Judd Apatow disagrees with ‘Barbie’ being labeled an adapted screenplay

Judd Apatow is not a fan of the Academy’s decision to put Barbie in the race for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Last week, Variety reported that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will not consider Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s script an original screenplay, as was previously assumed. Instead, when Academy voters decide whether to nominate the film’s script, they will only be able to cast a ballot in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.

On this subject the Knocked Up director didn’t hesitate to voice his dissenting stance on social media. 

“It’s insulting to the writers to say they were working off of existing material,” Apatow wrote Saturday on X (formerly known as Twitter). “There was no existing material or story. There was a clear box.”

Between Ken’s dream ballet and Barbie’s cellulite, it goes without saying that the 2023 movie is drastically different from any Barbie stories that came before. No other corner of this franchise has ever dared to argue that Ken is not Kenough! But although the film follows a story wholly original to Gerwig and Baumbach, the Academy decision is likely due to the simple fact that Barbie features the pre-existing characters from the Mattel doll line.

In past year, films that tell original stories but contain pre-existing characters have all been classified as adapted screenplays — even sequels to original works: this includes nominees like Top Gun: Maverick, Toy Story 3, Borat 2, and Before Sunset.

As the Academy decision continues to spark online debate from commentators discussing whether this is an accurate designation for the film, the Writers Guild of America has classified Barbie an original work and it will be considered such for the upcoming WGA Awards.

If the film does earn an Oscar nod for it’s script, it will mark Gerwig’s fourth nomination. The actress turned writer-director earned two noms for her directorial debut, Lady Bird (directing and original screenplay) followed by another for 2019’s Little Women (adapted screenplay). The latter film received six nominations total, including Best Picture. 

Academy voting members will only be able to cast their vote for Barbie’s script in adapted screenplay, when nomination voting begins on Jan. 11.

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