Writers, Producers Like Capote, Diss Kong

When it comes to Oscar season studs, the 2006 model is looking less like Steven Spielberg and King Kong. And more like Truman Capote and Andy Stitzer

Capote, the fact-based drama about its namesake author and his landmark true-crime tale, In Cold Blood, picked up two key pre-Oscar nominations from writers and producers Wednesday. The 40-Year-Old Virgin, the sex comedy about the quest of action-doll-collecting Andy Stitzer, picked up one from the writers.

Spielberg's acclaimed Munich and Peter Jackson's acclaimed King Kong were ignored by both groups.

For Munich and Kong, the snubs from the Producers Guild of America seem particularly devastating to their ever-dimming Academy Award hopes. While a PGA nomination doesn't guarantee an Oscar nomination, it does bode well for one. Last year, four of the PGA's five Best Film nominees ended up as Best Picture nominees at the Oscars.

This year, Capote will compete for the top PGA prize against Brokeback Mountain, Crash, Good Night, and Good Luck and Walk the Line.

Brokeback Mountain, the cowboy love story, and Good Night, and Good Luck, the George Clooney-directed drama about crusading CBS Newsman Edward R. Murrow, further cemented their front-runner status with one more nomination a piece from the Writers Guild of America.

Brokeback will vie for a win in the Adapted Screenplay category against Capote, The Constant Gardener, A History of Violence and Syriana.

In the Original Screenplay race, Good Night, a Clooney collaboration with Grant Heslov, is up against Cinderella Man, making a rare award season appearance, Crash, The Squid and the Whale and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, cowritten by star Steve Carell.

Woody Allen, lauded with a Golden Globe screenplay nomination for his tennis-themed thriller Match Point, didn't receive similar love from the WGA.

At least Match Point, with its four overall Globe nods, will be in the spotlight during that show's Jan. 16 NBC telecast. Highlighting their woes, Munich and Kong barely rated Globe mentions, and were shut out of the prestigious Best Drama category.

The PGA will hand out its awards Jan. 22 in Hollywood. The WGA will distribute its keepsakes Feb. 4 in ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York.

Here's a complete look at nominations for the 2006 Producers Guild Awards, honoring film and TV:

Best Film: Brokeback Mountain Capote Crash Good Night, and Good Luck Walk the Line

Animated Motion Picture: Chicken Little Madagascar Robots Tim Burton's Corpse Bride Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Television--Long-Form: Empire Falls (HBO) Into the West (TNT) Lackawanna Blues (HBO) The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (HBO) Warm Springs (HBO)

Television Series--Comedy: Arrested Development (Fox) Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) Desperate Housewives (ABC) Entourage (HBO) Two and a Half Men (CBS)

Television Series--Drama: 24 (Fox) Boston Legal (ABC) Grey's Anatomy (ABC) Lost (ABC) Six Feet Under (HBO)

Television Series or Special--Nonfiction: 30 Days (FX) 60 Minutes (CBS) Amazing Race 6 (CBS) Amazing Race 7 (CBS) Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC)

Television Series or Special--Variety: 77th Annual Academy Awards (ABC) The Ellen DeGeneres Show (syndicated) Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC) Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

And here's a rundown of the film nominations for the 2006 Writers Guild Awards:

Original Screenplay: Cinderella Man Crash The 40-Year-Old Virgin Good Night, and Good Luck The Squid and the Whale

Adapted Screenplay: Brokeback Mountain Capote The Constant Gardener A History of Violence Syriana