Nominees Announced for WGA Screenwriting Awards

Updated 1:18 PM PST, Mon, Jan 26, 2009

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LOS ANGELES -- The Coen brothers and Woody Allen were among the nominees announced Wednesday for the Writers Guild of America's annual awards for screenwriters.

Joel and Ethan Coen were nominated for the WGA's best original screenplay award for their film "Burn After Reading," while Allen was nominated for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

Also nominated in the original film category were Dustin Lance Black, who penned the biographical film "Milk"; Tom McCarthy for "The Visitor"; and Robert Siegel, author of "The Wrestler."

Among adapted screenplays, the nominees announced Wednesday were:

-- "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," screenplay by Eric Roth; screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord; based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald;

-- "The Dark Knight," screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan; story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer; based on DC Comics characters; Batman created by Bob Kane;

-- "Doubt," screenplay by John Patrick Shanley, based on his stage play;

-- "Frost/Nixon," screenplay by Peter Morgan, based on his stage play; and

-- "Slumdog Millionaire," screenplay by Simon Beaufoy, based on the novel "Q and A" by Vikas Swarup.

The nominees for documentary screenplay were Stefan Forbes and Noland Walker for "Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story"; Brett Morgen for "Chicago 10"; Johnny O'Hara for "Fuel"; Alex Gibney, from the words of Hunter S. Thompson, for "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson"; and Ari Folman for "Waltz with Bashir."

The WGA Awards will be presented Feb. 7 during simultaneous ceremonies in New York and at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel in Century City.