The Oscar Narrative: First 2021 Oscar Nomination Predictions - Best Adapted Screenplay

First 2021 Predictions
Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller "The Father"
Vanessa Taylor "Hillbilly Elegy"
Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Nicole Holofcener "The Last Duel"
Luke Davies "News of the World"
Chloe Zhao "Nomadland"

Other Contenders - Tony Kushner "West Side Story", Charlie Kaufman "I'm Thinking of Ending Things", Iain Morris and Taika Waititi "Next Goal Wins", Tom Hanks "Greyhound", Mark L. Smith "The Midnight Sky", Stephen Karam "The Humans", Eric Roth, Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts "Dune", Matt Crowley "The Boys in the Band", Tracey Letts "The Woman in the Window", Kim Morgan and Guillermo Del Toro "Nightmare Alley", Andrew Dominik "Blonde", Quiara Alegría Hudes "In the Heights", Christopher McQuarrie "Untitled Sandra Bullock/Nora Fingscheidt Project", Simon Blackwell and Armando Iannucci "The Personal History of David Copperfield", Ruben Santiago-Hudson "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin and Jack Viertel "The Prom", Scott Beck, John Krasinski and Bryan Woods "A Quiet Place Part II", Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein, David Sheffield, and Eddie Murphy "Coming 2 America", Jac Schaeffer, Ned Benson, and Eric Pearson "Black Widow", Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Elizabeth Martin, and Lauren Hynek "Mulan", Dave Callaham, Geoff Johns, and Patty Jenkins "Wonder Woman 1984", David Lowery "The Green Knight", Dana Stevens "The Nightingale", Michael Green "Death on the Nile", Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae "Everybody's Talking About Jamie"

Commentary - So many titles right now, and this whole race could be upended the longer theaters are closed. But I wanted to start this process anyway, if for no other reason, than a sense of normalcy in a crazy world. Previous nominee Vanessa Taylor (for The Shape of Water), returns with Netflix next major Oscar prospect Hillbilly Elegy, which will give both Amy Adams and Glenn Close another chance at Oscar. Chloe Zhao's Marvel project has been pushed to next year, but Nomadland, with Frances McDormand, could be Zhao's Oscar breakthrough after her successful The Rider. Previous winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, team up with recent nominee, and amazing screenwriter Nicole Holofcener to tell a new story with Ridley Scott at the helm and Emmy winner Jodie Comer in the lead. It just sounds like Oscar. Previous nominee Luke Davies returns with News of the World, helmed by Paul Greengrass. Finally, I think that the adaptation of the Tony-winning play, The Father, which has already gotten great reviews, and stars Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman could be a huge Oscar contender across the board. Beyond those five, there are, of course, a plethora of options. Previous nominees and winners such as Tony Kushner, Taika Waititi, Charlie Kaufman, Eric Roth, Simon Blackwell and Armando Iannucci, Christopher McQuarrie, and Tom Hank, rejoin the race. Projects like Dune, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Humans, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, The Midnight Sky, The Boys in the Band, The Woman in the Window, The Green Knight, Blonde, Nightmare Alley, In the Heights, and The Prom all have lots of Oscar potential. Also, as always, this category is populated with a lot of big contenders, as blockbusters have done better in writing awards as of late. So look for Mulan, Coming 2 America, Wonder Woman 1984, Death on the Nile, and A Quiet Place Part II are looking to break into the race.