USC Scripter Awards Nominations: ‘Peter Hujar’s Day’ Surprises Alongside ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Hamnet’ and More
The USC Libraries have announced the finalists for the 38th annual Scripter Awards, which recognize excellence in adapting literature for film and television from the year 2025.
Among the film finalists are several Oscar hopefuls, each based on acclaimed literary works:
Ira Sachs’ period drama “Peter Hujar’s Day,” which explores the life of famed New York photographer Peter Hujar and his friend Linda in 1974, is the biggest surprise on the list. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, after which it was acquired by Janus Films and Sideshow.
Sachs, a mainstay of independent American cinema for more than 25 years, has never been nominated for an Oscar despite acclaimed works such as “Keep the Lights On” (2012), “Love Is Strange” (2014) and “Passages” (2023). Could this nomination provide the momentum he needs for his first major career recognition?
The Scripter Awards’ strict eligibility requirements and highbrow tastes excluded several high-profile contenders.
Jon M. Chu’s musical “Wicked: For Good” by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox failed to receive a nom, continuing the awards’ long-standing trend of overlooking musicals. Past musical adaptations — including best picture winner “Chicago” (2002) and nominee “Les Misérables” (2012) — were also shut out their respective years.
Non-English-language films are also ineligible, which disqualified Neon’s “No Other Choice” by Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi and Jahyee Lee from the lineup, considered to be a viable entry for the adapted screenplay Oscar nom.
Additionally, films not based on books are excluded. That ruled out Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia” by Will Tracy (an English-language remake of a Japanese film), as well as sequels to original films like Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” and James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Adaptations of documentaries are deemed ineligible, such as Craig Brewer’s “Song Sung Blue” and Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine.”
Nonetheless, there were also notable snubs. James Vanderbilt’s “Nuremberg,” based on Jack El-Hai’s 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, and Nia DaCosta’s “Hedda,” a reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, were left off the list — misses that could impact their awards campaigns.
In addition to the film selections, five episodic series were also recognized:
Founded in 1988, the USC Scripter Awards honor both authors and screenwriters and have become a strong bellwether for the Oscar for best adapted screenplay. For nearly four decades, the Scripters have increasingly aligned with the Academy’s choices, particularly since the best picture expansion in 2009.
Since that shift, only two Scripter-winning (and Scripter-eligible) have lost the Academy Award: “Up in the Air” (2009), which lost to “Precious,” and “Little Women” (2019), which lost to “Jojo Rabbit.” Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” (2018) is the only Oscar winner in that span that failed to earn a Scripter nomination (that was eligible). That year also marked the Scripters’ weakest Oscar overlap — only one of their five nominees, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, earned an Oscar nod. It lost the Scripter to Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace,” which was not nominated for an Oscar.
More recently, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter” (2021) won the Scripter but lost the Oscar to “CODA,” which was ineligible for the Scripter. The last time both winners were eligible but diverged was in 2005, when “Capote” won the Scripter and “Brokeback Mountain” took home the Oscar.
The selection committee reviewed 43 film and 64 television adaptations.
Mystery author Michael Connelly will receive the USC Libraries Literary Achievement Award at the ceremony. His 41 novels, featuring Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller, have inspired multiple screen adaptations, including Amazon Prime Video’s “Bosch” franchise and Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer.”
Howard Rodman, a USC professor and former president of the Writers Guild of America, West, chairs the selection committee. Judges include film critics Leonard Maltin and Justin Chang; authors Janet Fitch and Jonathan Lethem; and screenwriters Eric Roth and Tyger Williams.
This year’s eligibility guidelines emphasize adaptations from books, novellas, short stories, graphic novels, plays and magazine articles. Video games and characters from previously published works are no longer eligible.
Winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony on Jan. 24 at USC’s Town and Gown ballroom. Proceeds from the Scripter Awards gala support USC Libraries services, collections and programs.
Among the film finalists are several Oscar hopefuls, each based on acclaimed literary works:
Ira Sachs’ period drama “Peter Hujar’s Day,” which explores the life of famed New York photographer Peter Hujar and his friend Linda in 1974, is the biggest surprise on the list. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, after which it was acquired by Janus Films and Sideshow.
Sachs, a mainstay of independent American cinema for more than 25 years, has never been nominated for an Oscar despite acclaimed works such as “Keep the Lights On” (2012), “Love Is Strange” (2014) and “Passages” (2023). Could this nomination provide the momentum he needs for his first major career recognition?
The Scripter Awards’ strict eligibility requirements and highbrow tastes excluded several high-profile contenders.
Jon M. Chu’s musical “Wicked: For Good” by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox failed to receive a nom, continuing the awards’ long-standing trend of overlooking musicals. Past musical adaptations — including best picture winner “Chicago” (2002) and nominee “Les Misérables” (2012) — were also shut out their respective years.
Non-English-language films are also ineligible, which disqualified Neon’s “No Other Choice” by Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi and Jahyee Lee from the lineup, considered to be a viable entry for the adapted screenplay Oscar nom.
Additionally, films not based on books are excluded. That ruled out Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Bugonia” by Will Tracy (an English-language remake of a Japanese film), as well as sequels to original films like Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” and James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Adaptations of documentaries are deemed ineligible, such as Craig Brewer’s “Song Sung Blue” and Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine.”
Nonetheless, there were also notable snubs. James Vanderbilt’s “Nuremberg,” based on Jack El-Hai’s 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, and Nia DaCosta’s “Hedda,” a reimagining of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, were left off the list — misses that could impact their awards campaigns.
In addition to the film selections, five episodic series were also recognized:
Founded in 1988, the USC Scripter Awards honor both authors and screenwriters and have become a strong bellwether for the Oscar for best adapted screenplay. For nearly four decades, the Scripters have increasingly aligned with the Academy’s choices, particularly since the best picture expansion in 2009.
Since that shift, only two Scripter-winning (and Scripter-eligible) have lost the Academy Award: “Up in the Air” (2009), which lost to “Precious,” and “Little Women” (2019), which lost to “Jojo Rabbit.” Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” (2018) is the only Oscar winner in that span that failed to earn a Scripter nomination (that was eligible). That year also marked the Scripters’ weakest Oscar overlap — only one of their five nominees, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, earned an Oscar nod. It lost the Scripter to Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace,” which was not nominated for an Oscar.
More recently, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter” (2021) won the Scripter but lost the Oscar to “CODA,” which was ineligible for the Scripter. The last time both winners were eligible but diverged was in 2005, when “Capote” won the Scripter and “Brokeback Mountain” took home the Oscar.
The selection committee reviewed 43 film and 64 television adaptations.
Mystery author Michael Connelly will receive the USC Libraries Literary Achievement Award at the ceremony. His 41 novels, featuring Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller, have inspired multiple screen adaptations, including Amazon Prime Video’s “Bosch” franchise and Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer.”
Howard Rodman, a USC professor and former president of the Writers Guild of America, West, chairs the selection committee. Judges include film critics Leonard Maltin and Justin Chang; authors Janet Fitch and Jonathan Lethem; and screenwriters Eric Roth and Tyger Williams.
This year’s eligibility guidelines emphasize adaptations from books, novellas, short stories, graphic novels, plays and magazine articles. Video games and characters from previously published works are no longer eligible.
Winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony on Jan. 24 at USC’s Town and Gown ballroom. Proceeds from the Scripter Awards gala support USC Libraries services, collections and programs.