Walter Hill Set For Laurel Award, WGA West’s Lifetime Achievement Honor

Erik Pedersen
·1 min read
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Walter Hill, who wrote and/or directed and produced such films as 48 Hrs., The Warriors, The Getaway and many more, will receive the WGA West’s 2024 Laurel Award. He will be presented with the career achievement honor April 14 during the strike-delayed Writers Guild Awards’ L.A. ceremony.

The award is presented to WGA members who have advanced the literature of motion pictures and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the screenwriter, per WGAW.

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Hill began his screenwriting career in the early 1970s and made his directing debut with the 1975 Depression-set film Hard Times. He went on to co-write and direct the cult 1979 pic The Warriors and pen the first two Alien sequels. He later directed and wrote or co-wrote Eddie Murphy’s breakout film 48 Hrs., sequel Another 48 Hrs., The Long Riders, Southern Comfort and Last Man Standing. His most recent credit was the 2022 Venice-premiering Dead for a Dollar, which he wrote and helmed.

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Hill won two Emmy Awards and two DGA Awards in the mid-’00s, for Deadwood and Broken Trail.

“Walter Hill’s impact on our industry is undeniable,” WGA West President Meredith Stiehm said. “His unique style influenced and educated generations of screenwriters who followed. He has had an enduring, renowned career.”

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In a flipping of the script, the WGA said in November that its 2024 Writers Guild Awards, which usually are presented just before the Oscars, would be pushed until April 14 because of the writers strike. Nominations were revealed February 21 for the dual ceremonies in Los Angeles and Manhattan.

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