LOS ANGELES – Writer and director Judd Apatow has expressed his disagreement with the decision made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences regarding the classification of Greta Gerwig’s film “Barbie” as an adapted screenplay rather than an original work. Apatow took to Twitter on Saturday to voice his concerns, stating that it is insulting to the writers to suggest that they were working off of existing material. He argued that there was no pre-existing material or story for the film, emphasizing that the concept was starting from scratch.
According to an exclusive report by Variety, “Barbie” will compete for the Best Adapted Screenplay category at the Oscars, despite its initial campaign for the Best Original Screenplay category. The decision to classify the film as adapted screenplay was likely influenced by the fact that Barbie and Ken are pre-existing characters from Mattel. However, the Writers Guild of America has designated “Barbie” as an original work, and it will remain in that category for the upcoming WGA Awards.
Greta Gerwig, who made history as the first woman to direct a billion-dollar movie, has previously been nominated for three Oscars in her career. She received nods for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director for “Lady Bird” in 2016, and a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for “Little Women” in 2019.
The official voting for the Oscar nominations will occur on January 11th, and eligible members of the Academy’s Writers Branch will only be able to cast votes for the “Barbie” screenplay in the adapted screenplay category. This decision will have significant implications for the film’s chances of receiving an Oscar nomination in the respective category.
In conclusion, writer and director Judd Apatow has criticized the Academy’s decision to classify Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” as an adapted screenplay instead of an original work. Apatow argues that the film’s concept was not based on pre-existing material. The discrepancy between the Academy’s decision and the Writers Guild of America’s designation of “Barbie” as an original work will have important implications for the film’s awards season journey. The official Oscar nominations will be announced in the coming weeks.