Released on July 21st, 2023, Barbie was the film of the summer. As of September, 18th, 2023, it had grossed $1.4 billion according to CBS News. The film stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, as well as many other notable names, and was directed by Greta Gerwig, who also directed Little Women and Lady Bird. With the Oscars coming up, the movie is naturally being campaigned for many awards. 

Originally, the film campaigned the script for best original screenplay. However, the Academy reassigned the script to the best-adapted screenplay category. According to Variety, Judd Apatow, writer of Knocked Up and Freaks and Geeks, disagrees with this decision. Apatow tweeted, “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.” Given the fact that the story is based on the doll line and not a pre-existing narrative, Apatow’s point can arguably be valid. 

Barbie is not the only film to be boxed into the adapted screenplay category this year. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ava Duvernay’s script for the film Origin has also been discussed as to whether or not to be shifted into the category. This film is loosely based on the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent. That being said, whether it belongs in the Original or Adapted screenplay is ultimately up to the Academy.