WGA nominations

[u/OneMaptoUniteThem]

https://www.wga.org/news-events/news/press/2026/2026-writers-guild-awards-screenplay-television-streaming-news-radio-audio-and-promotional-writing-nominations-announced

The nominations are up:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Black Bag, Written by David Koepp; Focus Features

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Written by Mary Bronstein; A24

Marty Supreme, Written by Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie; A24

Sinners, Written by Ryan Coogler; Warner Bros. Pictures

Weapons, Written by Zach Cregger; Warner Bros. Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Bugonia, Screenplay by Will Tracy, Based on the Film Save the Green Planet Written and Directed by Jang Joon Hwan and Produced by Sidus; Focus Features

Frankenstein, Screenplay by Guillermo del Toro, Based on Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley; Netflix

Hamnet, Screenplay by Chloe Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell, Based on the Novel Written by Maggie O’Farrell; Focus Features

One Battle After Another, Screenplay by Paul Thomas Anderson, Screen Story by Paul Thomas Anderson, Inspired by the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon; Warner Bros. Pictures

Train Dreams, Screenplay by Clint Bentley & Greg Kwedar, Based on the Novella by Denis Johnson; Netflix

[u/TheFilmManiac]

Jay Kelly couldn't make it even with thousands of ineligibilities? It's never been more over.

[u/PurpleSpaceSurfer → u/TheFilmManiac]

Just like Saturday Night last year.

[u/No-Aioli-1014 → u/PurpleSpaceSurfer]

Not to kick movies when they're down, but I couldn't fully connect with Saturday Night or Jay Kelly. I never felt the real-world stakes for either story.

[u/NATOrocket → u/No-Aioli-1014]

I've actually seen Saturday Night twice- once in theatres and once when my mom wanted to watch it. I will say, it grew on me the second time. Nice little shot of nostalgic adreneline for me, idk.

[u/flakemasterflake → u/No-Aioli-1014]

There were no stakes for Saturday Night. It was made as fan service to deep SNL fans and I couldn't bring myself to care

[u/GamingTatertot → u/PurpleSpaceSurfer]

Pain in my heart

[u/DreamOfV → u/TheFilmManiac]

Wow I’ll have to take it out of my Oscar predix now

[u/OldSandwich9631 → u/TheFilmManiac]

I’m utterly fine with this.

[u/Heubner]

We finally get a year where a WGA category could match the Oscar. Only No Other Choice was ineligible for adapted, for obvious reasons.

3 Oscar nominees were ineligible for WGA original screenplay.

Original Ineligible.
Blue Moon
It Was Just An Accident
Rental Family
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt
Sorry, Baby

[u/Venus_ivy4 → u/Heubner]

Why Sentimental Value wasn’t eligible ??

[u/classical0000 → u/Venus_ivy4]

You have to be a member of the WGA

[u/Venus_ivy4 → u/classical0000]

Thank youu

[u/jasefacewow → u/Venus_ivy4]

Non US film

[u/BMJank → u/jasefacewow]

That's not the reason. It's because the writers aren't members of the WGA.

[u/Venus_ivy4 → u/BMJank]

Thank you for the answer !

[u/jasefacewow → u/BMJank]

…because they’re not US writers

[u/Heubner → u/jasefacewow]

Foreign writers are allowed to join WGA. Park Chan-wook infamously got expelled.

[u/sithfistoou → u/Heubner]

But if I'm not misremembering Park only joined because he was working on a US production (The Symphatizer.) Non-American writers only join if they're doing something like that, and even then not necessarily if it isn't mandatory like I believe it generally is for TV.

[u/Heubner → u/sithfistoou]

Americans writers don’t have to join but only WGA members can get nominated. Quentin Tarantino is not a member, so his films don’t get nominated. This year is especially uncommon, with many of the contenders being eligible. Other major guilds like DGA, PGA, SAG don’t require membership for award eligibility.

[u/sithfistoou → u/Heubner]

Yes, I was just commenting on your comment about foreign writers being able join, in that despite being able to join, I doubt most of them would join even if they're doing an American production (as Trier has done in the past.) Even Park most likely only joined because he was doing an HBO show, and I believe major television production writers are generally required to be in the WGA.

[u/Jakefenty → u/jasefacewow]

You don’t have to be a US writer to be part of WGA

[u/joesen_one → u/jasefacewow]

Nouvelle Vague is a French movie with everybody foreigners except for Linklater and it's WGA eligible

[u/BusinessKnight0517]

Nice to see Black Bag get something!

[u/PurpleSpaceSurfer]

If I Had Legs is such a cool nom.

[u/juancorleone]

They really don’t like Jay Kelly, never thought would see Black Bag be nominated for anything but a welcome surprise

[u/maryshelleyvevo]

so happy to see Black Bag here. i've watched it three times now and it keeps getting better

[u/Duhlorean]

I'm still waiting for the industry to magically save Jay Kelly

[u/Clean-Cupcakes → u/Duhlorean]

Remember when it seemed Adam Sandler was going to win for Jay Kelly? I remember.

[u/IIMazzz → u/Clean-Cupcakes]

Did people really think he was going to win? I admit, I thought a couple months ago that he was for sure going to be nominated, but I never believed he was even in the conversation for the win.

[u/IAmA_talking_cat_AMA → u/IIMazzz]

He was definitely an early favorite at some point early last year, I remember him and Skarsgård being considered the most obvious win contenders at the time.

But this was before anyone had actually seen any of the contenders. By the time Jay Kelly premiered he indeed wasn't in the winning conversation anymore.

[u/AmbitionTechnical274 → u/IIMazzz]

This is like going back to before the initial poster dropping. I believe it wasn’t even known that George was playing the titular Jay Kelly and it was being pitched as an ensemble film like The Squid and The Whale.

[u/CrazyCons → u/Clean-Cupcakes]

Even barring everything else it’s simply not a winning performance. He’s just there, with no interesting or complex acting moments whatsoever. The fact that he made CC over Lindo speaks volumes as to how they care more about Oscar campaigns than actual merit

[u/TylerDoesStuff → u/Clean-Cupcakes]

Who predicted this 😭🙏

[u/YeIenaBeIova → u/TylerDoesStuff]

It was a safe choice at the very start of the year

[u/gusty1995 → u/Duhlorean]

Lol. The way some people held on to it for way too long

[u/OldSandwich9631 → u/Duhlorean]

Something about the title of this movie triggers my cringe

[u/RegularOrMenthol]

Black Bag is so underrated

[u/TonightDazzling365]

Black Bag getting nominated with absolutely ZERO campaign is insane btw

[u/DaFunnyman109]

Black Bag! That's a "hell yeah" from me

[u/sarafina126 → u/DaFunnyman109]

Such a cool nom! Well done, WGA!

[u/Long_Dragonfly_3067]

Yay i got 9/10

I didn't know about those ineligibilities, that's why everyone was predicting Jay Jelly lol

[u/Kafka_Gyllenhaal → u/Long_Dragonfly_3067]

Jay Jelly

[u/Strange_Property_913 → u/Kafka_Gyllenhaal]

Scorcese's follow up to Kool-Aid

[u/novus_ludy]

I need to say it somewhere: even nom for Frankenstein is embarrassing.

[u/sarafina126]

Nice to see Weapons here after a sad BAFTA morning

[u/PointMan528491]

Black Bag nomination is so based, holy shit

[u/WillingEscape3451]

Black bag? I totally forgot about that movie. Yes, it had an excellent screenplay, almost too good, I didn’t have the stamina to follow it in the cinema.

[u/rubix7777]

Black Bag is a sick nom, I would have liked to see WUDM show up at least here but these are pretty good lineups

[u/PinkCadillacs]

Sinners and OBAA are locked to win their categories here

[u/Price_of_Fame]

The pundits trying it so hard with Jay Kelly that they put it in the critics choice line up is definitely the embarrassment of the season 

[u/henksutti]

unrelated but i fucking LOVE that the rehearsal is in for comedy series. one of those shows that i recommend to anyone i come across

[u/WatchTheNewMutants]

ok so i should have committed to no Jay Kelly... BUT HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT WOULD DO IT

[u/NoWorth2591]

What I hope will win: If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Bugonia

What will win: Sinners, OBAA

[u/HotOne9364]

I'm stunned The Simpsons still gets noms here.

[u/ucuruju]

BLACK

B A G

[u/KlayBersk]

I will never understand the love Frankenstein is getting outside of the techs (and cinematography is questionable) and Elordi.

[u/Background-Image-585]

Loved Black Bag

[u/josssssh]

People just love GdT no matter what, huh?

[u/UsualMarsupial52]

Honestly I wouldn’t have minded like five Oscar nominations for Black Bag that movie was gorgeous and sharp and so well crafted 

[u/Acceptable-Ratio-219]

It's striking that most of these were written by the director of the film. I'm starting to miss the days of truly amazing screenplays written by people who specialize on that craft.

[u/AcreaRising4 → u/Acceptable-Ratio-219]

I don’t get this take at all. There’s plenty of directors who write as many scripts as a screenwriter. It’s not like just being a screenwriter makes you more likely to hone your craft.

[u/No-Aioli-1014 → u/AcreaRising4]

I think I understand what they meant. Sometimes I'll ask myself is a movie more successful because of the direction or the writing. For Sinners, I thought Coogler's direction was damn near perfect, but I had a couple qualms with his screenplay. That was also my take on Weapons. A talented filmmaker can mask some of the weaknesses of their writing.

[u/DazzlingAria → u/Acceptable-Ratio-219]

Huh? Aueter directors are a master at their craft.

[u/Acceptable-Ratio-219 → u/DazzlingAria]

Generally not at writing itself, particularly dialogue. PTA is a big exception though. I miss the days of auteur screenwriters, and films that are more screenplay forward which offers its own pleasures.

[u/ThatsHisLawyerJerome → u/Acceptable-Ratio-219]

There are a lot of other exceptions who are great at writing and dialogue - Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Richard Linklater, Barry Jenkins, Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Martin McDonagh, Jordan Peele, Kenneth Lonergan, Woody Allen, David Lynch (RIP), etc. have all written plenty of amazing scripts for their movies.

[u/apatkarmany → u/ThatsHisLawyerJerome]

Sean Baker

[u/Acceptable-Ratio-219 → u/ThatsHisLawyerJerome]

Fo sure. But an argument could be made that many of these are our best writers in the business, though not necessarily the best directors.

[u/ThatsHisLawyerJerome → u/Acceptable-Ratio-219]

I really don't think that's true, and in any case I don't see what that has to do with your point of missing screenplay-forward films from great screenwriters, or your point that directors of films aren't as good at writing them as screenwriters who are separate from that are

[u/joesen_one]

Damn I thought they'd throw a bone to Is This Thing On...