Oscars 2024: Judd Apatow says it’s ‘insulting’ to put Barbie in the race for adapted screenplay

Director Judd Apatow, known for films like Knocked Up and This Is 40, expressed disagreement with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' decision to classify Greta Gerwig's Barbie as an adapted screenplay rather than an original one. Apatow took to X to voice his opinion, stating that it is "insulting to the writers" to categorise the screenplay as adapted when there was no existing material or story, just a clear box.

He wrote, "It’s insulting to the writers to say they were working off of existing material. There was no existing material or story. There was a clear box.”

Barbie is set to compete in the Oscar race

Variety exclusively reported on Wednesday that Barbie is set to compete for a best-adapted screenplay nomination in the Oscar race, despite the initial campaign for an original screenplay nomination. The decision to classify it as adapted is believed to be due to the pre-existing characters of Barbie and Ken, who originated as dolls from Mattel. Other films with pre-existing characters, like Toy Story 3, Borat 2, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight, have been placed in the adapted screenplay category.

Academy's decision and Writers Guild of America's stand on the matter

The Writers Branch executive committee of AMPAS made the decision to move Barbie to the adapted screenplay category. However, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has designated Greta Gerwig's film as an original work, and it will remain in that category for the upcoming WGA Awards.

Greta Gerwig's Oscar history

Greta Gerwig, the director of Barbie, made history as the first woman to helm a billion-dollar movie. Despite her significant contribution to the industry, the Academy's decision places her latest project in the adapted screenplay category. Gerwig, previously nominated for Oscars for Lady Bird (2016) in original screenplay and directing and Little Women (2019) in adapted screenplay, now faces a unique classification for Barbie.

Eligible voting members of the branch will only be able to cast votes for the Barbie script in the adapted screenplay category. The official Oscar nomination voting is scheduled for January 11.