Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's fierce, real-life chemistry fueled their roles as the bickering but loving couple on their trailblazing sitcom "I Love Lucy." No matter how aggravating Lucy's goofy schemes became, at the end of the day Ricky always forgave her and couldn't help but be charmed by her wild antics. But behind the scenes, Lucy and Desi's actual marriage was far from the cookie-cutter image they presented in their beloved television series.
There was a tension between Lucy and Desi that would impact the "I Love Lucy" production even from the very start. Amy Poehler's fantastic documentary "Lucy and Desi," assembles private audio tapes recorded by the couple with home movies and photographs, giving a unique insight into their own personal thoughts and feelings — especially regarding the fractured state of their marriage and how working on "I Love Lucy" exacerbated many of their pre-existing conflicts. "It's...
There was a tension between Lucy and Desi that would impact the "I Love Lucy" production even from the very start. Amy Poehler's fantastic documentary "Lucy and Desi," assembles private audio tapes recorded by the couple with home movies and photographs, giving a unique insight into their own personal thoughts and feelings — especially regarding the fractured state of their marriage and how working on "I Love Lucy" exacerbated many of their pre-existing conflicts. "It's...
- 10/9/2023
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
How much juice did Lucille Ball have in the late 1960s? While many of her contemporaries struggled to remain relevant as America seemed on the brink of a cultural and political revolution, the old-school Ball was still one of television's most reliable entertainers. "I Love Lucy," the paradigm-setting sitcom she created with her husband Desi Arnaz, was a syndication powerhouse. Five years after ending the series, she shook off the Broadway failure of 1960's "Wildcat" and scored another sitcom hit with "The Lucy Show." At the end of the series' sixth season, it was the second highest-rated show on television, but when Ball sold Desilu Productions to Gulf+Western in 1967, she decided to pull the plug.
Why? Because she didn't want to star in a show owned by someone else. So when "The Lucy Show" aired its final episode on March 11, 1968, Ball turned around and created "Here's Lucy," which premiered...
Why? Because she didn't want to star in a show owned by someone else. So when "The Lucy Show" aired its final episode on March 11, 1968, Ball turned around and created "Here's Lucy," which premiered...
- 9/4/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Lawrence Turman Dies: Oscar-Nominated Producer Of ‘The Graduate’, ‘American History X’ & More Was 96
Oscar-nominated producer Lawrence Turman died Saturday at the Motion Picture and Television Country Home and Hospital. He was 96. He had a stellar career not only as a producer of such seminal films as The Graduate (1967), The Great White Hope (1970), American History X (1998) and many more in a producing career that lasted six decades, but he also took a significant turn when he left his partnership with producer David Foster to head the prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program at USC in 1991, an association that continued until his retirement just two years ago.
His son, John Turman, confirmed the death to Deadline. “Our father Lawrence Turman passed away late yesterday,” he said. “It’s sad, but he had a long and storied life, and it’s the passing of an era.” He added that the MPTF is planning a memorial service as well as USC at a later date.
Related: Hollywood & Media...
His son, John Turman, confirmed the death to Deadline. “Our father Lawrence Turman passed away late yesterday,” he said. “It’s sad, but he had a long and storied life, and it’s the passing of an era.” He added that the MPTF is planning a memorial service as well as USC at a later date.
Related: Hollywood & Media...
- 7/3/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Lawrence Turman, the principled Oscar-nominated producer of The Graduate who was behind other films including The Great White Hope, Pretty Poison, American History X and the last movie Judy Garland ever made, has died. He was 96.
Turman died Saturday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, his family announced.
A former agent, he and producer David Foster began a 20-year partnership in 1974, and the first film to come out of the Turman Foster Co. was Stuart Rosenberg’s The Drowning Pool (1975), starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.
They went their separate ways in 1991 when Turman left to begin an association heading the esteemed Peter Stark Producing Program at USC that lasted until his retirement in 2021.
However, Turman wasn’t done producing, and in 1996 he and John Morrissey launched the Turman-Morrissey Co., which made the Jamie Foxx-starring Booty Call (1997); Tony Kaye’s American History X...
Turman died Saturday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, his family announced.
A former agent, he and producer David Foster began a 20-year partnership in 1974, and the first film to come out of the Turman Foster Co. was Stuart Rosenberg’s The Drowning Pool (1975), starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.
They went their separate ways in 1991 when Turman left to begin an association heading the esteemed Peter Stark Producing Program at USC that lasted until his retirement in 2021.
However, Turman wasn’t done producing, and in 1996 he and John Morrissey launched the Turman-Morrissey Co., which made the Jamie Foxx-starring Booty Call (1997); Tony Kaye’s American History X...
- 7/3/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lucille Ball is a comedy legend. She made history many times over, first for her work in the beloved TV series I Love Lucy and later for her role as the head of a major TV studio. A tough, no-nonsense woman who dedicated everything to her craft, Ball remains a pop culture icon decades after her 1989 death. Though Ball excelled at comedy, she also dabbled in drama, most notably in a 1985 movie where she portrayed a homeless person. Ball worked so hard to inhabit the character that she lost over 20 pounds.
Lucille Ball dominated comedy
The lovable #LucilleBall was born on this day in 1911. In honor of her birthday, we celebrate the Queen of Comedy with a look back at her movie and television career. https://t.co/6vffOcwSFq pic.twitter.com/Fc1vw6flBt
— IMDb (@IMDb) August 6, 2018
Ball’s hard work and determination defined her rise to the top.
Lucille Ball dominated comedy
The lovable #LucilleBall was born on this day in 1911. In honor of her birthday, we celebrate the Queen of Comedy with a look back at her movie and television career. https://t.co/6vffOcwSFq pic.twitter.com/Fc1vw6flBt
— IMDb (@IMDb) August 6, 2018
Ball’s hard work and determination defined her rise to the top.
- 4/19/2023
- by Christina Nunn
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Updated, 8:30 Am: The man who prosecutors say used the Desilu Studios name associated with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s TV production company to lure investors whose money he spent on himself pleaded not guilty today to federal charges.
Charles Hensley, 68, of Redondo Beach, faces 11 counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. His trial was set for February 21 in Los Angeles federal court. Read details of the case below.
Previously, August 10: A Southern California man who allegedly used the “Desilu Studios” name to attract investors whose money he later squandered on himself was indicted by a federal grand jury today in Los Angeles. Charles Hensley, 68, of Redondo Beach, faces 11 counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
An arraignment in U.S. District Court will happen in the coming weeks.
The alleged scheme impacted many investors, including some who wired the...
Charles Hensley, 68, of Redondo Beach, faces 11 counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. His trial was set for February 21 in Los Angeles federal court. Read details of the case below.
Previously, August 10: A Southern California man who allegedly used the “Desilu Studios” name to attract investors whose money he later squandered on himself was indicted by a federal grand jury today in Los Angeles. Charles Hensley, 68, of Redondo Beach, faces 11 counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
An arraignment in U.S. District Court will happen in the coming weeks.
The alleged scheme impacted many investors, including some who wired the...
- 12/31/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The Critics Choice Association (Cca) announced today select honorees for the 2nd annual Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television.
Hosted by actress and producer Justina Machado, the event will take place on November 13, 2022 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, CA.
The Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television showcases standout Latino performances and work, both onscreen and offscreen.
This year’s event has expanded to include television honorees, in addition to film honorees.
Actor, producer, and musician Desi Arnaz will be posthumously honored with the Icon Award for his incredible career.
Arnaz is the subject, alongside his wife and partner Lucille Ball, of Prime Video’s documentary, Lucy and Desi.
Their daughter, actress, singer, and producer Lucie Arnaz, will accept the award on his behalf.
Two-time Oscar-winning producer, writer and director Guillermo del Toro will receive the Career Achievement Award for his decades-long career, and for his...
Hosted by actress and producer Justina Machado, the event will take place on November 13, 2022 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, CA.
The Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television showcases standout Latino performances and work, both onscreen and offscreen.
This year’s event has expanded to include television honorees, in addition to film honorees.
Actor, producer, and musician Desi Arnaz will be posthumously honored with the Icon Award for his incredible career.
Arnaz is the subject, alongside his wife and partner Lucille Ball, of Prime Video’s documentary, Lucy and Desi.
Their daughter, actress, singer, and producer Lucie Arnaz, will accept the award on his behalf.
Two-time Oscar-winning producer, writer and director Guillermo del Toro will receive the Career Achievement Award for his decades-long career, and for his...
- 10/14/2022
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Click here to read the full article.
Robby Benson, Viola Davis and Josh Gad were among the list of Hollywood stars and entertainment industry members who shared tributes and expressed their condolences following the news of the passing of actress Angela Lansbury.
The celebrated performer and iconic star of Murder, She Wrote was a five-time Tony Award winner, recipient of an honorary Oscar, multiple Golden Globe winner and a 12-time Emmy nominee — one for each season she starred in the hit CBS procedural. Known for her memorable and acclaimed roles in films like 1945’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1962’s The Manchurian Candidate and 1944’s Gaslight — for which she received her first Oscar nomination at 19 — Lansbury passed away in the early hours of Tuesday at her L.A. home just five days shy of turning 97.
The actress was also a legendary stage talent, winning her first Tony for her role...
Robby Benson, Viola Davis and Josh Gad were among the list of Hollywood stars and entertainment industry members who shared tributes and expressed their condolences following the news of the passing of actress Angela Lansbury.
The celebrated performer and iconic star of Murder, She Wrote was a five-time Tony Award winner, recipient of an honorary Oscar, multiple Golden Globe winner and a 12-time Emmy nominee — one for each season she starred in the hit CBS procedural. Known for her memorable and acclaimed roles in films like 1945’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1962’s The Manchurian Candidate and 1944’s Gaslight — for which she received her first Oscar nomination at 19 — Lansbury passed away in the early hours of Tuesday at her L.A. home just five days shy of turning 97.
The actress was also a legendary stage talent, winning her first Tony for her role...
- 10/11/2022
- by Lexy Perez and Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
This year’s Emmy nominees for best documentary or nonfiction special include four examinations of celebrity in its various forms — from the tabloid target Britney Spears, the comic philosophies of George Carlin, the romantic and working partnership between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz to the altruistic efforts of chef José Andrés. Rounding out the category is The Tinder Swindler, a true crime doc about a man who used the dating app to scheme unsuspecting women out of cash. Here is a rundown of the contenders from The Hollywood Reporter’s writers and critics.
Controlling Britney Spears: The New York Times Presents (FX/Hulu)
In the follow-up to Framing Britney Spears, Controlling Britney Spears is directed by Samantha Stark with Liz Day as a supervising producer and reporter, and features interviews with insiders who had knowledge of Spears’ life while in the conservatorship. In their interviews,...
This year’s Emmy nominees for best documentary or nonfiction special include four examinations of celebrity in its various forms — from the tabloid target Britney Spears, the comic philosophies of George Carlin, the romantic and working partnership between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz to the altruistic efforts of chef José Andrés. Rounding out the category is The Tinder Swindler, a true crime doc about a man who used the dating app to scheme unsuspecting women out of cash. Here is a rundown of the contenders from The Hollywood Reporter’s writers and critics.
Controlling Britney Spears: The New York Times Presents (FX/Hulu)
In the follow-up to Framing Britney Spears, Controlling Britney Spears is directed by Samantha Stark with Liz Day as a supervising producer and reporter, and features interviews with insiders who had knowledge of Spears’ life while in the conservatorship. In their interviews,...
- 8/16/2022
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For the third year in a row—and fourth in the last five—White Horse Pictures finds itself in the middle of the Emmy horse race.
In 2020, the White Horse production The Apollo, about the legendary performing arts venue in Harlem, earned Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special. Last year, White Horse’s The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart was nominated for six Emmys, winning one. This year it’s back in contention with Lucy and Desi, Amy Poehler’s documentary about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, which is nominated for half a dozen Emmys—more than any other documentary.
“I’m ecstatic,” says White Horse Pictures partner Jeanne Elfant Festa of the Emmy recognition. She’s a producer of the film, along with Poehler, Mark Monroe and White Horse co-founder and principal Nigel Sinclair. “It’s an honor, it’s a thrill. We have the best...
In 2020, the White Horse production The Apollo, about the legendary performing arts venue in Harlem, earned Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special. Last year, White Horse’s The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart was nominated for six Emmys, winning one. This year it’s back in contention with Lucy and Desi, Amy Poehler’s documentary about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, which is nominated for half a dozen Emmys—more than any other documentary.
“I’m ecstatic,” says White Horse Pictures partner Jeanne Elfant Festa of the Emmy recognition. She’s a producer of the film, along with Poehler, Mark Monroe and White Horse co-founder and principal Nigel Sinclair. “It’s an honor, it’s a thrill. We have the best...
- 8/15/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have indicted a Redondo Beach man on fraud and identity theft charges, alleging he used the name of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s legendary Desilu production company to scam investors.
Charles Hensley, 68, has been charged with 11 counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft for his alleged activities, which involved using the Desilu name to dupe investors into giving him money to shell corporations. The indictment stemmed from an investigation into Hensley’s businesses from the FBI and the IRS. Prosecutors said Hensley collected 331,000 from multiple investors, money that was used for his personal expenses including trips to Las Vegas.
Hensley could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Hensley founded the company Desilu Studios Inc. in 2016, operating it out of offices in Manhattan Beach and other locations in Southern California. The name closely resembled Desilu Productions Inc., the long-defunct...
Charles Hensley, 68, has been charged with 11 counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft for his alleged activities, which involved using the Desilu name to dupe investors into giving him money to shell corporations. The indictment stemmed from an investigation into Hensley’s businesses from the FBI and the IRS. Prosecutors said Hensley collected 331,000 from multiple investors, money that was used for his personal expenses including trips to Las Vegas.
Hensley could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Hensley founded the company Desilu Studios Inc. in 2016, operating it out of offices in Manhattan Beach and other locations in Southern California. The name closely resembled Desilu Productions Inc., the long-defunct...
- 8/11/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Mark Monroe, writer-producer of the Emmy-nominated documentary Lucy and Desi, calls Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz “the most powerful couple probably Hollywood has ever seen.”
Not only did the pair found Desilu Studios, a major independent production company, but they created one of the most beloved TV programs of all time with I Love Lucy. That show introduced all sorts of innovations that remain industry standards today, including the practice of taping sitcoms before a live audience, shooting with multiple cameras, syndication, and re-runs.
Contenders TV: The Nominees — Deadline’s Complete Coverage
“The innovations… we take them for granted because we’re still reaping the rewards of a lot of the things they invented,” Monroe said during a panel discussion of the Prime Video documentary at Deadline’s Contenders Television: The Nominees event. “It’s just the way television is today.”
Lucy and Desi, directed by Amy Poehler, earned six Emmy nods,...
Not only did the pair found Desilu Studios, a major independent production company, but they created one of the most beloved TV programs of all time with I Love Lucy. That show introduced all sorts of innovations that remain industry standards today, including the practice of taping sitcoms before a live audience, shooting with multiple cameras, syndication, and re-runs.
Contenders TV: The Nominees — Deadline’s Complete Coverage
“The innovations… we take them for granted because we’re still reaping the rewards of a lot of the things they invented,” Monroe said during a panel discussion of the Prime Video documentary at Deadline’s Contenders Television: The Nominees event. “It’s just the way television is today.”
Lucy and Desi, directed by Amy Poehler, earned six Emmy nods,...
- 8/6/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Lucie Arnaz and Gloria Calderón Kellett had very different upbringings.
The former was raised in Beverly Hills, daughter of TV comedy icons Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and would go on to become an actress and filmmaker herself, creating a documentary about her parents, Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie in 1993 and appearing in the 2022 Amazon doc Lucy and Desi, directed by Amy Poehler. Calderón Kellett, meanwhile, grew up in Portland, Oregon, as the child of Cuban immigrants, and now serves as a television creator, having worked as showrunner on the One Day at a Time reboot at Netflix and Pop and, most recently, creating the Amazon series With Love.
The women have a key inspiration in common: Desi Arnaz, Lucie’s father and a trailblazing pioneer in Latin American representation on television. What follows is a discussion between the two on how...
Lucie Arnaz and Gloria Calderón Kellett had very different upbringings.
The former was raised in Beverly Hills, daughter of TV comedy icons Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and would go on to become an actress and filmmaker herself, creating a documentary about her parents, Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie in 1993 and appearing in the 2022 Amazon doc Lucy and Desi, directed by Amy Poehler. Calderón Kellett, meanwhile, grew up in Portland, Oregon, as the child of Cuban immigrants, and now serves as a television creator, having worked as showrunner on the One Day at a Time reboot at Netflix and Pop and, most recently, creating the Amazon series With Love.
The women have a key inspiration in common: Desi Arnaz, Lucie’s father and a trailblazing pioneer in Latin American representation on television. What follows is a discussion between the two on how...
- 6/16/2022
- by Hilton Dresden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
(Original Caption) Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz going over business matters. Picture from Lucy’s personal file.
So here’s the perfect companion to one of the big feature film “docudramas” from the last weeks of 2021. You may even consider it a “super bonus extra” for a proposed home video release. Ah, but it’s so much more than that. It delves into the history and legacy more thoroughly than any “squeezed into a brief timeline” big-screen treatment. Sure there are lots of clips from this duo’s greatest collaboration, which is still being adored by fans all over the planet every day, but there are historical artifacts that many of us have never seen and heard before. And happily, there are the early, early”pre-superstardom” snippets as the careers of these two began to converge and meld. These gems along with archival footage have been assembled by a talented...
So here’s the perfect companion to one of the big feature film “docudramas” from the last weeks of 2021. You may even consider it a “super bonus extra” for a proposed home video release. Ah, but it’s so much more than that. It delves into the history and legacy more thoroughly than any “squeezed into a brief timeline” big-screen treatment. Sure there are lots of clips from this duo’s greatest collaboration, which is still being adored by fans all over the planet every day, but there are historical artifacts that many of us have never seen and heard before. And happily, there are the early, early”pre-superstardom” snippets as the careers of these two began to converge and meld. These gems along with archival footage have been assembled by a talented...
- 3/4/2022
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Lucy and Desi,” a new documentary from director Amy Poehler, tells the true story behind the television trailblazers who changed the landscape of Hollywood.
In the first trailer, which dropped on Monday, icons like Bette Midler, Carol Burnett and Norman Lear attempt to put into words the impact that Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had on the entertainment industry.
“They established their own studio. That’s an enormous operation,” marvels Lear. “She was fearless,” says Burnett, who counted Ball among her mentors. Midler adds, “You realized, women can do this, too!”
“Lucy and Desi,” which premieres March 4 on Amazon Prime Video, explores how Ball and Arnaz met, fell in love and created a TV empire that would cement their legacy in showbiz. As one of the industry’s most prolific power couples, Ball and Arnaz founded Desilu Productions, the company behind “I Love Lucy” and countless other popular shows, like “Mission: Impossible” and “Star Trek.
In the first trailer, which dropped on Monday, icons like Bette Midler, Carol Burnett and Norman Lear attempt to put into words the impact that Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had on the entertainment industry.
“They established their own studio. That’s an enormous operation,” marvels Lear. “She was fearless,” says Burnett, who counted Ball among her mentors. Midler adds, “You realized, women can do this, too!”
“Lucy and Desi,” which premieres March 4 on Amazon Prime Video, explores how Ball and Arnaz met, fell in love and created a TV empire that would cement their legacy in showbiz. As one of the industry’s most prolific power couples, Ball and Arnaz founded Desilu Productions, the company behind “I Love Lucy” and countless other popular shows, like “Mission: Impossible” and “Star Trek.
- 2/14/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”) was born during the fourth season of “I Love Lucy.” And now 66 years later, he’s portraying actor William Frawley who was Fred Mertz on the classic in Aaron Sorkin’s “Being the Ricardos.” It stars Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball, Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz and Nina Arianda as Vivian Vance. “Weirdly as a young kid, watching it on mom and dad’s old black-and-white TV or maybe when grandma and grandpa had it on TV, I sort of identified with Fred Mertz,” observed Simmons during a recent Deadline Zoom interview with Bardem. “I just thought he was a delightful and amusing guy. And here we are 60 years later, I got to inhabit that guy for a while.”
When the series started in 1951, Frawley had appeared in vaudeville and dozens of movies. “It really wasn’t a giant stretch for Bill to play Fred Mertz,...
When the series started in 1951, Frawley had appeared in vaudeville and dozens of movies. “It really wasn’t a giant stretch for Bill to play Fred Mertz,...
- 2/4/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
In 1952, the second season of CBS sitcom I Love Lucy set viewing records that, 70 years later, have yet to be beaten. The star was Lucille Ball, a lovable klutz from New York, and her husband Ricky was played by her real-life spouse—Cuban refugee Desi Arnaz. Together they founded Desilu Productions, soon to be the No. 1 independent TV company in America. In 1957, however, a scandal surfaced that threatened to tear it all down: Lucy was a registered Communist. Or was she? That fraught time is brought to life by Aaron Sorkin in his Amazon Studios release Being the Ricardos, starring Nicole Kidman as Lucy and Javier Bardem as Desi. Damon Wise sits down with all three to discuss the forgotten legacy of a most unlikely power couple.
Calling the Shots: Aaron Sorkin
Being the Ricardos is Aaron Sorkin’s 10th credited feature script and his third film as director. In...
Calling the Shots: Aaron Sorkin
Being the Ricardos is Aaron Sorkin’s 10th credited feature script and his third film as director. In...
- 1/19/2022
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood dignitaries, from Ryan Reynolds to Seth Meyers, took to social media on Friday to pay tribute to the late Betty White. White, the 99-year-old “Golden Girls” star, TV trailblazer and cultural icon whose legendary career spanned eight decades, died Thursday night at her home in Brentwood.
White died just shy of what would have been a milestone 100th birthday on Jan. 17.
Ryan Reynolds, who starred alongside White in “The Proposal” wrote on Twitter, “The world looks different now. She was great at defying expectation. She managed to grow very old and somehow, not old enough. We’ll miss you, Betty. Now you know the secret.”
The world looks different now. She was great at defying expectation. She managed to grow very old and somehow, not old enough. We’ll miss you, Betty. Now you know the secret. pic.twitter.com/uevwerjobS
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 31, 2021
Sandra Bullock, White’s...
White died just shy of what would have been a milestone 100th birthday on Jan. 17.
Ryan Reynolds, who starred alongside White in “The Proposal” wrote on Twitter, “The world looks different now. She was great at defying expectation. She managed to grow very old and somehow, not old enough. We’ll miss you, Betty. Now you know the secret.”
The world looks different now. She was great at defying expectation. She managed to grow very old and somehow, not old enough. We’ll miss you, Betty. Now you know the secret. pic.twitter.com/uevwerjobS
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 31, 2021
Sandra Bullock, White’s...
- 12/31/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Updated: Ever since Todd Black got into the film business as a producer, he wanted to work with Aaron Sorkin.
“I remember early on seeing things he wrote, even plays, and going ‘Wow, this guy has a voice like nobody’s business,'” says the Oscar-nominated producer of Fences.
However, Black says “I never had anything good enough to bring to him.” This goes back to some sage advice Black received from Denzel Washington years ago.
The two were having lunch at the Columbia Pictures commissary shortly after Washington took home a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Glory. The budding producer was eager to make a movie with Washington, but the actor told him, “‘When you read a script that keeps you up at night and makes your heart pound and you can’t get it out of your mind because of the characters and the story, call me. Otherwise,...
“I remember early on seeing things he wrote, even plays, and going ‘Wow, this guy has a voice like nobody’s business,'” says the Oscar-nominated producer of Fences.
However, Black says “I never had anything good enough to bring to him.” This goes back to some sage advice Black received from Denzel Washington years ago.
The two were having lunch at the Columbia Pictures commissary shortly after Washington took home a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Glory. The budding producer was eager to make a movie with Washington, but the actor told him, “‘When you read a script that keeps you up at night and makes your heart pound and you can’t get it out of your mind because of the characters and the story, call me. Otherwise,...
- 12/24/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Academy Award-winning actor Javier Bardem experienced a reawakening while becoming intimately acquainted with Desi Arnaz, the I Love Lucy star who Bardem brings to life in Amazon’s Being the Ricardos. And it all happened while the past and present collided during multiple musical numbers including “Babalu” and “Cuban Pete,” and while listening to private audio recordings shared by Lucy and Desi’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz.
Before working on the Aaron Sorkin film alongside Nicole Kidman in the role of Lucille Ball, Bardem did not consider himself a singer. But the experience helped him not only grow closer to the famous Cuban actor, musician, and TV producer but also — and most important — himself.
“I was working The Little Mermaid when I got the role [of Desi], so I was already in the process of [working on my singing],” Bardem told Deadline while promoting the film’s Tuesday debut on Prime Video. “The first person to ever...
Before working on the Aaron Sorkin film alongside Nicole Kidman in the role of Lucille Ball, Bardem did not consider himself a singer. But the experience helped him not only grow closer to the famous Cuban actor, musician, and TV producer but also — and most important — himself.
“I was working The Little Mermaid when I got the role [of Desi], so I was already in the process of [working on my singing],” Bardem told Deadline while promoting the film’s Tuesday debut on Prime Video. “The first person to ever...
- 12/22/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Producers: Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch.
Executive producers: Jenna Block, Stuart Besser, David Bloomfield, Lauren Lohman, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr.
Director: Aaron Sorkin.
Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin.
Camera: Jeff Cronenweth.
Editor: Alan Baumgarten.
Music: Daniel Pemberton.
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Linda Lavin, Ronny Cox, John Rubinstein, Clark Gregg, Nelson Franklin, Jeff Holman, Jonah Platt, Christopher Denham, Brian Howe, Ron Perkins.
…...
Executive producers: Jenna Block, Stuart Besser, David Bloomfield, Lauren Lohman, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr.
Director: Aaron Sorkin.
Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin.
Camera: Jeff Cronenweth.
Editor: Alan Baumgarten.
Music: Daniel Pemberton.
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Linda Lavin, Ronny Cox, John Rubinstein, Clark Gregg, Nelson Franklin, Jeff Holman, Jonah Platt, Christopher Denham, Brian Howe, Ron Perkins.
…...
- 12/21/2021
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Curated by the IndieWire Crafts team, Craft Considerations is a platform for filmmakers to talk about recent work we believe is worthy of awards consideration. In partnership with Amazon Studios, for this edition we look at how costume designer Susan Lyall, production designer Jon Hutman, and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth re-imagined the private and backstage life of Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) in writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s new film “Being the Ricardos.”
For Jon Hutman, the production designer who built the original “The West Wing” sets, the focus of his latest collaboration with Aaron Sorkin was familiar territory. “What people want to see in this movie is not what happened on the stage; everyone wants to know what happens backstage.” Recalled costume designer Susan Lyall, “One of the first things Aaron said, ‘We are not doing ‘I Love Lucy.’ It’s the drama behind the comedy.’”
And while Lyall,...
For Jon Hutman, the production designer who built the original “The West Wing” sets, the focus of his latest collaboration with Aaron Sorkin was familiar territory. “What people want to see in this movie is not what happened on the stage; everyone wants to know what happens backstage.” Recalled costume designer Susan Lyall, “One of the first things Aaron said, ‘We are not doing ‘I Love Lucy.’ It’s the drama behind the comedy.’”
And while Lyall,...
- 12/20/2021
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”) deserves every award he has won in theater, television, and film, but it also means he’s often perceived as an old-school establishment player. And he’s so gifted at writing that it’s hard to remember that he’s still learning how to direct movies. Sorkin wrote “Being the Ricardos” for someone else to direct, but ended up taking the helm of this pandemic production. His third directing gig presented a real dive off the high board.
Yet again, like his second film “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (which earned six Oscar nominations and won none), he’s shaping a true story into something dramatic, without worrying about total verisimilitude. As usual, he fretted over producer Todd Black’s idea of fictionalizing the life of “I Love Lucy” married producer-stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, ingesting tons of research until a...
Yet again, like his second film “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (which earned six Oscar nominations and won none), he’s shaping a true story into something dramatic, without worrying about total verisimilitude. As usual, he fretted over producer Todd Black’s idea of fictionalizing the life of “I Love Lucy” married producer-stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, ingesting tons of research until a...
- 12/15/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”) deserves every award he has won in theater, television, and film, but it also means he’s often perceived as an old-school establishment player. And he’s so gifted at writing that it’s hard to remember that he’s still learning how to direct movies. Sorkin wrote “Being the Ricardos” for someone else to direct, but ended up taking the helm of this pandemic production. His third directing gig presented a real dive off the high board.
Yet again, like his second film “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (which earned six Oscar nominations and won none), he’s shaping a true story into something dramatic, without worrying about total verisimilitude. As usual, he fretted over producer Todd Black’s idea of fictionalizing the life of “I Love Lucy” married producer-stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, ingesting tons of research until a...
Yet again, like his second film “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (which earned six Oscar nominations and won none), he’s shaping a true story into something dramatic, without worrying about total verisimilitude. As usual, he fretted over producer Todd Black’s idea of fictionalizing the life of “I Love Lucy” married producer-stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, ingesting tons of research until a...
- 12/15/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Sometimes when “Being the Ricardos” star Javier Bardem reads through a screenplay that truly excites him, he can’t bear to stay stationary. “When I read a good script I have to stand up and turn around and walk around the room and move the body because the body is reacting emotionally and physically to what you’re reading, to the images that the author has put into words and that you have to recreate on set,” he tells Gold Derby. So it’s maybe no surprise how Bardem reacted to Aaron Sorkin’s latest film, about Hollywood legends Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
“I was standing up every 10 minutes saying, ‘Wow, this is on fire. This thing is so well put together,’” Bardem says of the “Being the Ricardos” script. He was so enthralled with Sorkin’s words and the part of Arnaz that when Bardem spoke to the writer-director,...
“I was standing up every 10 minutes saying, ‘Wow, this is on fire. This thing is so well put together,’” Bardem says of the “Being the Ricardos” script. He was so enthralled with Sorkin’s words and the part of Arnaz that when Bardem spoke to the writer-director,...
- 12/9/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Producer Todd Black has been interested in making a film about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz since 1995, but their children weren’t “ready to do that at that time.” But eventually Black met with Lucie Arnaz and the two started a “trust-building” process that ultimately led to Amazon’s “Being the Ricardos.” Arnaz didn’t want a fawning portrait of her parents, though. “She said, ‘I don’t want to soften it. I want to really get real and raw.'” We talked with Black as part of our “Meet the Experts” Film Producers Panel. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, “Being the Ricardos” isn’t a traditional cradle-to-grave portrait of Ball and Arnaz’s lives and careers. Instead, it focuses on one week during production of “I Love Lucy” when Ball (played by Nicole Kidman) is publicly accused of being a communist amid...
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, “Being the Ricardos” isn’t a traditional cradle-to-grave portrait of Ball and Arnaz’s lives and careers. Instead, it focuses on one week during production of “I Love Lucy” when Ball (played by Nicole Kidman) is publicly accused of being a communist amid...
- 12/2/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Billy Hinsche, singer in the Sixties boy band Dino, Desi and Billy and longtime member of the Beach Boys’ touring unit, has died at the age of 70.
Lucie Arnaz — the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and whose brother Desi Arnaz Jr. was a member of Dino, Desi and Billy, along with Hinsche and Dean Martin’s son Dean Paul Martin — confirmed Hinsche’s death Saturday, revealing the cause as giant cell carcinoma.
“Only diagnosed a couple weeks ago,” Lucie Arnaz wrote on Instagram. “It ravaged him like an out of control train.
Lucie Arnaz — the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and whose brother Desi Arnaz Jr. was a member of Dino, Desi and Billy, along with Hinsche and Dean Martin’s son Dean Paul Martin — confirmed Hinsche’s death Saturday, revealing the cause as giant cell carcinoma.
“Only diagnosed a couple weeks ago,” Lucie Arnaz wrote on Instagram. “It ravaged him like an out of control train.
- 11/21/2021
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Aaron Sorkin may not be on social media, but don’t think he’s not aware of the backlash against Nicole Kidman‘s casting as Lucille Ball in his new film “Being the Ricardos.” During a post-screening Q&a Wednesday in New York City with Kidman and his other stars J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda, Sorkin made his feelings about internet armchair casting experts very clear.
“There was this committee — I can’t remember what they were called, not the House on Un-American Activities Committee — but this association for American goodness or something,” Sorkin said. “But they were the ones who, if you wanted to hire J.K. Simmons on your show, they’d tell you if that was Ok. They’ve checked out J.K. and they haven’t found anything in his past that bothers them, yes, you can hire J.K. Simmons. That group today is Twitter.”
Outrage...
“There was this committee — I can’t remember what they were called, not the House on Un-American Activities Committee — but this association for American goodness or something,” Sorkin said. “But they were the ones who, if you wanted to hire J.K. Simmons on your show, they’d tell you if that was Ok. They’ve checked out J.K. and they haven’t found anything in his past that bothers them, yes, you can hire J.K. Simmons. That group today is Twitter.”
Outrage...
- 11/18/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Aaron Sorkin and the cast of Being the Ricardos hit the stage for Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles on Sunday. The Amazon romantic drama, which celebrates the legacy of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, is set to premiere December 10 in theaters, then debut on Amazon Prime Video 11 days later.
“I was certainly intrigued that Lucille Ball has been accused of being a communist, which I didn’t know,” Sorkin said during the film’s panel at the DGA Theater, where he was joined by stars Javier Bardem, Nicole Kidman, Nina Arianda and J.K. Simmons. “I asked around to see if I was the only one who didn’t know this. And it turns out, I wasn’t.”
He continued, “[The story] weaves in and out so beautifully telling [Lucy and Desi’s] story. It just weaves in and out — this is really a love story. It’s a romantic drama. Lucy and Desi were passionately in love with each other,...
“I was certainly intrigued that Lucille Ball has been accused of being a communist, which I didn’t know,” Sorkin said during the film’s panel at the DGA Theater, where he was joined by stars Javier Bardem, Nicole Kidman, Nina Arianda and J.K. Simmons. “I asked around to see if I was the only one who didn’t know this. And it turns out, I wasn’t.”
He continued, “[The story] weaves in and out so beautifully telling [Lucy and Desi’s] story. It just weaves in and out — this is really a love story. It’s a romantic drama. Lucy and Desi were passionately in love with each other,...
- 11/14/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Aaron Sorkin gave his first in-depth interview on his upcoming directorial effort “Being the Ricardos” to The Hollywood Reporter, and the discussion touched upon the controversial castings of Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. “I Love Lucy” fans have knocked Kidman’s casting as she does not look like the real Lucille Ball, while trailers for the film have ignited complaints that she doesn’t sound like Ball either. Sorkin said he wasn’t concerned with any of that when casting. He wanted Kidman to play the character he wrote on the page before trying to impersonate the real Lucille Ball.
“We made this movie during Covid, and so in Zooming with Nicole and Javier and everyone else, I’d make it very clear to them that I am not looking for a physical or vocal impersonation of these people,” Sorkin said. “Leading up to the first rehearsal,...
“We made this movie during Covid, and so in Zooming with Nicole and Javier and everyone else, I’d make it very clear to them that I am not looking for a physical or vocal impersonation of these people,” Sorkin said. “Leading up to the first rehearsal,...
- 11/11/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
It was only earlier this year that “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin’s second feature directorial effort and his follow-up to “Molly’s Game,” earned six Academy Award nominations, including bids for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sacha Baron Cohen), and Best Original Screenplay for Sorkin. At the Golden Globes and Directors Guild of America Awards, Sorkin even managed to earn nominations for Best Director. It was a big step up from “Molly’s Game,” which went overlooked at top awards shows. Can the upcoming “Being the Ricardos” continue Sorkin’s award momentum as a director? Amazon Studios has debuted the official trailer below.
“Being the Ricardos” takes place over the course of one production week on the set of “I Love Lucy,” during which Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz receive some upsetting news that could jeopardize both their marriage and their careers. Most of the action takes place during rehearsals,...
“Being the Ricardos” takes place over the course of one production week on the set of “I Love Lucy,” during which Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz receive some upsetting news that could jeopardize both their marriage and their careers. Most of the action takes place during rehearsals,...
- 11/10/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Your first look at the biographical drama Being the Ricardos has arrived. Check out the poster for the film below. In the teaser trailer (see above), you can see Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball in both her television and real-world identities.
Lucille Ball (Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) are threatened by shocking personal accusations, a political smear and cultural taboos in Academy Award®-winning writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s behind-the-scenes drama Being the Ricardos. A revealing glimpse of the couple’s complex romantic and professional relationship, the film takes audiences into the writers’ room, onto the soundstage and behind closed doors with Ball and Arnaz during one critical production week of their groundbreaking sitcom I Love Lucy.
About The Film Genre: Biography, Drama Running Time: 125 minutes Cast: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Jake Lacy, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat Director: Aaron Sorkin Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin Producers: Desi Arnaz Jr.,...
Lucille Ball (Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) are threatened by shocking personal accusations, a political smear and cultural taboos in Academy Award®-winning writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s behind-the-scenes drama Being the Ricardos. A revealing glimpse of the couple’s complex romantic and professional relationship, the film takes audiences into the writers’ room, onto the soundstage and behind closed doors with Ball and Arnaz during one critical production week of their groundbreaking sitcom I Love Lucy.
About The Film Genre: Biography, Drama Running Time: 125 minutes Cast: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Jake Lacy, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat Director: Aaron Sorkin Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin Producers: Desi Arnaz Jr.,...
- 10/19/2021
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Amazon Studios has released the first teaser trailer for “Being the Ricardos,” a new feature film about the real-life marriage of famed “I Love Lucy” duo Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The movie, which has been in the works since 2015, is finally preparing for a theatrical release after wrapping filming in early 2021. Backed by Amazon Studios, the film stars Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as Ball and Arnaz, respectively. Aaron Sorkin wrote the script and is directing the film, his third directorial effort following “Molly’s Game” and the Oscar-nominated “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
Though there was initial backlash to Kidman’s casting, the couple’s daughter Lucie Arnaz has been vocal in her support of Sorkin’s choice to cast Kidman. Now an outspoken proponent of the film after some initial criticism of certain creative choices, Arnaz introduced the teaser trailer in a personal video, with many kind works for the artistic team.
Though there was initial backlash to Kidman’s casting, the couple’s daughter Lucie Arnaz has been vocal in her support of Sorkin’s choice to cast Kidman. Now an outspoken proponent of the film after some initial criticism of certain creative choices, Arnaz introduced the teaser trailer in a personal video, with many kind works for the artistic team.
- 10/19/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Amazon Studios has released a trailer for Aaron Sorkin’s “Being the Ricardos,” starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem.
The film follows Hollywood couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, played by Kidman and Bardem respectively, during a production week on the set of “I Love Lucy.” Throughout a Monday table read all the way through an audience shot on Friday, both Ball and Arnaz face challenges that could end both of their careers and their marriage.
In the trailer, quick glimpses of the couple’s whirlwind life are shown accompanied by Kidman’s voiceover, with the first clear look at Kidman coming via the recreation of Ball’s iconic grape stomping scene.
Sorkin has written the screenplay and helms the film for Amazon Studios and Escape Artists. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists are producers. Escape Artists’ Jenna Block and David Bloomfield serve as executive producers,...
The film follows Hollywood couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, played by Kidman and Bardem respectively, during a production week on the set of “I Love Lucy.” Throughout a Monday table read all the way through an audience shot on Friday, both Ball and Arnaz face challenges that could end both of their careers and their marriage.
In the trailer, quick glimpses of the couple’s whirlwind life are shown accompanied by Kidman’s voiceover, with the first clear look at Kidman coming via the recreation of Ball’s iconic grape stomping scene.
Sorkin has written the screenplay and helms the film for Amazon Studios and Escape Artists. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists are producers. Escape Artists’ Jenna Block and David Bloomfield serve as executive producers,...
- 10/19/2021
- by Jennifer Yuma
- Variety Film + TV
Like everyone else, we love Lucy and celebrate the anniversary of Lucille Ball‘s landmark laffer “I Love Lucy,” which debuted on CBS exactly 70 years ago today on Oct. 15, 1951. The show won the Emmy for Best Situation Comedy twice and Ball claimed two trophies as well.
Ball went on to win two more Emmys for the last two seasons of her second series, “The Lucy Show”. In 1967, she edged out “Bewitched” stars Elizabeth Montgomery and Agnes Moorehead and “That Girl’s” Marlo Thomas. By the way, Montgomery never won an Emmy, despite nine nods, including five for her work as that witch with a twitch. The following year, in what was to be her final Emmy race, Ball prevailed yet again. Her competition: Montgomery and Thomas, as well as Barbara Feldon (“Get Smart”) and Paula Prentiss (“He and She”).
Watch that moment from the 1967 Emmycast when Ball wins. As her...
Ball went on to win two more Emmys for the last two seasons of her second series, “The Lucy Show”. In 1967, she edged out “Bewitched” stars Elizabeth Montgomery and Agnes Moorehead and “That Girl’s” Marlo Thomas. By the way, Montgomery never won an Emmy, despite nine nods, including five for her work as that witch with a twitch. The following year, in what was to be her final Emmy race, Ball prevailed yet again. Her competition: Montgomery and Thomas, as well as Barbara Feldon (“Get Smart”) and Paula Prentiss (“He and She”).
Watch that moment from the 1967 Emmycast when Ball wins. As her...
- 10/15/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
I Love Lucy meets I Love Nicole. Nicole Kidman will soon step into the iconic shoes of Lucille Ball in an upcoming biopic, and she's already received the stamp of approval from her and Desi Arnaz's daughter, Lucie Arnaz. Earlier this year, Nicole and Javier Bardem were cast to play the legendary Hollywood couple in Aaron Sorkin's Being the Ricardos. While the project has mostly been kept under wraps—with the exception of the jaw-dropping photos that surfaced of Nicole's transformation on set—Lucie shared new details about the Oscar winner's performance as her mother. "Nicole did a spectacular job," Lucie told...
- 8/18/2021
- E! Online
Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, says that she attempted to have certain scenes filmed for the Aaron Sorkin drama Being the Ricardos removed due to their inaccuracy.
While speaking to Palm Springs Life about the various projects she and others have in the works about her parents, Arnaz shared details from a two-day visit to the film’s set, during which she says she watched Nicole Kidman perform in the role of her mother.
During the conversation, Arnaz — an actress herself, who most recently appeared onscreen in an episode of Will & Grace — admitted there were scenes she ...
While speaking to Palm Springs Life about the various projects she and others have in the works about her parents, Arnaz shared details from a two-day visit to the film’s set, during which she says she watched Nicole Kidman perform in the role of her mother.
During the conversation, Arnaz — an actress herself, who most recently appeared onscreen in an episode of Will & Grace — admitted there were scenes she ...
- 8/18/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, says that she attempted to have certain scenes filmed for the Aaron Sorkin drama Being the Ricardos removed due to their inaccuracy.
While speaking to Palm Spring Life about the various projects she and others have in the works about her parents, Arnaz shared details from a two-day visit to the film’s set, during which she says she watched Nicole Kidman perform in the role of her mother.
During the conversation, Arnaz — an actress herself, who most recently appeared on screen in an episode of Will & Grace — admitted there were scenes ...
While speaking to Palm Spring Life about the various projects she and others have in the works about her parents, Arnaz shared details from a two-day visit to the film’s set, during which she says she watched Nicole Kidman perform in the role of her mother.
During the conversation, Arnaz — an actress herself, who most recently appeared on screen in an episode of Will & Grace — admitted there were scenes ...
- 8/18/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz of “I Love Lucy” fame, said in a recent interview that she tried to get certain scenes in Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming biopic “Being the Ricardos” removed from the film because they “weren’t accurate.”
Arnaz hasn’t seen the film just yet and was still overwhelmingly positive about Sorkin’s movie, which he wrote and directed as his follow-up to “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” And an individual with knowledge clarifies to TheWrap that she’s worked closely with the production, signed off on the script and has celebrated the performances from stars Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem.
But she said in an interview with Palm Springs Life that there were moments that didn’t happen in the time period the film was set and felt it somewhat went beyond “theatrical license.”
“I mean, there are certain scenes...
Arnaz hasn’t seen the film just yet and was still overwhelmingly positive about Sorkin’s movie, which he wrote and directed as his follow-up to “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” And an individual with knowledge clarifies to TheWrap that she’s worked closely with the production, signed off on the script and has celebrated the performances from stars Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem.
But she said in an interview with Palm Springs Life that there were moments that didn’t happen in the time period the film was set and felt it somewhat went beyond “theatrical license.”
“I mean, there are certain scenes...
- 8/18/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, told Palm Springs Life that “there are certain scenes that I wished hadn’t been” in Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming biographical drama “Being the Ricardos.” The film, backed by Amazon Studios, stars Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as Ball and Arnaz, respectively. Sorkin wrote the script and is directing the film, his third directorial effort following “Molly’s Game” and the Oscar-nominated “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
“There are certain scenes that I wished hadn’t been in the feature film. I couldn’t get my way and have them taken out, but they weren’t accurate,” Lucie Arnaz said. “And I thought, ‘That shouldn’t be in there, because that never happened. That’s not true.’ And it’s not just theatrical license, it just wasn’t true. And the day they shot the scene, the sprinklers went off...
“There are certain scenes that I wished hadn’t been in the feature film. I couldn’t get my way and have them taken out, but they weren’t accurate,” Lucie Arnaz said. “And I thought, ‘That shouldn’t be in there, because that never happened. That’s not true.’ And it’s not just theatrical license, it just wasn’t true. And the day they shot the scene, the sprinklers went off...
- 8/18/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Amazon Studios began principal photography this week on Aaron Sorkin’s “Being the Ricardos” — a biopic about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz — and Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat and Jake Lacy have joined the film’s cast.
They join Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, who are playing the “I Love Lucy” stars, as well as J.K Simmons and Nina Arianda as William Frawley and Vivian Vance, who played Fred and Ethel on the classic sitcom.
Hale will play “I Love Lucy” executive producer and head writer Jess Oppenheimer, and Shawkat and Lacy will play the show’s longtime writing partners Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr.
Also joining “Being the Ricardos” and rounding out the cast are Clark Gregg (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Nelson Franklin (“Veep”), John Rubinstein (“Family”), Linda Lavin (“The Good Wife”), Robert Pine (“CHiPs”) and Christopher Denham (“Billions”).
“Being the Ricardos” is written and directed by Sorkin and...
They join Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, who are playing the “I Love Lucy” stars, as well as J.K Simmons and Nina Arianda as William Frawley and Vivian Vance, who played Fred and Ethel on the classic sitcom.
Hale will play “I Love Lucy” executive producer and head writer Jess Oppenheimer, and Shawkat and Lacy will play the show’s longtime writing partners Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr.
Also joining “Being the Ricardos” and rounding out the cast are Clark Gregg (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Nelson Franklin (“Veep”), John Rubinstein (“Family”), Linda Lavin (“The Good Wife”), Robert Pine (“CHiPs”) and Christopher Denham (“Billions”).
“Being the Ricardos” is written and directed by Sorkin and...
- 3/29/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
“Being the Ricardos,” an upcoming movie about the relationship between “I Love Lucy” stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, has added several names to the call sheet.
Ahead of the start of production in Los Angeles this week, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat and Jake Lacy have joined the cast of the Amazon Studios film.
As previously announced, Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem will portray Ball and Arnaz. Meanwhile, J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda are playing their “I Love Lucy” co-stars William Frawley and Vivian Vance.
Hale will play the sitcom’s executive producer and head writer Jess Oppenheimer, while Shawkat and Lacy will embody the show’s longtime writing partners Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr.
Clark Gregg (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Nelson Franklin (“Veep”), John Rubinstein (“Family”), Linda Lavin, Robert Pine (“CHiPs”) and Christopher Denham (“Billions”) also have supporting roles.
Directed by Aaron Sorkin, the story is set during one...
Ahead of the start of production in Los Angeles this week, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat and Jake Lacy have joined the cast of the Amazon Studios film.
As previously announced, Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem will portray Ball and Arnaz. Meanwhile, J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda are playing their “I Love Lucy” co-stars William Frawley and Vivian Vance.
Hale will play the sitcom’s executive producer and head writer Jess Oppenheimer, while Shawkat and Lacy will embody the show’s longtime writing partners Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr.
Clark Gregg (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Nelson Franklin (“Veep”), John Rubinstein (“Family”), Linda Lavin, Robert Pine (“CHiPs”) and Christopher Denham (“Billions”) also have supporting roles.
Directed by Aaron Sorkin, the story is set during one...
- 3/29/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Clark Gregg and more have rounded out the cast of Being the Ricardos, a biopic of sorts of I Love Lucy stars and real-life couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz that stars Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem. Aaron Sorkin wrote and is directing the Amazon Studios drama, which has now started principal photography.
The film is set during one production week of the iconic TV comedy I Love Lucy — the Monday table read through Friday audience filming — when Lucy and Desi face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage. J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda play Lucy and Desi’s I Love Lucy co-stars William Frawley and Vivian Vance.
With the additions to the cast, Hale will play I Love Lucy executive producer and head writer Jess Oppenheimer, while Shawkat and Lacy will portray the show’s longtime...
The film is set during one production week of the iconic TV comedy I Love Lucy — the Monday table read through Friday audience filming — when Lucy and Desi face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage. J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda play Lucy and Desi’s I Love Lucy co-stars William Frawley and Vivian Vance.
With the additions to the cast, Hale will play I Love Lucy executive producer and head writer Jess Oppenheimer, while Shawkat and Lacy will portray the show’s longtime...
- 3/29/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Academy Award winner Jk Simmons has joined the cast of the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz biopic “Being the Ricardos.” The upcoming Amazon drama is being written and directed by Aaron Sorkin.
Simmons will play actor William Frawley, who was Ball and Arnaz’s co-star on “I Love Lucy.” Frawley played the role of Fred Mertz on the classic sitcom. Simmons joins Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, who are in final talks to play Ball and Arnaz.
The film will follow Ball and Arnaz during a week of production on “I Love Lucy,” from a table read to a shoot in front of a live studio audience. Along the way, the pair faces new challenges that could forever alter their careers and their marriage.
Escape Artists will produce the film with Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch as producers and Jenna Block and David Bloomfield as executive producers. Ball and Arnaz’s children,...
Simmons will play actor William Frawley, who was Ball and Arnaz’s co-star on “I Love Lucy.” Frawley played the role of Fred Mertz on the classic sitcom. Simmons joins Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, who are in final talks to play Ball and Arnaz.
The film will follow Ball and Arnaz during a week of production on “I Love Lucy,” from a table read to a shoot in front of a live studio audience. Along the way, the pair faces new challenges that could forever alter their careers and their marriage.
Escape Artists will produce the film with Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch as producers and Jenna Block and David Bloomfield as executive producers. Ball and Arnaz’s children,...
- 2/9/2021
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Oscar winner J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda have been tapped to play William Frawley and Vivian Vance in Amazon and Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos, the film about I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Sources add that Arianda’s deal has not yet closed.
Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are in final negotiations to play Ball and Arnaz, with Sorkin writing and directing.
Simmons’ character, Frawley, played neighbor Fred Mertz in I Love Lucy. Vance played Fred’s wife and Lucy’s best friend, Ethel Mertz.
The film is set during one production week of I Love Lucy — Monday table read through Friday audience filming — when Lucy and Desi face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.
Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch will produce. Executive producers are Jenna Block, David Bloomfield of Escape Artists,...
Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are in final negotiations to play Ball and Arnaz, with Sorkin writing and directing.
Simmons’ character, Frawley, played neighbor Fred Mertz in I Love Lucy. Vance played Fred’s wife and Lucy’s best friend, Ethel Mertz.
The film is set during one production week of I Love Lucy — Monday table read through Friday audience filming — when Lucy and Desi face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.
Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch will produce. Executive producers are Jenna Block, David Bloomfield of Escape Artists,...
- 2/9/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Nearly hours after Deadline learned that Nicole Kidman is in negotiations to play Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s Being The Ricardos, social media users challenged the casting. On Sunday, Ball and Desi Arnaz’s daughter Lucie Arnaz set the record straight on who will play her mother.
“Stop arguing about who should play it – ‘she doesn’t look like her, her nose isn’t the same she isn’t as funny,'” Arnaz said, poking fun at the complaints around Kidman’s casting. “Just trust us. It’s going to be a nice film and p.s. the voting is over.”
The comedy legend’s daughter addressed the casting in a Facebook video, where she also detailed a great deal about the upcoming project for Amazon Studios. She clarified for viewers that the Sorkin title will not be an I Love Lucy reboot or anything of the sort. Instead,...
“Stop arguing about who should play it – ‘she doesn’t look like her, her nose isn’t the same she isn’t as funny,'” Arnaz said, poking fun at the complaints around Kidman’s casting. “Just trust us. It’s going to be a nice film and p.s. the voting is over.”
The comedy legend’s daughter addressed the casting in a Facebook video, where she also detailed a great deal about the upcoming project for Amazon Studios. She clarified for viewers that the Sorkin title will not be an I Love Lucy reboot or anything of the sort. Instead,...
- 1/20/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
When it was revealed last week that Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem were in talks to play Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in Aaron Sorkin's Being the Ricardos, there was a bit of an outcry from those who felt that Kidman was wrong for the part. In a video posted on Facebook, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's daughter, Lucie Arnaz, spoke out in defense of Nicole Kidman. It's…...
- 1/19/2021
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Lucie Arnaz, the 69-year-old daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, has taken to Facebook to defend the casting of Nicole Kidman in the upcoming Amazon Studios movie “Being the Ricardos.” Kidman is set to play Lucille Ball opposite Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz in the film, which is being written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. Cate Blanchett was originally set to play Ball before Kidman took over the role.
Kidman’s casting as Lucille Ball was announced January 11 and was met with a mixed response from fans of the iconic “I Love Lucy” actress. Debra Messing, who garnered acclaim for channeling Ball in a 2020 “I Love Lucy” tribute episode of “Will & Grace,” posted on social media that she was interested in the Sorkin film, which prompted fans to call for Messing’s casting over Kidman’s. Lucie Arnaz posted a video on Facebook in reaction to the casting,...
Kidman’s casting as Lucille Ball was announced January 11 and was met with a mixed response from fans of the iconic “I Love Lucy” actress. Debra Messing, who garnered acclaim for channeling Ball in a 2020 “I Love Lucy” tribute episode of “Will & Grace,” posted on social media that she was interested in the Sorkin film, which prompted fans to call for Messing’s casting over Kidman’s. Lucie Arnaz posted a video on Facebook in reaction to the casting,...
- 1/19/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Lucie Arnaz is going to bat for Nicole Kidman. Last week, E! News learned Kidman has been tapped to play Arnaz's mother, the late actress Lucille Ball, in the official biopic of her life, which Arnaz will executive produce. Javier Bardem is also in negotiations to star as Ball's husband Desi Arnaz in the movie Being the Ricardos, with The Trial of the Chicago 7's Aaron Sorkin writing and directing the film. Evidently, Kidman's casting sparked debate online, with some fans thinking Debra Messing or Carole Cook would be better suited to playing the I Love Lucy icon. On Jan. 17, Lucie Arnaz shared a video message on...
- 1/19/2021
- E! Online
‘The Undoing’ star Nicole Kidman and former Bond villain are currently in talks to play Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz in the Amazon Studio’s movie ‘Being The Ricardos’.
Aaron Sorkin penned the screenplay and will also sit in the director’s chair.
The film will be set during one production week of the 1950s sitcom ‘I Love Lucy’. The movie follows the Monday morning table read to Friday afternoon filming as Lucy and Desi face a crisis that could end their careers and another that may end their marriage.
Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch are producing the film for Escape Artists. Jenna Block, David Bloomfield, Stuart Besser, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Lauren Lohman are all serving as executive producers.
Cate Blanchett had previously been attached to play Lucille Ball.
Also in news – Danny Boyle to direct ‘Sex Pistols’ limited series ‘Pistol’
‘I Love Lucy...
Aaron Sorkin penned the screenplay and will also sit in the director’s chair.
The film will be set during one production week of the 1950s sitcom ‘I Love Lucy’. The movie follows the Monday morning table read to Friday afternoon filming as Lucy and Desi face a crisis that could end their careers and another that may end their marriage.
Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch are producing the film for Escape Artists. Jenna Block, David Bloomfield, Stuart Besser, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Lauren Lohman are all serving as executive producers.
Cate Blanchett had previously been attached to play Lucille Ball.
Also in news – Danny Boyle to direct ‘Sex Pistols’ limited series ‘Pistol’
‘I Love Lucy...
- 1/12/2021
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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