Wild audition stories are a dime a dozen in Hollywood, but McLean Stevenson's "M*A*S*H" casting is one of the stranger bits of classic sitcom mythology. According to casting director Eddie Foy III (per MeTV), the actor who would go on to play beloved buffoon Colonel Henry Blake for three seasons of the long-running series first earned the part in an especially roundabout way. The casting department didn't simply have Stevenson audition but instead put him in an entirely different TV movie to get him on executive producer Gene Reynolds' radar.
"I remember McLean Stevenson, I got McLean to do [the series]," Foy recalled in an interview with the Archive of American Television. "In fact," he continued, "we snuck him in on a picture called 'Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones,' where he played an eccentric minister, and we showed it to Gene Reynolds. He said, 'I love the guy.
"I remember McLean Stevenson, I got McLean to do [the series]," Foy recalled in an interview with the Archive of American Television. "In fact," he continued, "we snuck him in on a picture called 'Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones,' where he played an eccentric minister, and we showed it to Gene Reynolds. He said, 'I love the guy.
- 1/23/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- 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
Seasons three through six of Friends had some of Chandler Bing’s funniest and most character-defining moments. There he is handcuffed, without pants, to a filing cabinet; remaining in “time out” in a box for nearly a full episode; hooking up with—and later marrying—Monica…We all remember them fondly. The one who doesn’t? Matthew Perry, who says these seasons were a blur due to his problems with substance abuse.
Wtf Happened to…Matthew Perry?
But to truly understand what the fuck happened to Matthew Perry, we go back to the beginning. And the beginning began when he was born on August 19th in Williamstown, Ma, the son of two prominent people: actor John Bennett Perry and mother Suzanne, who later served as press secretary to Canadian Pm Pierre Trudeau.
Perry developed an interest in acting after he served it up on the tennis court as a youth,...
Wtf Happened to…Matthew Perry?
But to truly understand what the fuck happened to Matthew Perry, we go back to the beginning. And the beginning began when he was born on August 19th in Williamstown, Ma, the son of two prominent people: actor John Bennett Perry and mother Suzanne, who later served as press secretary to Canadian Pm Pierre Trudeau.
Perry developed an interest in acting after he served it up on the tennis court as a youth,...
- 7/14/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
This article first appeared as part of Jenelle Riley’s Acting Up newsletter – to subscribe for early content and weekly updates on all things acting, visit the Acting Up signup page.
There’s a long history of great actors who have never won an Emmy Award. Hugh Laurie has a total of 10 Emmy nominations with zero wins for his work but the most glaring oversight is that after six nominations for his iconic role on “House” he never took home the prize. But that’s nothing compared to Angela Lansbury, who went home empty-handed a whopping 18 times. But they’re in good company – including the likes of Jackie Gleason, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Phylicia Rashad.
With Emmy voting starting, I wanted to highlight some shows and performances that have so far gone overlooked by the Emmy Awards. Most of the programs I chose have been completely shut out by the Academy.
There’s a long history of great actors who have never won an Emmy Award. Hugh Laurie has a total of 10 Emmy nominations with zero wins for his work but the most glaring oversight is that after six nominations for his iconic role on “House” he never took home the prize. But that’s nothing compared to Angela Lansbury, who went home empty-handed a whopping 18 times. But they’re in good company – including the likes of Jackie Gleason, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Phylicia Rashad.
With Emmy voting starting, I wanted to highlight some shows and performances that have so far gone overlooked by the Emmy Awards. Most of the programs I chose have been completely shut out by the Academy.
- 6/16/2023
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Whether you know him best as Mikey from The Goonies, Rudy from the biopic by the same name, Sam from The Lord of the Rings, or Bob from Stranger Things, Sean Astin is an actor who has probably taken on a heartwarming role in your life at some point. He also came from a famous family, but his background is complicated — so much so that he mistakenly believed Lucille Ball to be his grandmother.
Sean Astin grew up in a famous family
Sean Astin Appreciation Day? Don't mind if I do. pic.twitter.com/6v6jmlRKKC
— Consequence (@consequence) August 9, 2019
According to the biography posted on his website, “Sean is the son of Academy and multiple-Emmy Award Winning actor Anna ‘Patty Duke’ Pearce and acclaimed actor John Astin; his brother Mackenzie Astin enjoys a thriving motion picture and television career.”
Growing up in the shadow of someone as famous as Patty Duke...
Sean Astin grew up in a famous family
Sean Astin Appreciation Day? Don't mind if I do. pic.twitter.com/6v6jmlRKKC
— Consequence (@consequence) August 9, 2019
According to the biography posted on his website, “Sean is the son of Academy and multiple-Emmy Award Winning actor Anna ‘Patty Duke’ Pearce and acclaimed actor John Astin; his brother Mackenzie Astin enjoys a thriving motion picture and television career.”
Growing up in the shadow of someone as famous as Patty Duke...
- 4/16/2023
- by Michelle Cason
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Before computers and onscreen guides, you had one way to find out what was on TV, and it was your trusted TV Guide Magazine, which helped you find what you wanted to watch and when it would air. There were no VDRs or DVRs to capture your shows, you had to wait patiently for your favorites to come on. Commercial breaks were for bathroom breaks and gathering snacks, and if you missed anything important, you might not ever see it again. Family members would yell ”It’s on! It’s back on” to warn you when the program returned. It was 70 years ago today that the very first national edition of TV Guide Magazine was introduced to consumers. Can you remember who was on the cover? It was none other than Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz‘s son Desi Arnaz Jr. On April 3, 1953, the first national issue of TV Guide...
- 4/3/2023
- TV Insider
While Amy Poehler might be one of the most prolific comedians on TV, she hasn’t embraced all comedic mediums. The former Saturday Night Live star lives perpetually in YouTube clips of her best work on the variety show, and starred in a number of movies including Sisters, Baby Mama, Mean Girls, and as a voice actor in Inside Out.
For all her success as the perpetually sunny Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation, and now running her own production company, Poehler hasn’t cracked the code in adding social media quips to her repertoire. And while some might assume she’s simply not interested, that’s not quite the truth. In fact, Poehler is a big fan of some of the platforms — she’s just not sure she’s going to move beyond lurking and admiring what other content creators are already doing.
Amy Poehler has many social media...
For all her success as the perpetually sunny Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation, and now running her own production company, Poehler hasn’t cracked the code in adding social media quips to her repertoire. And while some might assume she’s simply not interested, that’s not quite the truth. In fact, Poehler is a big fan of some of the platforms — she’s just not sure she’s going to move beyond lurking and admiring what other content creators are already doing.
Amy Poehler has many social media...
- 2/1/2023
- by Nikelle Murphy
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Amy Poehler knows she probably won’t make everyone laugh. However, the comedian who became famous for her stint on Saturday Night Live has struck the funny bone of a significant fan base. She’s proven her mettle across various TV shows and movies and racked up a slew of punch lines along the way.
Poehler doesn’t show any signs of slowing, though she’s traded some of her work in front of the camera for producing and directing. For Poehler, comedy is an “art form,” and she welcomes chances to analyze and debate its role in culture — even when it can land comedians in hot water.
Amy Poehler is one of TV’s foremost comedians, from ‘SNL’ to ‘Parks and Recreation’
Poehler has always viewed comedy as a currency in her life.
“I did like the feeling of knowing I could make people laugh, or if I tried to be funny,...
Poehler doesn’t show any signs of slowing, though she’s traded some of her work in front of the camera for producing and directing. For Poehler, comedy is an “art form,” and she welcomes chances to analyze and debate its role in culture — even when it can land comedians in hot water.
Amy Poehler is one of TV’s foremost comedians, from ‘SNL’ to ‘Parks and Recreation’
Poehler has always viewed comedy as a currency in her life.
“I did like the feeling of knowing I could make people laugh, or if I tried to be funny,...
- 1/29/2023
- by Nikelle Murphy
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Amazon Prime has debuted a new trailer for Amy Poehler documentary ‘Lucy and Desi.’
From director Amy Poehler, Lucy and Desi explores the unlikely partnership and enduring legacy of one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment history.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz risked everything to be together. Their love for each other led to the most influential show in the history of television, I Love Lucy. Desi—an immigrant from Cuba who lost everything in exile, became a bandleader, and eventually a brilliant producer and technical pioneer. Lucille came from nothing and, with an unrivalled work ethic, built a career as a model, chorus girl, and eventually as an actor in the studio system.
She found her calling in comedy, first in radio. When Lucille was finally granted the opportunity to have her own television show, she insisted that her real-life spouse, Desi, be cast as her husband.
From director Amy Poehler, Lucy and Desi explores the unlikely partnership and enduring legacy of one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment history.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz risked everything to be together. Their love for each other led to the most influential show in the history of television, I Love Lucy. Desi—an immigrant from Cuba who lost everything in exile, became a bandleader, and eventually a brilliant producer and technical pioneer. Lucille came from nothing and, with an unrivalled work ethic, built a career as a model, chorus girl, and eventually as an actor in the studio system.
She found her calling in comedy, first in radio. When Lucille was finally granted the opportunity to have her own television show, she insisted that her real-life spouse, Desi, be cast as her husband.
- 2/15/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The unlikely partnership and enduring legacy of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz is at the heart of Lucy and Desi, a new documentary from director Amy Poehler. The film will premiere on Amazon Prime Video March 4.
Touted as “an insightful and intimate peek behind the curtain” of the “remarkable trailblazers,” the documentary explores the creatively fruitful and often tumultuous relationship between the couple, who rose to stardom on the groundbreaking 1950s sitcom, I Love Lucy.
“Defying the odds, they re-invented the medium, on the screen and behind the cameras,” the film’s synopsis notes.
Touted as “an insightful and intimate peek behind the curtain” of the “remarkable trailblazers,” the documentary explores the creatively fruitful and often tumultuous relationship between the couple, who rose to stardom on the groundbreaking 1950s sitcom, I Love Lucy.
“Defying the odds, they re-invented the medium, on the screen and behind the cameras,” the film’s synopsis notes.
- 2/15/2022
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
There’s no business like show business, especially for America’s most famous redhead.
Amazon Original Documentary “Lucy and Desi,” directed by Amy Poehler, captures the on- and off-screen partnership between married couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. “Lucy and Desi” premiered at 2022 Sundance, and will be released exclusively on Amazon Prime Video March 4.
The film charts Ball and Arnaz’s romance, culminating in iconic sitcom “I Love Lucy.”
Per the logline, “Defying the odds, they re-invented the medium, on the screen and behind the cameras. What Lucy and Desi couldn’t make work with each other, they gave to the rest of the world.”
“Lucy and Desi” includes interviews with Ball and Arnaz’s children, Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill and Desi Arnaz Jr., as well as Norman Lear, Carol Burnett, and Bette Midler.
Director Poehler exclusively told IndieWire at the IndieWire Studio presented by Adobe that she sought a new...
Amazon Original Documentary “Lucy and Desi,” directed by Amy Poehler, captures the on- and off-screen partnership between married couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. “Lucy and Desi” premiered at 2022 Sundance, and will be released exclusively on Amazon Prime Video March 4.
The film charts Ball and Arnaz’s romance, culminating in iconic sitcom “I Love Lucy.”
Per the logline, “Defying the odds, they re-invented the medium, on the screen and behind the cameras. What Lucy and Desi couldn’t make work with each other, they gave to the rest of the world.”
“Lucy and Desi” includes interviews with Ball and Arnaz’s children, Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill and Desi Arnaz Jr., as well as Norman Lear, Carol Burnett, and Bette Midler.
Director Poehler exclusively told IndieWire at the IndieWire Studio presented by Adobe that she sought a new...
- 2/14/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Apparently it is the season to celebrate the iconic marriage and professional relationship of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Aaron Sorkin wrote and directed a penetrating, funny, revealing, and ultimately moving film, Being The Ricardos which covers a lot of ground in the Lucy/Desi world using dramatic license to place several real events in their lives all in the course of one week of production on I Love Lucy. Although starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as the iconic pair, it felt quite real and actually was as you discover watching Amy Poehler’s marvelous love letter to their lives and times in Lucy And Desi, which like Ricardos will be available on Amazon Prime, the perfect companion piece to Sorkin’s film, and a compelling documentary portrait all on its own.
Poehler clearly is an admirer and she has been given the keys to the kingdom here with...
Poehler clearly is an admirer and she has been given the keys to the kingdom here with...
- 1/23/2022
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
In the history of American television, there are few personalities as beloved as Lucille Ball. Like Betty White, Ball was a pioneer who was just as active behind the camera as she was in front of it. Ball and her husband, Desi Arnaz Jr., not only starred in their hit series, I Love Lucy, but […]
The post Lucy Interpretation: How Nicole Kidman Learned To Channel Lucille Ball appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post Lucy Interpretation: How Nicole Kidman Learned To Channel Lucille Ball appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 1/5/2022
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
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
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
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 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
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
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
‘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
Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are in talks to play Hollywood power couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in “Being the Ricardos,” an upcoming Amazon drama being written and directed by Aaron Sorkin.
The film will follow Ball and Arnaz during a week of production on “I Love Lucy,” from table read to a shoot in front of a live studio audience. Along the way, the pair faces new challenges that could forever change 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, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. will also serve as executive producers with Stuart Besser and Laurie Lohman. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a start date on production has not been set.
“Being the Ricardos” will be Sorkin’s third film...
The film will follow Ball and Arnaz during a week of production on “I Love Lucy,” from table read to a shoot in front of a live studio audience. Along the way, the pair faces new challenges that could forever change 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, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. will also serve as executive producers with Stuart Besser and Laurie Lohman. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a start date on production has not been set.
“Being the Ricardos” will be Sorkin’s third film...
- 1/11/2021
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem are in negotiations to play the iconic Hollywood couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, respectively, in the upcoming film “Being the Ricardos,” directed by Aaron Sorkin.
The movie will take place during a production week on the set of “I Love Lucy,” starting with a Monday table read through an audience shoot on Friday. Ball and Arnaz will face challenges that could end their careers and their marriage.
Sorkin has written the screenplay and will direct the film for Amazon Studios and Escape Artists. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists will produce. Escape Artists’ Jenna Block and David Bloomfield will serve as executive producers, alongside Stuart Besser, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr., and Lauren Lohman.
A production start date isn’t clear as the Covid-19 pandemic has shut down most projects filming in the U.S.
Kidman most recently starred in...
The movie will take place during a production week on the set of “I Love Lucy,” starting with a Monday table read through an audience shoot on Friday. Ball and Arnaz will face challenges that could end their careers and their marriage.
Sorkin has written the screenplay and will direct the film for Amazon Studios and Escape Artists. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch of Escape Artists will produce. Escape Artists’ Jenna Block and David Bloomfield will serve as executive producers, alongside Stuart Besser, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr., and Lauren Lohman.
A production start date isn’t clear as the Covid-19 pandemic has shut down most projects filming in the U.S.
Kidman most recently starred in...
- 1/11/2021
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Amy Poehler will direct a documentary with the working title “Lucy & Desi” about the marriage between comedy icons Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz for Imagine Documentaries and White Horse Pictures, the two companies announced Monday.
Poehler is making her documentary feature directorial debut on the project, and she will also produce the film through her Paper Kite banner. The film has already begun production and will be financed by Imagine Documentaries.
“Lucy & Desi” will tell the story of the groundbreaking comedian Ball, who forever changed the way the world viewed comedy and paved the way for scores of women who followed in her footsteps. The film will utilize archival film and personal still photos, first-person narratives and examine how Ball evolved from a performer to a businesswoman and through “I Love Lucy” and more worked to break barriers for women in entertainment and beyond.
Also Read: Netflix Picks Up Documentary...
Poehler is making her documentary feature directorial debut on the project, and she will also produce the film through her Paper Kite banner. The film has already begun production and will be financed by Imagine Documentaries.
“Lucy & Desi” will tell the story of the groundbreaking comedian Ball, who forever changed the way the world viewed comedy and paved the way for scores of women who followed in her footsteps. The film will utilize archival film and personal still photos, first-person narratives and examine how Ball evolved from a performer to a businesswoman and through “I Love Lucy” and more worked to break barriers for women in entertainment and beyond.
Also Read: Netflix Picks Up Documentary...
- 8/24/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Amy Poehler will make her documentary feature directing debut for Imagine Documentaries and White Horse Pictures on Lucy & Desi, the working title for a definitive film about the remarkable personal and professional partnership between comedian Lucille Ball and husband Desi Arnaz.
This will be the biggest documentary to be fully financed by Imagine Documentaries and the film will have the benefit of full cooperation from the estate of Ball & Arnaz and their family. Through her Paper Kite banner, Poehler will produce with Imagine’s Justin Wilkes and Michael Rosenberg, White Horse’s Nigel Sinclair and Jeanne Elfant Festa, and Diamond Docs’ Mark Monroe. Imagine’s Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Sara Bernstein will be executive producers with White Horse’s Nicholas Ferrall and Cassidy Hartmann, and Diamond Docs’ Morgan Sackett. Monroe also serves as writer.
The film will tell the story of the groundbreaking comedian who changed the landscape,...
This will be the biggest documentary to be fully financed by Imagine Documentaries and the film will have the benefit of full cooperation from the estate of Ball & Arnaz and their family. Through her Paper Kite banner, Poehler will produce with Imagine’s Justin Wilkes and Michael Rosenberg, White Horse’s Nigel Sinclair and Jeanne Elfant Festa, and Diamond Docs’ Mark Monroe. Imagine’s Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Sara Bernstein will be executive producers with White Horse’s Nicholas Ferrall and Cassidy Hartmann, and Diamond Docs’ Morgan Sackett. Monroe also serves as writer.
The film will tell the story of the groundbreaking comedian who changed the landscape,...
- 8/24/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Lucille Desiree Ball
Born: Aug. 6, 1911 in Celeron, N.Y.
Died: April 26, 1989 in Los Angeles
Best known for: CBS comedy series “I Love Lucy” (1951-1957), “The Lucy Show” (1962-68), “Here’s Lucy” (1968-74). As Variety‘s Tom Gilbert observed after her death, “Ball’s elastic facial expressions and precise comic timing catapulted her into an American institution.”
Autobiography: “Love, Lucy,” published posthumously in 1996, from a memoir Ball wrote in the mid-1960s.
Awards: Emmy wins for lead comedy actress in 1953, 1956, 1967 and 1968. Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.‘s Cecil B. DeMille Award, 1979. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Governors Award, 1989
Behind the scenes impact: With her husband and “I Love Lucy” co-star Desi Arnaz, Ball was a TV pioneer who etched an enduring template for TV sitcoms shot on film, which ignited the syndication marketplace for TV. Known for her signature flame-red hair color, Ball was also the first woman to head a major TV studio,...
Born: Aug. 6, 1911 in Celeron, N.Y.
Died: April 26, 1989 in Los Angeles
Best known for: CBS comedy series “I Love Lucy” (1951-1957), “The Lucy Show” (1962-68), “Here’s Lucy” (1968-74). As Variety‘s Tom Gilbert observed after her death, “Ball’s elastic facial expressions and precise comic timing catapulted her into an American institution.”
Autobiography: “Love, Lucy,” published posthumously in 1996, from a memoir Ball wrote in the mid-1960s.
Awards: Emmy wins for lead comedy actress in 1953, 1956, 1967 and 1968. Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.‘s Cecil B. DeMille Award, 1979. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Governors Award, 1989
Behind the scenes impact: With her husband and “I Love Lucy” co-star Desi Arnaz, Ball was a TV pioneer who etched an enduring template for TV sitcoms shot on film, which ignited the syndication marketplace for TV. Known for her signature flame-red hair color, Ball was also the first woman to head a major TV studio,...
- 8/6/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
You wouldn’t be the first person to tell Debra Messing that she looks like Lucille Ball. You also wouldn’t be the most important person to mention it — that honor belongs to Ball’s daughter, Lucie Arnaz.
Last year, the cast of “Will & Grace” filmed a very special “I Love Lucy” tribute episode, which aired on Thursday night. Messing recalled, on the “Variety After-Show,” the moment when Arnaz came into the dressing room to see her full transformation for the first time.
“I was in the green dress. We were about to shoot the song and dance [number] and she walked in and she just looked at me and didn’t say anything.” Messing told Variety. “Then she hugged me and she said, ‘This feels really good. It’s been a long time since I’ve hugged you,’ and everyone started to cry.”
“And then she smiled and she said,...
Last year, the cast of “Will & Grace” filmed a very special “I Love Lucy” tribute episode, which aired on Thursday night. Messing recalled, on the “Variety After-Show,” the moment when Arnaz came into the dressing room to see her full transformation for the first time.
“I was in the green dress. We were about to shoot the song and dance [number] and she walked in and she just looked at me and didn’t say anything.” Messing told Variety. “Then she hugged me and she said, ‘This feels really good. It’s been a long time since I’ve hugged you,’ and everyone started to cry.”
“And then she smiled and she said,...
- 4/10/2020
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Mary Kay Stearns, one of TV’s earliest, if now largely forgotten, sitcom stars who beat Lucille Ball to on-air pregnancy by at least four years, died Nov. 17 in Newport Beach, California. She was 93.
Her death was reported by her son Jonathan to The New York Times for an obituary this week; it had not been previously reported. A cause of death was not listed.
Stearns, along with her husband Johnny Stearns (who died at 85 in 2001), starred in a late-1940s domestic comedy called Mary Kay and Johnny. The sitcom debuted in 1947 as a live, 15-minute program on the DuMont Network, then moved to NBC, CBS and back to NBC, where it ended in 1950 as a 30-minute program. The production was based in New York City.
Though the series is remembered now mostly, if at all, by TV trivia buffs, Mary Kay and...
Her death was reported by her son Jonathan to The New York Times for an obituary this week; it had not been previously reported. A cause of death was not listed.
Stearns, along with her husband Johnny Stearns (who died at 85 in 2001), starred in a late-1940s domestic comedy called Mary Kay and Johnny. The sitcom debuted in 1947 as a live, 15-minute program on the DuMont Network, then moved to NBC, CBS and back to NBC, where it ended in 1950 as a 30-minute program. The production was based in New York City.
Though the series is remembered now mostly, if at all, by TV trivia buffs, Mary Kay and...
- 1/10/2019
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
To the public, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were the world's greatest couple. "I would defy anyone to deny that they were one of the 20th century’s greatest couples," Carol Channing, a friend of the duo told Closer in the magazine's newest issue, on newsstands now. "There’s Adam and Eve, Caesar and Cleopatra, Napoleon and Josephine, George and Gracie... and Desi and Lucy." But behind closed doors, their marriage — and eventual divorce — was a mess. Lucille and Desi eloped just six months after they met in 1940. After over a decade of marriage, the couple welcomed a daughter, Lucie, in 1951, and a son, Desi, in 1953. They divorced in 1960, 20 years after they tied the knot (Lucie was nine years old and Desi was seven years old at the time). (Photo Credit: Getty Images) "They were fighting all the time when we were growing up. There was a lot of anger and screaming,...
- 8/1/2018
- by Samantha Faragalli
- Closer Weekly
Almost two years since reports first surfaced that Cate Blanchett would portray Lucille Ball in an authorized biopic penned by Aaron Sorkin, the project is moving forward.
According to E! News, the film -- which will center on the I Love Lucy star’s 20-year marriage to Desi Arnaz -- will be titled Luci and Desi.
Watch: 6 Reasons to Get Excited About Cate Blanchett Playing Lucille Ball in Biopic
The site also confirmed that Amazon Studios has bought rights to the project, which will be produced by the Hollywood couple’s children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr., along with Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch from Escape Artists.
Et confirmed Blanchett, 48, was attached to the biopic in September, 2015. At the time, Sorkin -- who created The Newsroom and The West Wing -- faced backlash on social media about his involvement as the screenwriter.
While there’s no word on when filming might commence, Blanchett is meanwhile...
According to E! News, the film -- which will center on the I Love Lucy star’s 20-year marriage to Desi Arnaz -- will be titled Luci and Desi.
Watch: 6 Reasons to Get Excited About Cate Blanchett Playing Lucille Ball in Biopic
The site also confirmed that Amazon Studios has bought rights to the project, which will be produced by the Hollywood couple’s children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr., along with Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch from Escape Artists.
Et confirmed Blanchett, 48, was attached to the biopic in September, 2015. At the time, Sorkin -- who created The Newsroom and The West Wing -- faced backlash on social media about his involvement as the screenwriter.
While there’s no word on when filming might commence, Blanchett is meanwhile...
- 8/8/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
David Crow Aug 8, 2017
Amazon Studios will produce a movie about Lucille Ball of I Love Lucy fame with Cate Blanchett and Aaron Sorkin attached.
Amazon Studios is really starting to leave its mark on moviemaking in 2017. Just this year, they produced The Lost City Of Z and The Big Sick - and they’re already looking toward the future. Generally speaking, casting a screen legend like Cate Blanchett as another one named Lucille Ball seems like a smart bet.
Deadline broke the news that Amazon Studios has acquired the film rights to Lucy And Desi, a long simmering film production that has Blanchett attached to play Ball, the star of I Love Lucy. The project has long been of interest, not least of all because in addition to its Oscar winning star, it also has a screenplay by another Oscar winner, Aaron Sorkin of The Social Network, Moneyball, and Steve Jobs fame.
Amazon Studios will produce a movie about Lucille Ball of I Love Lucy fame with Cate Blanchett and Aaron Sorkin attached.
Amazon Studios is really starting to leave its mark on moviemaking in 2017. Just this year, they produced The Lost City Of Z and The Big Sick - and they’re already looking toward the future. Generally speaking, casting a screen legend like Cate Blanchett as another one named Lucille Ball seems like a smart bet.
Deadline broke the news that Amazon Studios has acquired the film rights to Lucy And Desi, a long simmering film production that has Blanchett attached to play Ball, the star of I Love Lucy. The project has long been of interest, not least of all because in addition to its Oscar winning star, it also has a screenplay by another Oscar winner, Aaron Sorkin of The Social Network, Moneyball, and Steve Jobs fame.
- 8/7/2017
- Den of Geek
Amazon Studios just landed a major in-development title with the acquisition of Cate Blanchett and Aaron Sorkin’s untitled Lucille Ball biopic drama. The actress has been in talks to star as the “I Love Lucy” comedienne since Variety first broke the casting news in September 2015, but now it appears the project is officially nearing a production start.
Read MoreCate Blanchett Plays 13 Characters in ‘Manifesto’ Because She’s Frustrated That Film Has Become Far Too Literal
Casting is now underway for the actor to play Ball’s husband and screen partner Desi Arnaz. Deadline reports that Javier Bardem is an early contender. Sorkin will be handling screenplay duties and using the memoirs written by the two subjects for inspiration. The couple’s children, Lucie Luckinbill and Desi Arnaz Jr., are involved in the authorized biopic as producers.
The news comes just ahead of a busy fall for both Blanchett and Sorkin.
Read MoreCate Blanchett Plays 13 Characters in ‘Manifesto’ Because She’s Frustrated That Film Has Become Far Too Literal
Casting is now underway for the actor to play Ball’s husband and screen partner Desi Arnaz. Deadline reports that Javier Bardem is an early contender. Sorkin will be handling screenplay duties and using the memoirs written by the two subjects for inspiration. The couple’s children, Lucie Luckinbill and Desi Arnaz Jr., are involved in the authorized biopic as producers.
The news comes just ahead of a busy fall for both Blanchett and Sorkin.
- 8/7/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Amazon has scooped up the rights to the Lucille Ball biopic that has a script by Aaron Sorkin. Cate Blanchett is in talks to star.
The film will center on the life of the iconic actress, who starred on the TV sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy. Ball was nominated for 13 Emmys and won four times, and she also won the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1979. She was married to actor Desi Arnaz from 1940 to 1960.
The couple's children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr.,...
The film will center on the life of the iconic actress, who starred on the TV sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy. Ball was nominated for 13 Emmys and won four times, and she also won the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1979. She was married to actor Desi Arnaz from 1940 to 1960.
The couple's children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr.,...
- 6/12/2017
- by Rebecca Ford,Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Patty Duke gave birth to her first son, Sean Astin, in 1971, her life was plagued by tabloid headlines.
Duke had colorful romantic history: Having just come out of a scandalous relationship with 17-year-old Desi Arnaz Jr., and impulsively marrying Michael Tell, a "total stranger" who had been subletting her apartment (they were together for 13 days and the marriage was annulled a year later), the media speculated as to who exactly fathered the baby.
The actress ultimately deduced that the father of her baby was actor John Astin, star of the Addams Family TV series, who was married at the time.
Duke had colorful romantic history: Having just come out of a scandalous relationship with 17-year-old Desi Arnaz Jr., and impulsively marrying Michael Tell, a "total stranger" who had been subletting her apartment (they were together for 13 days and the marriage was annulled a year later), the media speculated as to who exactly fathered the baby.
The actress ultimately deduced that the father of her baby was actor John Astin, star of the Addams Family TV series, who was married at the time.
- 3/30/2016
- by Jodi Guglielmi, @JodiGug3
- People.com - TV Watch
When Patty Duke gave birth to her first son, Sean Astin, in 1971, her life was plagued by tabloid headlines. Duke had colorful romantic history: Having just come out of a scandalous relationship with 17-year-old Desi Arnaz Jr., and impulsively marrying Michael Tell, a "total stranger" who had been subletting her apartment (they were together for 13 days and the marriage was annulled a year later), the media speculated as to who exactly fathered the baby. The actress ultimately deduced that the father of her baby was actor John Astin, star of the Addams Family TV series, who was married at the time.
- 3/30/2016
- by Jodi Guglielmi, @JodiGug3
- PEOPLE.com
When Patty Duke gave birth to her first son, Sean Astin, in 1971, her life was plagued by tabloid headlines. Duke had colorful romantic history: Having just come out of a scandalous relationship with 17-year-old Desi Arnaz Jr., and impulsively marrying Michael Tell, a "total stranger" who had been subletting her apartment (they were together for 13 days and the marriage was annulled a year later), the media speculated as to who exactly fathered the baby. The actress ultimately deduced that the father of her baby was actor John Astin, star of the Addams Family TV series, who was married at the time.
- 3/30/2016
- by Jodi Guglielmi, @JodiGug3
- PEOPLE.com
Carol Burnett, 82, says it was her good friend Lucille Ball who gave her some very valuable career advice. Over dinner one night, Ball explained to Burnett that during her years on I Love Lucy with husband and co-star Desi Arnaz, it was Arnaz who dealt with the writing, lighting, and many other day-to-day operations on the show. But after Arnaz and Ball divorced in 1960, that all changed. "Lucy told me when she got a divorce she had to do all the stuff that Desi did and the first table read on the Lucy Show stunk." After the disastrous table read,...
- 1/22/2016
- by Mia McNiece
- PEOPLE.com
Carol Burnett, 82, says it was her good friend Lucille Ball who gave her some very valuable career advice. Over dinner one night, Ball explained to Burnett that during her years on I Love Lucy with husband and co-star Desi Arnaz, it was Arnaz who dealt with the writing, lighting, and many other day-to-day operations on the show. But after Arnaz and Ball divorced in 1960, that all changed. "Lucy told me when she got a divorce she had to do all the stuff that Desi did and the first table read on the Lucy Show stunk." After the disastrous table read,...
- 1/22/2016
- by Mia McNiece
- PEOPLE.com
Lucille Ball: The glamour look. Cate Blanchett to play Lucille Ball: Actress won Oscar for incarnating Ball's fellow Rko contract player Katharine Hepburn Two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett is reportedly slated to star in a biopic of former Rko and MGM actress and big-time television comedienne Lucille Ball. Aaron Sorkin, Oscar winner for David Fincher's The Social Network, will be responsible for the screenplay. According to Entertainment Weekly, the Lucille Ball film biopic will focus on Ball's two-decade marriage to her I Love Lucy costar Desi Arnaz. In 1960, the couple had an acrimonious divorce that supposedly “shocked” clueless fans unable to tell the difference between TV reality and real-life reality. Their children, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Lucie Arnaz, had modest acting careers in film and on TV in the '70s and '80s. As per the EW.com report, they're both producing the planned Lucille Ball biopic.
- 9/3/2015
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Cate Blanchett is set to play the lead role in an upcoming biopic about I Love Lucy star Lucille Ball, The Wrap reports. Newsroom creator Aaron Sorkin is writing the script for the film, which has been authorized by Ball's family. Her children, Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr., will co-produce.
In addition to I Love Lucy, Ball also starred in The Lucy Show, Life With Lucy and other TV series, as well as in a number of films. In 1962, two years after her divorce from Desi Arnaz, Ball bought out Arnaz's ownership stake in Desilu Productions, making her the...
In addition to I Love Lucy, Ball also starred in The Lucy Show, Life With Lucy and other TV series, as well as in a number of films. In 1962, two years after her divorce from Desi Arnaz, Ball bought out Arnaz's ownership stake in Desilu Productions, making her the...
- 9/3/2015
- by Drew Mackie, @drewgmackie
- People.com - TV Watch
According to The Wrap, Cate Blanchett will play Hollywood comedy legend Lucille Ball in a new biopic to be produced by Ball's children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. What's more, the screenplay is being written by Emmy and Oscar champ Aaron Sorkin. The film will chronicle Ball's 20-year-marriage to her "I Love Lucy" co-star Desi Arnaz. -Break- Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara simmer in 'Carol' trailer Lucille Ball never won an Oscar – she wasn't even nominated – but she was nevertheless one of the most beloved stars of the 20th century, winning four Emmys as well as the TV academy's Governors Award in 1989. The chameleon Blanchett won her first Oscar playing another Hollywood icon, Katharine Hepburn in "The Aviator" (2004). She won another Oscar for playing the fictional title role in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine" (2013). The Australian actress has been nominated six times, a...
- 9/2/2015
- Gold Derby
Start Placing Your Oscar Bets: Cate Blanchett Will Play Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin–Scripted Biopic
Cate Blanchett is set to play yet another Hollywood legend: The Wrap reports she's been picked to play comedy icon Lucille Ball in an authorized biopic written by Aaron Sorkin. It'll be the first time the two have worked together. The Ball biopic, which currently doesn't have a director attached, will center on her 20-year marriage to Desi Arnaz and their run on I Love Lucy. The couple's two children together, Lucy Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr., will produce. You may recall that Sorkin, in an email leaked in the Sony hack, previously took a swipe at Blanchett's work, calling her Oscar-winning role in Blue Jasmine "nothing close to the degree of difficulty" of the men nominated that year. So you can pretty much guarantee he'll make her put in overtime for her next Oscar bid with his mile-a-minute dialogue about how the show would've been nothing without Desi. As...
- 9/2/2015
- by Dee Lockett
- Vulture
Cate Blanchett is signing on to play a comedy legend by portraying I Love Lucy comedienne Lucille Ball in an authorized biopic written by Aaron Sorkin.
The Wrap exclusively reported today that the film centered on Ball’s 20-year marriage to her I Love Lucy co-star and cohort Desi Arnaz. The two were married between 1940 and 1960, which included the entire six-season run of I Love Lucy during 1951 through 1957.
The untitled project will be produced by Lucy Arnaz Jr. and Desi Arnaz Jr. No additional casting details regarding Arnaz or an attached director have yet been revealed.
Blanchett has had her share of biopics before, including Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator, Bob Dylan in I’m Not There, and Queen Elizabeth I in her two Elizabeth films, but she’s rarely dipped her toes into comedic waters. Next she’s set to appear in the Oscar-ready Carol from Todd Haynes and...
The Wrap exclusively reported today that the film centered on Ball’s 20-year marriage to her I Love Lucy co-star and cohort Desi Arnaz. The two were married between 1940 and 1960, which included the entire six-season run of I Love Lucy during 1951 through 1957.
The untitled project will be produced by Lucy Arnaz Jr. and Desi Arnaz Jr. No additional casting details regarding Arnaz or an attached director have yet been revealed.
Blanchett has had her share of biopics before, including Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator, Bob Dylan in I’m Not There, and Queen Elizabeth I in her two Elizabeth films, but she’s rarely dipped her toes into comedic waters. Next she’s set to appear in the Oscar-ready Carol from Todd Haynes and...
- 9/2/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Cate Blanchett is attached to star in an authorized biopic of Hollywood legend Lucille Ball that Aaron Sorkin is set to write for Escape Artists, TheWrap has learned. The film will chronicle Ball’s 20-year marriage to Desi Arnaz, with whom she starred on the classic TV sitcom “I Love Lucy.” Ball had two children with Arnaz before they divorced in 1960. She married Gary Morton the following year. Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. will produce with Escape Artists, whose executive Jenna Block will oversee development of the project on behalf of the Sony-based company. Also Read: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara Quietly.
- 9/2/2015
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
Cate Blanchett is reportedly attached to star in an Aaron Sorkin-penned, authorized biopic of Hollywood legend Lucille Ball that has been setup at Sony-based Escape Artists.
The story chronicles Ball's two decade long marriage to Desi Arnaz, with whom she starred on the classic TV sitcom "I Love Lucy," Ball had two children with Arnaz before they divorced in 1960 and she married Gary Morton a year later.
Lucy Arnaz Jr. and Desi Arnaz Jr. will produce but both Blanchett and Sorkin's reps have yet to comment. Sorkin has had a habit of tackling biopics in recent years such as "The Social Network" and the upcoming "Steve Jobs".
Source: The Wrap...
The story chronicles Ball's two decade long marriage to Desi Arnaz, with whom she starred on the classic TV sitcom "I Love Lucy," Ball had two children with Arnaz before they divorced in 1960 and she married Gary Morton a year later.
Lucy Arnaz Jr. and Desi Arnaz Jr. will produce but both Blanchett and Sorkin's reps have yet to comment. Sorkin has had a habit of tackling biopics in recent years such as "The Social Network" and the upcoming "Steve Jobs".
Source: The Wrap...
- 9/2/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
This Sunday's "I Love Lucy Superstar Special" on CBS may just be an elaborate repackaging of two 60-year-old black-and-white sitcom episodes, now meticulously colorized and shown back-to-back without a pause. But anything Lucy-related remains a gold mine for CBS, even six decades later, and the May 17 special will probably not be an exception.
The two "I Love Lucy" episodes show a couple of Lucy Ricardo's (Lucille Ball) typically frustrating brushes with fame. In "L.A. at Last!", Lucy's bandleader husband Ricky (Desi Arnaz) is cast in a movie, which means a Hollywood road trip for the Ricardos and their friends Ethel and Fred Mertz (Vivian Vance and William Frawley). Lucy and Ricky each make the acquaintance of movie icon William Holden, playing himself, and gamely taking a pie in the face. (The colorized version CBS is airing contains footage not seen on TV since the episode first aired 60 years ago.
The two "I Love Lucy" episodes show a couple of Lucy Ricardo's (Lucille Ball) typically frustrating brushes with fame. In "L.A. at Last!", Lucy's bandleader husband Ricky (Desi Arnaz) is cast in a movie, which means a Hollywood road trip for the Ricardos and their friends Ethel and Fred Mertz (Vivian Vance and William Frawley). Lucy and Ricky each make the acquaintance of movie icon William Holden, playing himself, and gamely taking a pie in the face. (The colorized version CBS is airing contains footage not seen on TV since the episode first aired 60 years ago.
- 5/16/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Boasting a legendary cast comprising Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, John Carradine and more, Pete Walker's House of the Long Shadows will be released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber in time for Halloween. Our latest round-up also includes the trailer and release details for Russell Friedenberg's Everglades-set horror film, Wind Walkers, and news on who will score the sophomore season of Syfy's Dominion.
House of the Long Shadows Blu-ray: According to Blu-ray.com, Kino Lorber will release House of the Long Shadows on Blu-ray this September.
Synopsis: "An American writer goes to a remote Welsh manor on a $20,000 bet: can he write a classic novel like "Wuthering Heights" in twenty-four hours? Upon his arrival, however, the writer discovers that the manor, thought empty, actually has several, rather odd, inhabitants."
Directed by Pete Walker from a screenplay by Michael Armstrong (which, in turn, is based on the novel,...
House of the Long Shadows Blu-ray: According to Blu-ray.com, Kino Lorber will release House of the Long Shadows on Blu-ray this September.
Synopsis: "An American writer goes to a remote Welsh manor on a $20,000 bet: can he write a classic novel like "Wuthering Heights" in twenty-four hours? Upon his arrival, however, the writer discovers that the manor, thought empty, actually has several, rather odd, inhabitants."
Directed by Pete Walker from a screenplay by Michael Armstrong (which, in turn, is based on the novel,...
- 3/31/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
No one would accuse the Hollywood Foreign Press Association of being a refined institution, but when you think about the kinds of movies, TV shows, actors, and actresses who've ended up with Golden Globes, it's actually staggering how the HFPA has gotten away with maintaining its image as a must-see event. Drunk people at the dais is, I guess, still a sufficient enough reason to tune in. Let's celebrate today's nominations with a fond look back at some silly things that have won Golden Globes. 1. "Green Card" (Best Motion Picture -- Comedy) What a classic. Nothing says "comedic wonderful good times" like Gerard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell mixing it up in an immigration romcom. Fun fact: My aunt saw this movie in Germany, noticed the reaction of the crowd, and was embarrassed on America's behalf. 2. Twiggy (Best Newcomer of the Year, Actress) I love Twiggy! She was great as a...
- 12/11/2014
- by Louis Virtel
- Hitfix
Reviewed by Kevin Scott, MoreHorror.com
House of the Long Shadows (1983)
Directed by Pete Walker
Written by Michael Armstrong, Earl Derr Biggers (novel), George M. Cohan (play)
Cast: Desi Arnaz Jr. (Kenneth Magee), Vincent Price (Lionel Grisbane), Peter Cushing (Sebastian Grisbane), John Carradine (Lord Elijah Grisbane), Christopher Lee (Corrigan), Sheila Keith (Victoria Grisbane), Julie Peasgood (Mary Norton), Richard Todd (Sam Allyson), Louise English (Diane Caulder), Richard Hunter (Andrew Caulder)
I like to think of “House of the Long Shadows” as kind of the super group of horror films. What I mean is that typically that term is reserved for the music field for example, Damn Yankees, Asia, Velvet Revolver, Audioslave. Hopefully, you get the point. It’s professionals who have already made their own fame and fortune alone or with another group, but band together for a second helping of notoriety. I don’t know if anyone in this film...
House of the Long Shadows (1983)
Directed by Pete Walker
Written by Michael Armstrong, Earl Derr Biggers (novel), George M. Cohan (play)
Cast: Desi Arnaz Jr. (Kenneth Magee), Vincent Price (Lionel Grisbane), Peter Cushing (Sebastian Grisbane), John Carradine (Lord Elijah Grisbane), Christopher Lee (Corrigan), Sheila Keith (Victoria Grisbane), Julie Peasgood (Mary Norton), Richard Todd (Sam Allyson), Louise English (Diane Caulder), Richard Hunter (Andrew Caulder)
I like to think of “House of the Long Shadows” as kind of the super group of horror films. What I mean is that typically that term is reserved for the music field for example, Damn Yankees, Asia, Velvet Revolver, Audioslave. Hopefully, you get the point. It’s professionals who have already made their own fame and fortune alone or with another group, but band together for a second helping of notoriety. I don’t know if anyone in this film...
- 5/14/2014
- by admin
- MoreHorror
The 61st Sydney Film Festival today announced 32 films to be featured in this year.s event (June 4-15) in advance of the full program launch on May 7.
The line-up includes the world premiere of The Redfern Story, 19 Australian premieres, 13 features, 11 documentaries and an eight-film retrospective on maverick American filmmaker Robert Altman. Altman.s son, filmmaker Michael Altman, will attend festival and introduce several of the Altman screenings.
Darlene Johnson.s The Redfern Story chronicles the volatile birth of the first all-Indigenous theatre company, the National Black Theatre. It features interviews with indigenous media pioneer Lester Bostock, writer Gerry Bostock, actor Lillian Crombie, activist-academic Gary Foley, academic Marcia Langton, actors Rachael Maza, Bryan Brown and Bindi Williams. .We are pleased to present this sneak preview of 32 of the 180-plus films in this year.s program,. said Festival Director Nashen Moodley. .We have gathered a selection of the best films from the...
The line-up includes the world premiere of The Redfern Story, 19 Australian premieres, 13 features, 11 documentaries and an eight-film retrospective on maverick American filmmaker Robert Altman. Altman.s son, filmmaker Michael Altman, will attend festival and introduce several of the Altman screenings.
Darlene Johnson.s The Redfern Story chronicles the volatile birth of the first all-Indigenous theatre company, the National Black Theatre. It features interviews with indigenous media pioneer Lester Bostock, writer Gerry Bostock, actor Lillian Crombie, activist-academic Gary Foley, academic Marcia Langton, actors Rachael Maza, Bryan Brown and Bindi Williams. .We are pleased to present this sneak preview of 32 of the 180-plus films in this year.s program,. said Festival Director Nashen Moodley. .We have gathered a selection of the best films from the...
- 4/1/2014
- by Staff writer
- IF.com.au
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.