The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Amazon has acquired the rights to the Aaron Sorkin-scripted Lucille Ball biopic, which is set to star Cate Blanchette as the comedian with inimitable facial expressions, impeccable timing, compelling sense of mischief, and those famous nasal noises of disdain and confession. (The soundtrack of a conventionally sexist ’50s apartment wherein a women was repeatedly told of her place in the kitchen, and cyclically attempted to change that by whatever means necessary, before being discovered, repenting, and then attempting once again).
According to Deadline, casting beyond Blanchett is currently being discussed, and they rumor that Javier Bardem is “in the mix” for the role of Desi Arnaz, Ball’s husband who of course played Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy, and co-founded Desilu Productions with Ball. They’re also supposedly beginning to look for actors to play Vivian Vance and William Frawley — the actors who, themselves, played Ethel and Fred Mertz, respectively. (Might I suggest: Anna Chlumsky or Julie Klausner as Vivian Vance and Louis C.K…and, yeah, just him… as William Frawley?)
The film is being produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists, but Ball and Arnaz’s children, Lucie Luckinbill and Desi Arnaz Jr, also have a hand in production.