Story highlights
"Argo" won yet another pre-Oscars prize
Best original screenplay went to "Zero Dark Thirty"
"Amour" and "Django Unchained" not eligible because they weren't produced under the guild's agreement
Argo continued its domination of award season by claiming one of the last of the pre-Oscar prizes — the Writers Guild Award, where screenwriter Chris Terrio won the honor for adapted screenplay.
Terrio’s competition included Tony Kushner’s Lincoln, David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, David Magee’s Life of Pi and Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. All but Chbosky are also up for the Oscar next weekend, with Beasts of the Southern Wild’s Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin taking that slot.
Best original screenplay went to Mark Boal for Zero Dark Thirty, who bested John Gatins’ Flight, Rian Johnson’s Looper, Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master and Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola’s Moonrise Kingdom. Michael Haneke’s Amour and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, the two films giving Boal his toughest competition in the original screenplay race at Academy Awards, were not eligible for the WGA prize because they weren’t produced under the guild’s agreement.
So while this award could be interpreted as a strong sign for Argo’s adapted screenplay chances, it’s less valuable as a predictor for the original screenplay field.
Here’s the full list of winners:
FILM
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Zero Dark Thirty, Written by Mark Boal
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Argo, Screenplay by Chris Terrio; Based on a selection from The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and the Wired Magazine article “The Great Escape” by Joshuah Bearman
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Searching for Sugar Man, Written by Malik Bendjelloul
TELEVISION
DRAMA SERIES
Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett
COMEDY SERIES
Louie, Written by Pamela Adlon, Vernon Chatman, Louis C.K.
NEW SERIES
Girls, Written by Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin, Lena Dunham, Sarah Heyward, Bruce Eric Kaplan, Jenni Konner, Deborah Schoeneman, Dan Sterling
EPISODIC DRAMA
“The Other Woman” (Mad Men), Written by Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner
EPISODIC COMEDY
“Virgin Territory” (Modern Family), Written by Elaine Ko
LONG FORM – ORIGINAL
Hatfields & McCoys, Nights Two and Three, Teleplay by Ted Mann and Ronald Parker, Story by Bill Kerby and Ted Mann
LONG FORM – ADAPTED
Game Change, Written by Danny Strong, Based on the book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann
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ANIMATION
“Ned ‘N’ Edna’s Blend Agenda” (The Simpsons), Written by Jeff Westbrook
COMEDY / VARIETY (INCLUDING TALK) – SERIES
Portlandia, Writers: Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Karey Dornetto, Jonathan Krisel, Bill Oakley
COMEDY / VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS
66th Annual Tony Awards, Written by Dave Boone; Special Material by Paul Greenberg; Opening and Closing Songs by David Javerbaum, Adam Schlesinger; CBS
DAYTIME DRAMA
The Young and the Restless, Written by Amanda Beall, Jeff Beldner, Susan Dansby, Janice Ferri Esser, Jay Gibson, Scott Hamner, Marla Kanelos, Natalie Minardi Slater, Beth Milstein, Michael Montgomery, Anne Schoettle, Linda Schreiber, Sarah K. Smith, Christopher J. Whitesell, Teresa Zimmerman; CBS
CHILDREN’S – EPISODIC & SPECIALS
“The Good Sport” (Sesame Street); Written by Christine Ferraro
CHILDREN’S – LONG FORM OR SPECIAL
Girl vs. Monster, Teleplay by Annie DeYoung and Ron McGee, Story by Annie DeYoung
DOCUMENTARY – CURRENT EVENTS
“Money, Power and Wall Street: Episode One” (Frontline), Written by Martin Smith and Marcela Gaviria
DOCUMENTARY – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
“The Fabric of the Cosmos: The Illusion of Time” (Nova), Telescript by Randall MacLowry, Story by Joseph McMaster and Randall MacLowry
NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Tragedy In Colorado: The Movie Theatre Massacre,” Written by Lisa Ferri, Joel Siegel
NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“The Ghost of Joe McCarthy” (Moyers & Company), Written by Bill Moyers, Michael Winship; Thirteen/ WNET
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RADIO
NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED OR BREAKING REPORT
“World News This Year 2011,” Written by Darren Reynolds; ABC News Radio
NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“Dishin Digital,” Written by Robert Hawley; WCBS-AM
PROMOTIONAL WRITING AND GRAPHIC ANIMATION WINNERS
ON-AIR PROMOTION (RADIO OR TELEVISION)
“Partners,” Written by Dan A. Greenberger
TELEVISION GRAPHIC ANIMATION
“The Oscars” (Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood), Animation by Bob Pook
VIDEOGAMES
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN VIDEOGAME WRITING
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, Scriptwriting by Richard Farrese, Jill Murray; Ubisoft
NEW MEDIA WRITING WINNERS
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING ORIGINAL NEW MEDIA
“The Compromises, Episode 1,” “The Pest, Episode 3,” The Snake, Episode 4,” “The Bonding, Episode 6,” “The Future, Episode 7/Series Finale” (Jack in a Box), Written by Michael Cyril Creighton; jackinaboxsite.com
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING DERIVATIVE NEW MEDIA
“Hide And Seek,” “Keys to the Kingdom,” “The Chosen Ones,” “Parting Shots” (The Walking Dead: Cold Storage), Written by John Esposito; amctv.com
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