OSCAR WINNER ASKED TO RETURN AWARD AS APRIL FOOL’S JOKE

“We say this to you with the deepest regrets: The Oscar you received was given by mistake.”

That was the message contained in a letter sent to filmmaker Sarah Polley. The Canadian won her Oscar for the best adapted screenplay for Women Talking at last month’s Academy Awards.

Luckily, Polley quickly realised that the letter didn’t come from the Academy, but rather from her 11-year-old son and it just happened to be 1 April.

The letter went on to tell her that she was allowed to keep it for one more week so that she could enjoy its presence, but that she had to mail her Oscar back to California after the one week has passed.

“We are sorry for your loss, but it is only fair that the play with the real best adapted screenplay gets the Oscar.”

Polley’s child went on to say that All Quiet On The Western Front was the actual winner and that the Academy realised on the day that it gave the Oscar to the wrong winner, but that it wanted to avoid another blunder like the 2017 Best Picture Oscar situation.

Six years ago, the Oscar was given to La La Land instead of Moonlight. The error was quickly realised and the La La Land crew were asked to leave the stage during their acceptance speech so that Moonlight’s crew could come up and receive the award.

Image credit: The Hollywood Reporter