Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are in negotiations to portray Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in a film about the beloved TV (and real-life) couple.
According to Entertainment Weekly, ‘Being the Ricardos’ is written by Aaron Sorkin, who is also direct the film for Amazon Studios and Escape Artists. The film is said to take place during one week of production on the iconic sitcom ‘I Love Lucy’. Beginning with the Monday table read and following Desi and Lucy through the Friday audience filming, ‘Being the Ricardos’ delves into a point of crisis in their lives that challenges both their careers and their marriage. Ball and Arnaz divorced in 1960.
Though not specified or confirmed, it seems likely given Sorkin’s fascination with politics and the exercise of power that the script will focus on an incident in 1953 when Ball met voluntarily with the lead investigator for the House of Un-American Activities Committee regarding the fact that she had registered to vote in 1936 and listed her party affiliation as Communist. Ball explained that she had only done so at the insistence of her socialist grandfather, but had never been a member of the Communist party. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists will produce while the company`s Jenna Block David Bloomfield will executive produce alongside Stuart Besser, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz, Jr. — the two children of the famous couple — and Lauren Lohman.
Arnaz famously greeted the audience before the taping of episode 68 to address the accusations against Ball, quipping, “The only thing red about Lucy is her hair, and even that is not legitimate.” Exploring Ball’s life on screen has been on Sorkin’s mind for some time. Sorkin, who is known mostly for his writing, was originally set only to pen the script, but his time directing ‘Chicago 7’ led him to direct as well. He won an Academy Award in 2011 for writing ‘The Social Network’ and picked up a slew of awards for writing ‘The West Wing’. It`s currently unknown when production will begin due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but the film has gained steam after `Chicago 7` debuted on Netflix.
This wouldn’t be the first Old Hollywood star on Kidman’s resume: She previously portrayed Grace Kelly in 2014’s Grace of Monaco. Ryan Murphy has also expressed a desire to explore a Vivien Leigh biopic with her.
Cate Blanchett had previously eyed the role but ultimately passed, lining up the Oscar-winning Kidman to play the legendary actor. Kidman was last seen in Netflix’s ‘The Prom.’
Bardem, who won an Oscar in 2008 for ‘No Country for Old Men,’ is known for pictures like `Skyfall` and `The Sea Inside.`He will also be seen in Warner Bros.` upcoming `Dune` and Disney`s live-action remake of `The Little Mermaid.
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