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WGA Awards Nominate Arrival, Deadpool (!), Hidden Figures And More

Deadpool, Arrival and Hidden Figures are among the films nominated for the coveted Writer’s Guild Award. Expect the winners to be announced on February 19.

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Leave it to the Merc With a Mouth to muscle his way into Hollywood’s annual awards season, surprising just about everyone in one fell swoop. As the nominations begin to pour in, Tim Miller’s irreverent Deadpool has received nods from the Golden Globes, all the while being shortlisted in both the Best VFX and Makeup and Hairstyling departments ahead of the 89th Academy Awards.

That’s quite the feat for any feature film, let alone an R-rated superhero movie based on one of the lesser-known characters from the Marvel vault. No wonder Ryan Reynolds is so optimistic about the mercenary’s cinematic future.

Now, we can add another nomination to Deadpool’s collection – and it’s a doozy, for Tim Miller’s no-holds-barred actioner has scooped up a nomination for a Writer’s Guild Award, joining Arrival, Fences, Hidden Figures and Nocturnal Animals in the pool for Best Adapted Screenplay. Those original screenplays that earned the nod include Hell or High Water, La La Land, Loving, Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight.

All in all, not many surprises, which really makes Deadpool‘s nomination all the more impressive. Let’s not forget that Fox’s wildly over-the-top superhero flick was considered an exercise in risk-taking, particularly when paired against Batman V Superman – a seemingly sure-fire hit that ultimately went down as a disappointing misfire – so the movie’s script, one penned by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, is certainly deserving of such recognition. Whether or not it’ll outright win the WGA award is another question entirely, but we’ll find out when the ceremony takes place across simultaneous ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles on February 19.

The full, comprehensive list of nominees – including those for documentary screenplay – follow.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Hell or High Water, Written by Taylor Sheridan; CBS Films

La La Land, Written by Damien Chazelle; Lionsgate

Loving, Written by Jeff Nichols; Focus Features

Manchester by the Sea, Written by Kenneth Lonergan; Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions

Moonlight, Written by Barry Jenkins, Story by Tarell McCraney; A24

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Arrival, Screenplay by Eric Heisserer; Based on the Story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang; Paramount Pictures

Deadpool, Written by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick; Based on the X-Men Comic Books; Twentieth Century Fox Film

Fences, Screenplay by August Wilson; Based on his Play; Paramount Pictures

Hidden Figures, Screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi; Based on the Book by Margot Lee Shetterly; Twentieth Century Fox Film

Nocturnal Animals, Screenplay by Tom Ford; Based on the Novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright; Focus Features

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Author: The JT LeRoy Story, Written by Jeff Feuerzeig; Amazon Studios

Command and Control, Telescript by Robert Kenner and Eric Schlosser, Story by Brian Pearle and Kim Roberts; Based on the book Command and Control by Eric Schlosser; American Experience Films

Zero Days, Written by Alex Gibney; Magnolia Pictures