The 79 year old French director has written a “cordial, handwritten note” to the Academy suggesting he may be heading to Hollywood to pick up his award in person, despite earlier indications that he would shun the ceremony.

Despite earlier indications otherwise, it looks like French director Jean-Luc Godard may be coming to Hollywood to pick up his honourary Oscar in November after all.

Previously Godard’s partner Anne-Marie Mieville had told media that Godard, at 79, was too old to travel and would not be picking up his award in person. She also suggested that the French director was disgruntled with the fact that the honourary Oscar handout was at the Governors Awards ceremony in November and not at the main Oscar telecast.

But in the latest plot twist, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has revealed that it has received a “cordial, handwritten note” from Godard indicating that “schedule permitting he would come to Los Angeles for the November 13 Governors Awards event.”

In a statement released by the Academy, Godard had apparently “graciously thanked the organization for the honour and referred to himself as ‘the fourth musketeer,’ in acknowledgment of the fact that three others (film historian Kevin Brownlow, Francis Ford Coppola and Eli Wallach) are among the year’s honourees.”

The Academy revealed that the note was relayed to them late last week via an assistant to Godard.

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