The Miramax motion picture was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. Bill Condon, who adapted the musical for the silver screen, will vie for the award in a group that also includes Peter Hedges, Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz ("About a Boy"), Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor ("About Schmidt"), Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman ("Adaptation") and David Hare ("The Hours"). Payne and Taylor, nominated this year for their work in the Jack Nicholson comedy/drama "About Schmidt," won the award for "Election" three years ago. "Antwone Fisher," "Bowling for Columbine," "Far From Heaven," "Gangs of New York" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" were nominated in the Original Screenplay category. For a complete list of nominees, go to www.wga.org.

Winners of the 55th Annual Writers Guild of America Awards will be announced at receptions in both Beverly Hills and New York March 8.

The Writers Guild of America was founded in 1933 and "represents writers in the motion picture, broadcast, cable and new media industries for collective bargaining. The union conducts numerous programs, seminars and events throughout the world on issues of interest to, and on behalf of, writers."

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Featuring a star-studded cast led by Zellweger (Roxie Hart), Zeta-Jones (Velma Kelly) and Gere (Billy Flynn), the "Chicago" company also includes John C. Reilly (Amos Hart), Dominic West (Fred Caseley), Christine Baranski (Mary Sunshine), Queen Latifah (Mama Morton) as well as Taye Diggs, Colm Feore, Lucy Liu, Mya, Marc Calamia, Deidre Goodwin, Sebastian La Cause, Mary Ann Lamb and a cameo from original Chicago star Chita Rivera. Marshall, the choreographer of Broadway's Kiss of the Spider Woman and the revivals of Damn Yankees, She Loves Me, Cabaret and Little Me, directed the $45 million film, his motion-picture debut. Bill Condon wrote the "Chicago" screenplay for Miramax Studios, and the film's cinematographer was Dion Beebe. The Tony-winning lighting team of Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer lit the film.

John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical, which features such songs as "All That Jazz," "Mister Cellophane," "Class" and "Nowadays," debuted on Broadway in June 1975 with choreography by the late Bob Fosse and a cast led by Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach. The Tony-winning revival opened in November 1996 with Bebe Neuwirth, Ann Reinking, Joel Grey and James Naughton in the lead roles. Featuring direction by Walter Bobbie and choreography by Reinking "in the style of Bob Fosse," the musical satire recently reopened at the Ambassador Theatre Jan. 29 after a lengthy run at the Shubert.