In the week of Oscar 2026an analysis of the CNN Brazil on the nominees for the main category of the award revealed an impressive fact: in the last ten years, half of the films that won the award Best Film at the ceremony they were adapted from literary works.
“Spotlight” (2015), “The Shape of Water” (2017), “Green Book” (2018), “Nomadland” (2020) and are examples of productions that won the most coveted statuette of the night and are connected to literary works, albeit in different ways.
Not case of “The Shape of Water”for example, the book and the script were written simultaneously. At the time, author Daniel Krauss shared his idea with Mexican director William of Tourwho was excited about the proposal and gave life to the characters that appear on the big screen.
Even though it is a risky path, as many book adaptations to cinema are massively criticized by fans, the choice remains strongly present in this edition.
Among the nominees for Best Film at the 2026 Oscars, four works have literary origins: “Train Dreams”adaptation of a short 88-page novel; “Frankenstein”based on the classic 1816 novel written by Mary Shelley; most recent adaptation of the book “Vineland”; and , a screenplay based on the work of the same name that explores the life of Shakespeare’s wife.
This year, the Oscar awards ceremony will take place at the Dolby Theater, in Los Angeles, United States, on Sunday night (15).
With a national production competing, , and the nominee for Best Actor, the night is promising for Brazilian moviegoers.
CNN Brasil will have a special live on Oscar night 2026
In addition to special articles on the website, the CNN Brazil will hold a live from 7pm to 1am with Elisa Veeck and Mari Palma on TV and YouTube. Alongside artists and influencers, we will show you everything from the red carpet to announcing the winners of the 98th edition of the award.
*Published by Luiza Zequim, from CNN Brasil, under the supervision of Fernanda Pinotti
