One of this year’s most original films is making a strategic play for Oscar gold in the adapted screenplay category.
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Jacques Audiard’s crime musical, “Emilia Pérez,” will now officially submit as an adapted screenplay for the Academy Awards, despite initially positioning itself as an original script. The film is also not WGA signatory, which means it will not be eligible for a nomination at the WGA Awards.
The shift in strategy stems from the fact that Audiard developed the screenplay from what was originally intended as an opera libretto in four acts. The title character was loosely inspired by a chapter from Boris Razon’s 2018 novel, “Écoute.”
“Emilia Pérez” centers on Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón), a notorious cartel leader who seeks the legal expertise of Rita (Zoe Saldaña) to fake her own death, allowing her to live authentically as her true self. Acquired by Netflix after premiering at Cannes, the film also stars Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz and Edgar Ramirez.
Initially, the film’s creative team and awards strategists considered submitting it as an original screenplay due to the story’s distance from the source material. The novel’s character, who inspired Emilia, was minor and is not named Emilia. The film also features 16 original songs.
However, the decision to campaign as adapted ultimately reflects its origins in Razon’s work and makes the script more competitive and positioned for recognition.
Audiard’s journey with “Emilia Pérez” began six years ago when he first encountered “Écoute.” He envisioned the story as an opera, drawing stylistic inspiration from Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s “The Threepenny Opera,” but later opted to develop it as a film. The script evolved over four years, with Audiard collaborating closely with songwriter-composers Clément Ducol and Camille. The trio worked in unison, with Audiard shaping the narrative by day and Ducol and Camille composing the score and songs by night.
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The genre-defying film is poised to shake up the upcoming Oscar races for screenplay. The original screenplay category is already stacking up with heavyweights like Sean Baker (“Anora”), Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold (“The Brutalist”), Steve McQueen (“Blitz”), and Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan (“Saturday Night”). By shifting to adapted screenplay, “Emilia Pérez” enters a category that, while competitive, lacks an obvious frontrunner. Early buzz suggests possible contenders such as Peter Straughan’s thriller “Conclave” and Pedro Almodóvar’s touching and refreshing “The Room Next Door.” Now, Audiard’s crime musical could become a dark horse for the prize.
For Audiard, often referred to as the “French Martin Scorsese,” this awards season could be a career-capping moment. Despite winning the Palme d’Or twice, the 72-year-old filmmaker has never been nominated for an Academy Award. This year, that could change, with “Emilia Pérez” angling to compete for best picture, director and screenplay. A nomination in all three categories would position him among the elite filmmakers who have achieved the prestigious “hat trick,” following in the footsteps of directors like The Daniels with “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer.”
However, it’s worth noting that musicals have historically faced challenges in the screenplay categories. In fact, only one musical, “Gigi” (1958), directed by Vincente Minnelli, has ever won for adapted screenplay. That film swept the Oscars, winning all nine of its nominations, including best picture and director. Notably, only two musicals have claimed victory for original screenplay: “Interrupted Melody” (1955), a biopic about Australian opera singer Marjorie Lawrence, and “An American in Paris” (1951), which won six of its eight nominations, including best picture.
Since the Academy’s inception, only 12 musicals have been nominated for adapted, with the last being 2002’s “Chicago,” which lost to “The Pianist.” With “Emilia Pérez,” Audiard has crafted a film that blends crime, identity and music in a way that could resonate with voters alike. Whether it can break the musical screenplay curse remains to be seen, but its uniqueness is already making it one to watch this awards season.
One thing to note is that musicals haven’t always been slam-dunk selections in screenplay races. “Gigi” directed by Vincente Minnelli, is the only musical film to win for adapted screenplay. It won all nine awards it was nominated for, including best picture and best director.
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