Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as Lucy and Desi?

[macbeth]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 9:52am

Couldn't they find better casting for this? 

https://deadline.com/2021/01/aaron-sorkin-nicole-kidman-javier-bardem-lucille-ball-desi-ricardo-being-the-ricardos-1234651297/

[JSquared2]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 10:19am

Yes, pity they could ONLY find 2 Oscar winning actors for the project.

Who would you suggest in place of them?

 

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 10:56am

A Spaniard with a dark complection who has received accolades for his acting, and a funny natural red-head who has also received accolades for her acting both seem like they could be interesting picks to me. Kidman may not be an obvious choice, but I think she is up to the challenge. I'm not sure I see a real problem here.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 10:58am

Oscar winner, Schmoscar winner. The porcelain, unmoving face of Nicole Kidman playing one of television's comic actors does not compute. I think it's a perfect opportunity to give someone like Kate McKinnon a chance to break into a more prestige role. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 11:11am

Bummed Oscar winner Cate Blanchett is no longer part of this. The project was originally greenlit with her involvement. Lucie and Desi Arnaz Jr. are Executive Producers of this film project so all casting and creative choices have to be approved by them as they control their parent’s estate so I trust whatever they approve. Even the WILL & GRACE homage episode was authorized by Lucie and Desi Jr. If Kidman and Bardem are indeed cast, I trust the Arnaz.

[NameGreg]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 11:31am

I really like Bardem’s casting, I think he’ll be great.

Less sure about Kidman, but I’ll give her a shot.

[nealb1]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 11:53am

This is a movie about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.  Not a movie about Lucy & Ricky Ricardo.  

Lucille Ball had a lot of highs, and lot of lows.  The Commie Red Scare, Desi's womanizing, his drinking, the divorce.  These are far from funny topics.  

BrodyFosse123 is right.  This is being done by Lucie & Desi, Jr.  If they are ok with it, then there you go.  

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 12:04pm

^Exactly. Nicole and Javier will be, as always, brilliant in these roles.

[Gorlois]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 12:46pm

Nicole Kidman’s American accents are very spotty (in acting, I’ve come to think of accents as icing on the cake— a nice adornment if done well but easily scraped to the side if poorly made. But with an iconic person like Lucy whose voice I’ve heard so much, it’s going to pull me straight out of the movie if it’s not done well) and I don’t think she can pull off the different timbres Lucy used in-character or out of character, either. I love Nicole Kidman, but Lucille Ball is a stretch. Cate Blanchett would have been much better. 

Updated On: 1/12/21 at 12:46 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 1:52pm

Their children are listed as EP’s on the project so that’s all I need to know to think it’ll be fine.

[MysteriousLady]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 2:32pm

What Gorlois said. Kidman can't do an American accent. When playing a fictional character, it's not a big deal because you can justify by saying maybe the character grew up in australia but it's not mentioned.
Ball was apparently serious and straight forward off screen so Kidman should be ok in those. But if they have her recreate the candy factory scene...oof.
And I don't think the kids are necessarily the best judge. Fanny Brice's daughter didn't want Barbra playing her mother. She preferred Anne Bancroft.

[DivaBrigader]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 2:49pm

nealb1 said: "This is a movie about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Not a movie about Lucy & Ricky Ricardo.

Lucille Ball had a lot of highs, and lot of lows. The Commie Red Scare, Desi's womanizing, his drinking, the divorce. These are far from funny topics.

BrodyFosse123 is right. This is being done by Lucie & Desi, Jr. If they are ok with it, then there you go."

 

The plot of the movie is one week in the filming of I Love Lucy when their relationship is tested. So it doesn't appear to be an all-inclusive biopic.

Also, Spaniard is not the same as Latino, and I am very surprised the kids are OK with that aspect of it. Bardem is white and Desi being Latino is very much a fundamental element of their history and of this story.

 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 3:27pm

I must be confusing this with another Lucy & Desi project - what was filming in Chelsea about two years ago? They had closed down part of 8th Avenue and I remember it being tied to a project about L & D.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 5:48pm

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "I must be confusing this with another Lucy & Desi project - what was filming in Chelsea about two years ago? They had closed down part of 8th Avenue and I remember it being tied to a project about L & D."

Hahaha.  You saw this.  The bathroom trailers on film productions are labeled “Lucy” and “Desi.”  Kidman and Bardem are in talks for a film that’s been in development for a few years now.

[joevitus]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 6:28pm

Kidman as Ball can only be camp.

[Jimbrochu]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 7:39pm

I always thought that Kristin Wiig would be great as Lucy.

[Tom5]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 7:43pm

Ms. Kidman's attempts at comedy in Bewitched and The Stepford Wives remakes came across as mechanical. I think it will be the same here. Her forte is drama.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 8:17pm

As much as I think Cate Blanchett would have killed this, I’d watch Kidman and her wigs read the phone book.

[NameGreg]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 10:54pm

Tom5 said: "Ms. Kidman's attempts at comedy in Bewitched and The Stepford Wives remakes came across as mechanical. I think it will be the same here. Her forte is drama."

Yeah, I recall her comedic timing recently in The Prom fell pretty flat for me, though in all fairness to Kidman, I think her role as written didn’t give her much to work with in the first place.

I understand she was supposed to be great in To Die For, but I’ve yet to see that film yet. I said I’ll be giving her a shot, but it’s not the most exciting casting news. I still think Javier looks like a pretty strong fit for Desi though.

Anyway, I just saw that Stephanie J. Block got in on the Kidman bashing. As a major Lucy fan I hope this film is great, but it’s troubling how much criticism the lead actress choice is already getting at this point.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 10:56pm

Block was straight up rude about it.

[NameGreg]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 11:20pm

Sutton Ross said: "Block was straight up rude about it."

I’m a fan of her’s, but even if Kidman is a million times more famous, as one working actress talking about another, Block’s comment was quite mean spirited. But at least Kidman is unlikely to ever see it. Or rather, that criticism coming from Block, as plenty of others have already made the same joke.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 1/12/21 at 11:43pm

Sutton Ross said: "Block was straight up rude about it."

But was she wrong? Everything she said was factual. Lucy was known for her expressive face, and Miss Kidman’s face barely moved at all in both The Prom and (more so) The Undoing. It’s not a personal attack (as Block would later go on to point out), but it is an odd casting choice. There’s plenty of more appropriate actresses for the part, and some have been publicly named by the children of Lucy & Desi. 

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 1/13/21 at 8:26am

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "Sutton Ross said: "Block was straight up rude about it."

But was she wrong? Everything she said was factual. Lucy was known for her expressive face, and Miss Kidman’s face barely moved at all in both The Prom and (more so) The Undoing. It’s not a personal attack (as Block would later go on to point out), but it is an odd casting choice. There’s plenty of more appropriate actresses for the part, and some have been publicly named by the children of Lucy & Desi."

It doesn’t matter if she was wrong or right the tweet was in bad taste. 

[MysteriousLady]

Posted: 1/13/21 at 9:05am

Regarding Block's tweet: I would normally condemn remarks about appearances, but when it comes to casting, judging the way a performer looks is inescapable. Plus Block even said she was beautiful and talented.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/13/21 at 9:50am

Kidman is one of Hollywood’s leading actresses and producers (she produces most of her projects). Any hopes of Block finding work on some major film/TV projects was just killed. Kidman is part of the leading women power players in Hollywood who are pro-women, etc. Block can now keep herself on Broadway. Nice job burning bridges, Block. You think these things, you don’t say them on social media. Even if Kidman doesn’t see her comments directly, others will bring it to her attention.