Superhero smash hit Logan has become an unlikely horse in the awards race after its screenplay won a surprise nomination in the Writers’ Guild of America shortlist.
Scott Frank, Michael Green and director James Mangold are nominated in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for the film, which is Hugh Jackman’s last outing as Wolverine after almost 20 years in the role.
Logan will compete against awards season success story Call Me By Your Name, Hollywood meta-comedy The Disaster Artist, Netflix drama Mudbound and Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut Molly’s Game, based on its protagonist’s autobiography.
In the Best Original Screenplay category, awards season heavyweights The Shape of Water and Lady Bird are present and correct, as expected, along with Margot Robbie-starring true story I, Tonya.
More surprising, though, are nominations for Jordan Peele’s Get Out, which is getting a reasonable swell of awards season support, and sharp romcom The Big Sick.
The WGA’s strict eligibility rules have scuppered the chances of some Oscar hopefuls, including Martin McDonagh’s likely Oscar nominee Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Darkest Hour, in which Gary Oldman plays Winston Churchill.
SEE ALSO: Screen Actors Guild announces nominations for the 2018 SAG Awards
The full nominations for the 2018 WGA Awards are as follows…
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Big Sick (Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani)
Get Out (Jordan Peele)
I, Tonya (Steven Rogers)
Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig)
The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Call Me By Your Name (James Ivory)
The Disaster Artist (Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber)
Logan (Scott Frank, James Mangold and Michael Green)
Molly’s Game (Aaron Sorkin)
Mudbound (Virgil Williams and Dee Rees)
BEST DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Betting on Zero (Theodore Braun)
Jane (Brett Morgen)
No Stone Unturned (Alex Gibney)
Oklahoma City (Barak Goodman)
The winners of the WGA Awards will be revealed on February 11.