The Oscar Films that Started Out As Books

Arrival leads the list of literary adaptations to get Oscar nominations today

Nominations for the 2017 Academy Awards were announced today, and films based on books racked up a total of twenty-two Oscar nods. Arrival, which is based on Ted Chiang’s short fiction piece “The Story of Your Life,” led the way with eight nods, including best picture, best director, and best adapted screenplay. You can read our interview with author Ted Chiang here:

The Legendary Ted Chiang on Seeing His Stories Adapted and the Ever-Expanding Popularity of SF

Non-fiction adaptations Lion (6) and Hidden Figures (3) — based on Saroo Bierley’s A Long Way Home and Margot Lee Shetterly’s Hidden Figures, respectively — also got best picture nods.

JK Rowling’s Harry Potter spinoff, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them picked up two nominations. The film, which also marked Rowling’s debut as a screenwriter, drew from the 2001 book she wrote under the alias Newt Scamander.

Comic book favorites Dr. Strange and Suicide Squad each earned single nominations (visual effects and hair styling), proving, in the case of Suicide Squad, some categories do not actually require a film to be any good.

Finally, Tom Ford’s second directorial effort, Nocturnal Animals, received a supporting actor nomination for Michael Shannon’s performance. The film was adapted from Austin Wright’s novel Tony and Susan.

If you’re hungry for more literary adaptation, check out our roundup of 2016 TV shows and movies that started out on the page.