Oscar Winner Predictions: Best Original Screenplay

The competition: Belfast (Kenneth Branagh), Don’t Look Up (Adam McKay and David Sirota), King Richard (Zach Baylin), Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson), The Worst Person in the World (Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier)

Previous winners: Promising Young Woman, Parasite, Green Book, Get Out, Manchester by the Sea, Spotlight, Birdman
My winner: Coming soon!
The facts: This is the eleventh nomination for Anderson, who contends as director and producer for his film this year and has previous screenwriting bids for “Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” “There Will Be Blood,” and “Inherent Vice.” This is the eighth nomination for Branagh, who contends as director and producer for his film this year. His five previous nods are all in different categories: actor, supporting actor, director, adapted screenplay, and live action short. This is the seventh nomination for McKay, who contends as producer of his film this year. He won for the screenplay of “The Big Short” in 2015 and was nominated again in 2018 for “Vice.” The only film in this category not nominated for Best Picture, “The Worst Person in the World,” is up for Best International Feature. Recently, “Licorice Pizza” won the WGA prize and “Don’t Look Up” took the BAFTA.

Who should win: “Licorice Pizza” and “Belfast” would both be great choices.
Who will win: This will likely lead to either Anderson or Branagh winning their first-ever Oscar, unless “Don’t Look Up” can best them. I’ll bet on Branagh and Belfast.