — Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber

“AVATAR” — James Cameron

“THE HANGOVER” — Jon Lucas & Scott Moore

“THE HURT LOCKER” — Mark Boal

“A SERIOUS MAN” — Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Oscar-Expert Tom O’Neil over at the Gold Derby writes that, “…over the last 13 years, eight WGA-winning original scripts went on to prevail at the Oscars: “Fargo,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “American Beauty,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “Crash” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Juno” and last year’s champ, “Milk.”

Best Adapted Screenplay:

“CRAZY HEART” — screenplay by Scott Cooper, based on the novel by Thomas Cobb

“JULIE & JULIA” — screenplay by Nora Ephron; based on the books “Julie & Julia” by Julie Powell and “My Life in France” by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme

“PRECIOUS” — screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher; based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire

“STAR TREK” — screenplay by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman; based on “Star Trek,” created by Gene Roddenberry

“UP  IN  THE AIR” — screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner; based on the novel by Walter Kirn

Of this category O’Neil says, “…over the last 13 years, the adapted-screenplay WGA winner went on to claim an Oscar nine times: “Sling Blade,” “L.A. Confidential,” “Traffic,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “Sideways,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “The Departed,” “No Country for Old Men” and last year’s champ, “Slumdog Millionaire.”