Hollywood’s adaptation champions took center stage Saturday night as the 38th USC Libraries Scripter Awards honored the year’s most outstanding works in film and television based on previously published material. The prestigious ceremony, held in USC’s historic Town and Gown ballroom, celebrated both the original authors and the screenwriters who brought their stories to life on screen.
On the film side, acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson and novelist Thomas Pynchon claimed the top prize for One Battle After Another, Anderson’s layered crime drama inspired by Pynchon’s 1990 book. This win adds to the film’s impressive award season trajectory, having already secured victories at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, alongside 13 Academy Award nominations.
The victory also marks a reunion for Anderson and Pynchon at the USC Scripters; the duo were previously nominated in 2014 for Inherent Vice, another Anderson-directed adaptation of Pynchon’s work. This year, One Battle After Another triumphed over a competitive field of nominees including Frankenstein, Hamnet, Peter Hujar’s Day, and Train Dreams.
In the television category, Death By Lightning emerged as the standout. Screenwriter Mike Makowsky and historian Candice Millard earned the honor for their adaptation of Millard’s nonfiction bestseller Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President. The Netflix limited series, spanning four episodes, delves into the dramatic events surrounding President James Garfield’s assassination, with Michael Shannon portraying Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as assassin Charles Guiteau.
Other contenders for the episodic series award included adaptations from Dark Winds, Dept. Q, Slow Horses, and Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.
The evening also featured a special tribute: celebrated crime novelist Michael Connelly received the USC Libraries Scripter Literary Achievement Award. Presented by actor Titus Welliver — known for embodying Connelly’s iconic detective Harry Bosch in Bosch and its spin-offs — the honor underscored Connelly’s enduring impact on crime fiction and screen storytelling.
The black-tie gala, hosted by USC Libraries Dean Melissa Just, brought together Writers Guild of America members, Oscar-winning and -nominated screenwriters, industry executives, authors, faculty, and Friends of the USC Libraries. The Scripter Awards not only recognize excellence in adaptation but also serve as an annual fundraising event supporting USC Libraries.
With its blend of Hollywood prestige and literary reverence, the USC Scripter Awards continue to shine a spotlight on the collaborative magic between authors and screenwriters — a partnership where words on a page become unforgettable scenes on screen.
