In casting news that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are being eyed to star as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos. The film, which is set up at Amazon, has been on the filmmaker’s plate for a while, and now seems to be moving with Sorkin completed on The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Being the Ricardos had been going by the title of Lucy & Desi, and had Cate Blanchett attached to star. But that was years ago and she’s long since dropped out. Sorkin, who originally planned to simply write the script but will now also direct, has been on the hunt for another A-list actress to play the comedic legend. No word on who is up to play Arnaz, her husband, producing partner, and co-star on I Love Lucy, the classic sitcom which Sorkin’s film will follow a week’s-long production of.
I don’t get the casting of Kidman as Lucille Ball at all, unless the only thing they were looking for is that she’s white and has red hair. Kidman is very funny when she wants to be, and has shown the ability to transform like no other actress before her, but it’s going to take a lot to pull this one off. Bardem is less problematic but even he feels wrong to play Arnaz.
