Fans Confused Over 'Glass Onion' Being Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay
Published Jan. 25 2023, 12:04 p.m. ET
In case you missed it, the nominations for the 95th Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023!
As a plethora of cinephiles eagerly prepare to celebrate cinema and cheer on their favorite movie stars, we can't help but be baffled over one of the nominees in the Best Adapted Screenplay category: Glass Onion.
Many fans (including us) were under the impression that the murder mystery film, which hit Netflix on Dec. 23, 2022, would be nominated for Best Original Screenplay. So, why was it nominated in the other writing category? What is Glass Onion adapted from? Keep reading for all the known details.
This was our reaction when 'Glass Onion' received a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination at the Oscars.
What is 'Glass Onion' adapted from?
OK, so this is really a trick question because, as it turns out, Glass Onion isn't adapted from anything.
Yes, it's an original story from writer-director Rian Johnson, but per the Academy, any and all sequels fall under the Best Adapted Screenplay category. Also, since Glass Onion continues following the fan-favorite private investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) from the first Knives Out, it's ~technically~ an adaptation.
Based on the nomination, we have reason to believe that this is why the acclaimed filmmaker told The Atlantic he was "pissed off" about the film's subtitle. Rian told the outlet, "I’ve tried hard to make them self-contained. Honestly, I’m pissed off that we have A Knives Out Mystery in the title. You know? I want it to just be called Glass Onion."
'Glass Onion' features the character of Benoit Blanc, so it's technically an adaptation
He added, "I get it, and I want everyone who liked the first movie to know this is next in the series, but also, the whole appeal to me is it’s a new novel off the shelf every time. But there’s a gravity of a thousand suns toward serialized storytelling."
Now, Glass Onion isn't the only Best Adapted Screenplay nomination to fall under the Academy's sequel rule.
Enter the cinematic masterpiece known as Top Gun: Maverick, the beloved sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun. Like the whodunnit, the action drama flick follows a character from its predecessor; in this case, that's Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise).
The 95th Oscars will take place Sunday, March 12 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.