Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster comedy, Barbie, is set to compete in the adapted screenplay category at the upcoming Oscars, despite an initial campaign for consideration in the original screenplay category. Variety has exclusively learned that the Writers Branch executive committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has classified Barbie as an adapted screenplay.
Initially, it was widely assumed that Barbie would be campaigned for the best original screenplay category, as reported by Variety earlier. The decision to reclassify the screenplay has raised eyebrows, especially considering that the Writers Guild of America designated the film as an original work. This classification will be held for the upcoming WGA Awards, but the Academy’s Writers Branch has the autonomy to make its own eligibility determinations.
The Academy’s decision to categorise Barbie as an adapted screenplay recalls similar instances in the past where films campaigned as original by the WGA were reclassified by the Academy committee. Notable examples include Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016) and Stephen Gaghan’s Syriana (2005).
In the case of Barbie, the move to adapted screenplay is likely due to the film’s characters, Barbie and Ken, originating from Mattel dolls long before their adaptation to the big screen. This aligns with the Oscars’ tendency to classify films featuring pre-existing characters as adapted screenplays, as seen with past nominees like Borat 2, Toy Story 3, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight.
The film, directed and written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. The storyline follows Barbie’s journey through an identity crisis in Barbie World, prompting her and Ken to venture into the real world in search of answers regarding her existence.
As the Oscar nomination voting officially opens on Thursday, January 11, members of the Writers’ Branch will only be able to cast their votes for Barbie in the adapted screenplay category. The film is expected to face tough competition in this category, contending against other notable scripts like Poor Things by Tony McNamara, Killers of the Flower Moon by Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese and the Christopher Nolan-helmed Oppenheimer.
Now that Barbie is not competing in the original screenplay category, it’s a chance for other movies to become the top contenders. Films like Celine Song’s Past Lives and Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers might be the ones to compete for the lead, while Todd Haynes’ May December and Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall have been doing well in the preliminary awards.
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