Rank Film Writer(s) and source material Distributor 1 “Women Talking” Sarah Polley (based on the novel by Miriam Toews) MGM/United Artists Releasing A group of women in an isolated religious colony as they struggle to reconcile their faith with a string of sexual assaults committed by the colony’s men.
2 “White Noise” Noah Baumbach (based on the novel by Don DeLillo) Netflix “White Noise” dramatizes a contemporary American family’s attempts to deal with the mundane conflicts of everyday life while grappling with the universal mysteries of love, death, and the possibility of happiness in an uncertain world.
3 “The Son” Christopher Hampton (based on the play by Florian Zeller) Sony Pictures Classics Peter as his busy life with new partner Emma and their baby is thrown into disarray when his ex-wife Kate turns up with their teenage son, Nicholas.
4 “The Banshees of Inisherin” Martin McDonagh (based on a play written by McDonagh) Searchlight Pictures Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
5 “She Said” Rebecca Lenkiewicz (based on the book by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey) Universal Pictures New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor break one of the most important stories in a generation — a story that helped launch the #MeToo movement and shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood.
Next in Line 6 “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” Rian Johnson (based on characters written by Johnson) Netflix Sequel to the 2019 film “Knives Out.”
7 “The Wonder” Alice Birch, Sebastián Lelio (based on the novel by Emma Donoghue) Netflix A tale of two strangers who transform each other’s lives, a psychological thriller, and a story of love pitted against evil.
8 “The Whale” Samuel D. Hunter (based on the play by Hunter) A24 A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.
9 “Living” Kazuo Ishiguro (based on “Ikiru” by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni) Sony Pictures Classics An English-language adaptation of the script of “Ikiru” (1952), set in London in the 1950s.
10 “Top Gun: Maverick” Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie (based on characters created by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr.) Paramount Pictures After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.
Other Top-Tier Contenders 11 “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole (based on the comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby) Marvel Studios
12 “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies” David Marshall Grant, Dan Savage (based on the book by Michael Ausiello) Focus Features
13 “Happening” Marcia Romano, Audrey Diwan (based on the novel by Annie Ernaux) IFC Films
14 “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Robbins, Gris Grimly, Patrick Hale (based on the characters and novel by Carlo Collodi) Netflix
15 “Avatar: The Way of Water” James Cameron, Josh Friedman (based on characters created by Cameron) 20th Century Studios
16 “The Pale Blue Eye” Scott Cooper (based on the novel by Louis Bayard) Netflix 17 “Catherine, Called Birdy” Lena Dunham (based on the novel by Karen Cushman) Amazon Studios
18 “A Man Called Otto” David Magee (based on the novel by Fredrik Backman) Sony Pictures
19 “The Silent Twins” Andrea Seigel (based on the book by Marjorie Wallace) Focus Features
20 “Three Thousand Years of Longing” George Miller, August Gore (based on “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” by A.S. Byatt) MGM/United Artists Releasing Also In Contention
21 “My Policeman” Ron Nyswaner (based on the novel by Bethan Roberts) Amazon Studios
22 “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” Dean Fleischer-Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Nick Paley (based on the short videos) A24
23 “Bones & All” David Kajganich (based on the novel by Camille DeAngelis) MGM/United Artists Releasing
24 “After Yang” Kogonada (based on the short story “Saying Goodbye to Yang” by Alexander Weinstein) A24
25 “Both Sides of the Blade” Christine Angot, Claire Denis (based on the novel by Christine Angot) IFC Films
26 “All Quiet on the Western Front” Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell (based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque) Netflix
27 “The Phantom of the Open” Simon Farnaby (based on the book by Scott Murray) Sony Pictures Classics
28 “Butcher’s Crossing” Gabe Polsky, Liam Satre-Meloy (based on the novel by John Williams) Saban Films
29 “The Batman” Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, (based on the characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger) Warner Bros.
30 “White Bird: A Wonder Story” Mark Bomback (based on the book by R.J. Palacio) Lionsgate
All Contenders Listed (Unranked-Alphabetical) — “A Man Called Otto” David Magee (based on the novel by Fredrik Backman) Sony Pictures — “After Yang” Kogonada (based on the short story “Saying Goodbye to Yang” by Alexander Weinstein) A24 — “All Quiet on the Western Front” Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell (based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque) Netflix — “Allelujah” Heidi Thomas (based on the play by Alan Bennett) No U.S. Distribution — “Ambulance” Chris Fedak (based on the film “Ambulancen” by Laurits Munch-Petersen and Lara Andreas Pedersen) Universal Pictures — “Avatar: The Way of Water” James Cameron, Josh Friedman (based on characters created by Cameron) 20th Century Studios — “Black Adam” Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani (based on the characters from DC Comics) Warner Bros — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole (based on the comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby) Marvel Studios — “Blonde” Andrew Dominik (based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates) Netflix — “Bones & All” David Kajganich (based on the novel by Camille DeAngelis) MGM/United Artists Releasing — “Both Sides of the Blade” Christine Angot, Claire Denis (based on the novel by Christine Angot) IFC Films — “Brother” Clement Virgo (based on the novel by David Chariaridy) No U.S. Distribution — “Butcher’s Crossing” Gabe Polsky, Liam Satre-Meloy (based on the novel by John Williams) Saban Films — “Catherine, Called Birdy” Lena Dunham (based on the novel by Karen Cushman) Amazon Studios — “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” Rian Johnson (based on characters written by Johnson) Netflix — “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” Guillermo del Toro, Matthew Robbins, Gris Grimly, Patrick Hale (based on the characters and novel by Carlo Collodi) Netflix — “Happening” Marcia Romano, Audrey Diwan (based on the novel by Annie Ernaux) IFC Films — “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” David Magee (based on the novel by D.H. Lawrence) Netflix — “Lightyear” Angus MacLane, Matthew Aldrich, Jason Headley (based on the characters of “Toy Story”) Pixar — “Living” Kazuo Ishiguro (based on “Ikiru” by Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto and Hideo Oguni) Sony Pictures Classics — “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” Dean Fleischer-Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Nick Paley (based on the short videos) A24 — “My Policeman” Ron Nyswaner (based on the novel by Bethan Roberts) Amazon Studios — “Persuasion” Ron Bass, Alice Victoria Winslow (based on the novel by Jane Austen) Netflix — “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” To be added DreamWorks Animation — “Rosaline” To be added Hulu — “RRR” To be added Raftar Creations — “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” To be added Warner Bros. — “She Said” Rebecca Lenkiewicz (based on the book by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey) Universal Pictures — “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies” David Marshall Grant, Dan Savage (based on the book by Michael Ausiello) Focus Features — “The Bad Guys” To be added Universal Pictures — “The Banshees of Inisherin” Martin McDonagh (based on a play written by McDonagh) Searchlight Pictures — “The Batman” Matt Reeves, Peter Craig, (based on the characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger) Warner Bros. — “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” To be added 20th Century Studios — “The Mother” To be added Netflix — “The Pale Blue Eye” Scott Cooper (based on the novel by Louis Bayard) Netflix — “The Phantom of the Open” Simon Farnaby (based on the book by Scott Murray) Sony Pictures Classics — “The Silent Twins” Andrea Seigel (based on the book by Marjorie Wallace) Focus Features — “The Son” Christopher Hampton (based on the play by Florian Zeller) Sony Pictures Classics — “The Stranger” To be added Transmission Films — “The Swimmers” To be added Netflix — “The Way of the Wind” Terrence Malick No U.S. Distribution — “The Whale” Samuel D. Hunter (based on the play by Hunter) A24 — “The Wonder” Alice Birch, Sebastián Lelio (based on the novel by Emma Donoghue) Netflix — “Thirteen Lives” William Nicholson, Don MacPherson Amazon Studios/MGM — “Thor: Love and Thunder” Taika Waititi, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (based on the comics by Stan Lee, Jason Aaron) Marvel Studios — “Three Thousand Years of Longing” George Miller, August Gore (based on “The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye” by A.S. Byatt) MGM/United Artists Releasing — “Top Gun: Maverick” Peter Craig, Justin Marks, Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, Christopher McQuarrie (based on characters created by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr.) Paramount Pictures — “White Bird: A Wonder Story” Mark Bomback (based on the book by R.J. Palacio) Lionsgate — “White Noise” Noah Baumbach (based on the novel by Don DeLillo) Netflix — “Women Talking” Sarah Polley (based on the novel by Miriam Toews) MGM/United Artists Releasing
Oscar Predictions: Best Adapted Screenplay – Women’s Fights and Rights Take Center Stage This Season
