Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are in negotiations to play the iconic Hollywood couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, respectively, in the upcoming film “Being the Ricardos”, directed by Aaron Sorkin.
The film will take place during a week of production on the set of “I Love Lucy”, starting with a Monday table read and filming for the audience on Friday. Ball and Arnaz will face challenges that can end their careers and their marriage.
Sorkin wrote the script and will direct the film for Amazon Studios and Escape Artists. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists will be the producers. Escape Artists’ Jenna Block and David Bloomfield will serve as executive producers, alongside Stuart Besser, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Lauren Lohman.
The start date of production is not clear, as the pandemic COVID-19 ended most of the filming projects in the USA
Kidman most recently starred in the HBO drama series “The Undoing”, alongside Hugh Grant. She also participated in the musical “The Prom”, by Ryan Murphy on Netflix. This year, she will star in Hulu’s “Nine Little Strangers” and Robert Eggers “The Northman”.
Bardem will star in Deni Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic “Dune” and was most recently seen in “The Roads Not Taken”. He will also play Ariel’s father, King Triton, in the remake of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”.
Sorkin has just released “The Trial of the Chicago 7” on Netflix, which is generating great repercussions at the Oscars. He made his directorial debut with “Molly’s Game”, starring Jessica Chastain, and wrote the scripts for “The Social Network”, “A Few Good Men” and “Moneyball”.
Kidman is represented by CAA, Shanahan Management and Media Talent Group. Bardem is represented by the WME. Sorkin is represented by CAA.
Deadline first reported the news.