An Education, Basterds, Single Man, The Road Disqualified for WGA

Edward Douglas of ComingSoon delivers the bad news (confirmed by Indiewire’s Peter Knegt):

This note is to let you know that Nick Hornby, writer of AN EDUCATION, will be ineligible for a WGA nomination for his work on the film, due to a new rule instituted after production was completed.

Oscar will correct that technicality.

Steve Pond also reports about the three Weinsteins:

Quentin Tarantino is not a member of the WGA or the DGA, and his films are not made under those guilds’ agreements. “A Single Man” and “The Road,” written by Tom Ford and Joe Penhall, were likewise not the work of WGA members and not covered by applicable agreements.

I was asked recently whether Tarantino can still be nominated for a DGA and the answer was yes, of course – Pulp Fiction. But it wasn’t nominated for a WGA.¬† It did, however, WIN the Oscar. Dumb rules.¬† For an Oscar strategy perspective it’s good to get this news out early so that people won’t think that the scripts were rebuffed.

[NOTE: The reason A Single Man, The Road, and Inglourious Basterds are ineligible is simple and blunt: None of the authors of those scripts are members of the WGA. Likewise Hornby is ineligible for An Education due to similar clubby reasons: He’s not a member of his local WGA Great Britain. ~ Ryan]