Oscar Category Debate Surrounds Screenplay for Sylvester Stallone Bio-Drama

Amazon MGM Studios' movie "I Play Rocky" faces a major awards dilemma over whether its script by Peter Gamble belongs in the original or adapted category for the 99th Academy Awards. The studio, the Writers Guild of America, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the film's creative team have held multiple talks about the classification, but no final choice has been made. Thursday, Nov. 12, marks the final deadline for studios to submit Official Screen Credits forms to the Academy for best picture, animated feature, and general entry categories. Gamble wrote the script on spec as an original work without using a book, article, or memoir. It reached producers Christian Baha and Toby Emmerich and director Peter Farrelly through the Black List. However, debates have emerged because the 1976 "Rocky" movie is a famous piece of Hollywood intellectual property, and Farrelly's film recreates well-known scenes while featuring preexisting characters like Rocky Balboa, Adrian, and Apollo Creed. Because the movie was not produced under a WGA signatory agreement, the guild cannot classify the screenplay or consider it for WGA Awards, leaving the final call entirely to the Academy's Writers Branch executive committee. Precedents highlight the complexity of the choice. Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" was shifted to adapted after starting out in original contention, while biographical dramas like "Milk" and "Darkest Hour" competed successfully as originals. "I Play Rocky" expands nationwide Nov. 20, and the Academy's final decision is expected when nominations voting opens Jan. 11, 2027, ahead of the March 14 ceremony.

Context

Awards season frequently brings debates over screenplay categories when films draw heavily on established real-world figures or cinematic universes. The Academy evaluates each submission based on whether a script relies on pre-existing characters or independent historical research, using guidelines that can shift films between original and adapted tracks.