Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction” won best adaptation at the 36th annual USC Libraries Script Awards on Saturday, while Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses” won the series category for the second year in a row.
Jefferson and Percival Everett accepted the American Fiction Prize. In his speech, Jefferson recalled his experience reading Everett’s novel “Erasure” in 2020, which he turned into “The American Novel.”
“I felt like I was reading a book written especially for me,” he said. “I felt like I understood what was going on with these characters in the story on a molecular level. I felt like someone had crawled into my mind and put it into words on the page. “I felt like the book was electrified when I was holding it,” he said. “.
Jefferson then approached Everett about adapting the novel. After a half-hour conversation, Everett agreed to give Jefferson the rights to the book for free for six months, a rare occurrence in the entertainment industry.
“This is not the first time a book has changed my life. I am sure it will not be the last time a book has changed my life,” Jefferson said in conclusion.
Everett is the first USC professor to be honored with the Scripter Program.
Novelist Mick Herron and “Slow Horses” screenwriter Will Smith are repeat winners in the Episodic Series category – a first for the awards. They were honored for the season 3 episode “Negotiating with Tigers,” which Smith adapted from Herron’s book “The Real Tigers.” Smith was unable to attend due to filming of the fifth season of Slow Horses. Heron accepted on their behalf, and conveyed a message from Smith.
“This award is very important to me because it also celebrates the author, without whom the show would not exist. I see my role in the show as a conduit between Mick and the cast, which is why the only reviews that really matter to me are those by Gary Oldman and Mick,” Smith’s letter said. “Heron.”
The list of nominated films included “American Fiction,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Oppenheimer,” “Origin,” and “Poor Things,” while the list of nominated films included “The Crown,” “Daisy Jones and the Six,” and “ “The Last of Us”. “Slow Horses” and “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” received television nominations.
Considered a precursor to the Best Adapted Screenplay category at the Academy Awards, Scripter’s previous Oscar winners include: “12 Years a Slave” (2013), “The Imitation Game” (2014), and “The Big Short.” (2015), “Moonlight” (2016), “Call Me By Your Name” (2017), “Bedouin Land” (2020), and “Women Speak” (2022). Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” (2019) is the only film to win the Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay without also receiving a Scepter nomination.
“American Fiction,” “Oppenheimer,” and “Poor Things” received Oscar nominations in the adapted screenplay category, along with “Barbie” and “The Zone of Interest.” However, the Barbie Awards team confirmed this diverse The film has not been submitted for consideration to Scripters. It is unclear whether the film was eligible for submission, as it was not based on a book or printed material. Instead, she is credited as being “based on Mattel’s Barbie” – a toy company. In addition to “Zone of Interest,” other notable critiques include “We’re All Strangers” and “Are You There, My God?” “It’s me, Margaret.”
Screenplay finalists were selected from 80 films and 56 series.