‘Being The Ricardos’: What Is the ‘I Love Lucy’ Movie About?
I Love Lucy fans are about to get an up-close-and-personal look at the marriage of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Being the Ricardos will give fans an insider look at I Love Lucy and the lives of the sitcom’s stars.
‘I Love Lucy’ is a treasured sitcom
I Love Lucy was on the air for six years, running six seasons on CBS with 180 half-hour episodes. In that time, the sitcom climbed to No. 1 in the United States — something unheard of at the time, especially for a show starring a female comedian. When the sitcom concluded in 1957, Ball had obtained icon status.
Today, Ball’s comedy continues to entertain the masses. According to the Lucy Desi Museum‘s mission statement, I Love Lucy possesses the “healing power of love and laughter” that is the “driving force that makes Ball and Arnaz TV favorites for people of all ages.”
‘I Love Lucy’s Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had a whirlwind romance
After meeting on the 1940 musical Too Many Girls, Ball and Arnez fell hard and fast for each other. They got married six months after meeting. Four years later, Ball tried filing but divorce, but the couple reconciled and welcomed their first child, Lucie Désirée Arnaz, in 1951. Later, in 1953, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV, known as Desi Arnaz, Jr., was born.
While their marriage would last 20 years, Arnaz and Ball’s relationship is something many people are curious about. That’s why Amazon Studios is working on Being the Ricardos.
Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball’s kids will executive produce ‘Being the Ricardos’
Deadline reports that Lucie and Desi Jr. are the executive producers behind Being the Ricardos. The sibling duo is working with co-executive producers Jenna Block, David Bloomfield, Stuart Besser, Todd Black, and Lauren Lohman on the project. Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch will produce the film.
Aaron Sorkin, known for movies like A Few Good Men, Moneyball, and The Social Network, will write and direct Being the Ricardos.
Initially, Cate Blanchett was intended to play Ball. But now, Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are reportedly in negotiations to play the leads in Being the Ricardos.
‘Being the Ricardos’ will highlight Lucille Ball’s tumultuous marriage to Desi Arnaz
Being the Ricardos is a biopic about the actress and comedian’s marriage to her on-and-off-screen husband. Though their on-screen marriage as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo entertained the masses, Arnaz and Ball’s reality was a lot grimmer.
The two were married in November 1940 but called it quits in 1960 after working together for six years on I Love Lucy. Alcoholism and their conflicting ideas about monogamy ultimately led to their separation.
According to their daughter, “there was a lot of anger and screaming” in the marriage (via Closer Weekly). She described their divorce as “horrible,” but also told Closer Weekly “the best thing that ever happened to [Lucy and Desi] was getting divorced.”
Deadline reports Being the Ricardos will follow the couple during a week of production for I Love Lucy, from the table read on Monday to filming in front of a live audience on Friday. The story will also feature “Lucy and Desi [facing] a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.”
When will ‘Being the Ricardos’ come out?
At this time, the cast of Being the Ricardos has yet to be finalized. Similarly, it’s unclear when production on the film will begin due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic limitations.
