Further signaling that summer has ended and Oscar Buzz season has begun, Amazon just dropped the first trailer for Being the Ricardos, its new biopic of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
Ball and Arnaz, of course, became the first couple of television courtesy of I Love Lucy, arguably the greatest sitcom in the history of the medium. The show originally debuted in 1951 and has remained in constant syndication ever since, making it one of the most popular shows in history. Being the Ricardos follows the behind-the-scenes drama between real-life married couple Arnaz and Ball as they produced the show. Amid their success, the couple endured harsh criticism for being an interracial couple, their marriage strained over Arnaz’s philandering, and Ball wrestled with the pressures of stardom. The film covers one week in the production of I Love Lucy, using it as a prism with which to view the couple’s complicated relationship.
Related: WATCH: Andy Cohen’s interview with Nicole Kidman was an awkward disaster
Oscar winners Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem star as Ball and Arnaz, with a cast that also includes fellow Oscar alum J.K. Simmons, Alia Shawkat, Clark Gregg and Tony Hale. Oscar-winner Aaron Sorkin writes and directs the film.
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Being the Ricardos lands in theaters December 10 and on Amazon Prime Video December 21.
Jim
Hollywood Hype
barryaksarben
Sorkin YES. Kidman?
gregg2010
Kidman sure has the voice down. We didn’t get to see much of how she looks like Lucy in the clip.
Doug
She really does sound like her. But from what I’ve seen in a couple of production photos, Kidman doesn’t resemble her at all. From the trailer it looks like Amazon is more than aware of that, they’ve avoided showing her altogether.
man5996853
She’s had so many fillers and poison injected into her face that she’s barely recognizable even when she’s playing herself.
MISTERJETT
how do you know?
ScottOnEarth
Lucie Arnaz gave her stamp of approval, which is all I need to know. Looking forward to this movie, for sure.
Am in the PM
Debra Messing would have done much better I’m sure.
Itsonlythetruth
I agree 100%, Debra Messing should have been given this role. Her portrayal of Lucy on Will & Grace was spot on.
BLAKENOW
I call BS, Miss Messing a mediocre actress at best, really does she have an Oscar? NO. Nicole Kidman is one of the greats,
Miss messing has already done. the Lucy rip off thing into the ground.
Nicole is going be amazing.
Aunt Sharon
Debra Messing played Lucy Ricardo. The burden here is to play Lucille Ball.
Mamesboy
Jeez. You haven’t even seen it yet!
I’m with Lucie Arnaz. She should know!!
All these arm chair critics. Make your own version then. I thought Rami Malek looked nothing like Freddy Mercury. They didn’t even darken his eyes. It was distracting.
He won the Oscar though! So you don’t have to be a twin to win!
Fahd
I’m going to watch it on Prime, rather than in the theater, but I’m looking forward to it, and I hope it’s good.
skyboy63
Nicole Kidman is a brilliant actress with an incredible resume. She will knock it out of the park. Stop hating.
Mamesboy
Agree.
Mr-DJ
Hopefully Kidman does a good job. But did they even ASK Debra Messing – who already just NATURALLY looks like Lucy, and has a similar personality…..????
Itsonlythetruth
Debra Messing was robbed.
BLAKENOW
of what? the role? this role? why because she already did it in the ground I will and grace or did you not see that last episode? she couldn’t believably carry this movie. shes a TV actress for TV gigs…….NO way not this. .
Kidman all the way
winemaker
How many out there know Lucile Ball was a dancer in the the 30’s and used the pseudonym ‘Diane Belmont’? She got her real big break in the late 1940’s doing a radio show called ‘my favorite husband’ along with Desi Arnaz, whom she’d married in 1940. This show transitioned to television as I love Lucy which ran from 1951 to 1958. She and Desi Arnaz then did an hour comedy sitcom called ‘The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour’ and each week had different guest stars like Red Skelton. Tallulah Bankhead, ida Lupino and Howard Duff and Anne Southern to name a few along with their sidekicks Vivian Vance and Bill Frawley, as ‘the Mertze’s’. This show went on for a couple of years along with the reruns of I Love Lucy. In 1960 Lucy and Desi divorced. Desi went into directing and doing bit parts on various shows like ‘The Mothers in law’ with Eve Arden and Bay Ballard. In 1960, Lucy then did ‘the Lucy Show with Viviane Vance about a widow and a divorced woman, and ‘Here’s Lucy’ featuring the same format. Her last television show was ‘Stone Pony’ in the very early 80’s and was a total flop. Many don’t know Lucile Ball was the first female head of a major studio, Desilu and became such after the divorce buying Desi Arnaz’s interest out
Toofie
Her last tv show was Life With Lucy, which ranked, Stone Pillow was a TV movie where she played a homeless woman which was a ratings hit.
ScottOnEarth
If you’re auditioning for the lead in the movie, Nicole Kidman was already selected. And, you’re wrong about Lucy’s final show biz efforts, as Toofie pointed out.
Mamesboy
Great info but Desi was not on the radio program My Favorite Husband. It was Richard Denning. She was the only one who wanted Desi to play her husband on I Love Lucy. They decided to do some of the skits in front of live audiences at clubs and such.
People loved it. I love Lucy was born!
lykeitiz
She’s “unrecognizable” because the trailer doesn’t show her face.
inbama
She’s cold and uninteresting which is why she bombed in “Bewitched” which needed the warmth of all-American sweetheart Elizabeth Montgomery.
And they gave her that Oscar for wearing a fake nose.
Donston
Her Oscar win was fairly undeserved. But she has given a slew of solid to great performances beyond that. Bewitched was fifteen years ago and had a horrible script. So, I’m not gonna base her potential here on that movie.
lykeitiz
Kidman was hardly the only issue with “Bewitched”. That movie was an offense to the series.
strap2900
Yeah, not a fan of Kidman. And “Nine Perfect Strangers” with her, is terrible. She was good in that cop flick “Destroyer”, other than that , meh. Julianne Moore should have won an Oscar for “The Hours”, not Kidman.
Doug
I think Nicole Kidman is an incredible actress with the right material. “Bewitched” was so bad we walked out of it after half an hour. Not only was the script terrible, but Will Ferrell should never have been cast in the role of her husband. I remember being totally dumbfounded that nobody making that film had any idea whatsoever how bad it was going to be.
Jack Meoff
Can’t wait to see this Nicole is awesome.
malerntogo
I’m not sure Debra Messing is a better fit for Lucile Ball. She has gained quite a bit of weight over the last few years and I’m not sure she’d be willing to trim down for the roll after what she was put through on Will and Grace. They constantly harassed her about her weight and she said she’d never do it again.
Nicole Kidman is a wonderful actress! I can’t think of a single role she has taken on that she didn’t excel in. And yes, even in Bewitched.
They barely showed her face in the preview trailer because they didn’t want all the Negative Naysayers crucifying her before the movie comes out. Can’t fault them for that.
I’m honestly looking forward to seeing this movie!
LumpyPillows
I love Lucy. I’m looking forward to the show.