Blanchett as Lucille Ball is Finally A Go!
Tuesday, August 8, 2017 at 8:00AM 
Chris here. Remember a few years back when we first got word that Cate Blanchett was itching to play legend Lucille Ball? Well, the film is now happening thanks to getting picked up by Amazon and set on the fast track.
Lucy And Desi will follow the twenty year marriage of the notoriously embattled couple over the start of their Desilu Productions and I Love Lucy. The script comes from Aaron Sorkin, so expect reems of snappy dialogue and perhaps some timely contextualization - just imagine the drama of Blanchett delivering Sorkinese. No word on a director yet but it wouldn't surprise if those reigns become Sorkin's as well, with his Jessica Chastain-led directorial Molly's Game coming this fall.
Just as exciting as the prospect of Blanchett making a redheaded return to the screen is who might also fill Desi Arnaz's shoes and the rest of the legendary ensemble. Amazon is looking to get major stars for the roles of Desi, Vivian Vance and William Frawley (Ethel and Fred of the show for the unfamiliar - which if you are, how dare you!). Thus far Javier Bardem is the only name being mentioned, but I'd wager he's not quite a fit. How would you cast the rest of the I Love Lucy quartet?
Reader Comments (50)
I want the Blanchett Directorial Commonwealth to expand, so I need a legendary director she hasn't worked with to helm this.
I'm already endlessly happy that "Where'd You Go Bernadette?" is filming at this very moment and that Linklater joins the aforementioned Commonwealth.
Finally let's not have a "Carol" VS "Truth" clash and release these titles in separate years.
"Where'd You Go Bernadette?" in 2018
"Lucy And Desi" in 2019
Desi Arnaz: I know they want Javier Bardem, because "star power", but I can't imagine how Javier Bardem and Sorkinese would fit together AT ALL. Michael Pena is probably the safer choice.
Vivian Vance: (Character Actress) Margo Martindale.
William Frawley: Ed Asner...?
It seems like Desi Arnez is the role that John Leguizamo was born to play.
I'm sure J.K. Simmons and Kathy Bates would be the first people to come to mind for Frawley and Vance, but I'll take Brian-Doyle Murray and Shirley Knight.
@Ben I love all of your suggestions. Leguizamo is right on the money.
I love both Martindale and Knight - but why age Vivian Vance up so much? How about Judy Greer? She could easily do Sorkinese, and as long as you're casting one of the best-known best-friend parts in showbiz history, well given Greer's career path ... And yeah, J.K. Simmons seems a natural fit for Frawley.
The brazilian Wagner Moura, Golden Globe nominated (Pablo Escobar in Narcos), charming, talented and a dead ringer for Arnaz.
judy greer is a GREAT suggestion - or maybe toni colette for an aussie party? toni has such comic gifts.
I'd like to see him get more work in general, but I can't stop thinking of Antonio Banderas for Desi Arnaz.Margo Martindale does seem like a pretty perfect fit for Vivian Vance, and though Ed Asner is a perfect fit for William Frawley he's a bit too old, so why not Albert Finney?
I love Blanchett and (usually) Sorkin, but god does this feel like an odd fit for their talents. Blanchett and Ball just seem to have such different types of screen energy and presence. Not that Cate can't do comedy, it's just usually with a very different tone. I'm not an expert on Ball behind the scenes so maybe it makes more sense than it appears. While I can totally see Blanchett acing Sorkin dialogue, hard to picture Lucille Ball giving a Sorkin monologue.
This must have been mentioned back during the original announcement and even though it would never happen after Hustle, I would be very interested to see a David O'Russell/Amy Adams take on a Lucille Ball movie.
Edgar Ramirez as Desi.
MMinDC
I've already cast this. Banderas as Desi, Catherine Keener as Vivian Vance (Vance was only two years older than Ball and not as chunky as Martindale or as thin as Greer) and Dean Norris as Frawley.
Margo Martindale
Albert Finney
Cate Blanchett
Edgar Ramirez
Directing: Danny Boyle (make a good job with Sorkin's Steve Jobs)
I've already cast this. Banderas as Desi, Catherine Keener as Vivian Vance (Vance was only two years older than Ball and not as chunky as Martindale or as thin as Greer) and Dean Norris as Frawley.
I'm sure J.K. Simmons and Kathy Bates would be the first people to come to mind for Frawley and Vance
This.
Damn @Morgan. I am so jealous I didn't think of Dean Norris.
I think Javier looks too manly for the part. I think for Desi you need someone more boyish like Wagner Moura or Gael. And i thought Vivian was around the same age with Lucy not much older.
Martindale is too tall. Bates is better and a previous Oscar winner. I need a Blanchett and Bates pairing. I never thought of putting those two together. I want them to have chemistry.
It seems that many here have forgotten that Vivian Vance is only two years older than Lucille Ball.
Fun suggestions.
The first name that leapt to my mind for Desi was Oscar Isaac. Have he and Blanchett already worked together? They seem like such a good pair.
Bates would be a total miscastiing as would Martindale
A younger gal is needed. I
What we seem to forget is that Lucy was nearly 6 years older than Desi! They lied about it. Desi said he was 3 years older than he was and Lucy insisted she was 3 years younger than she actually was. That way it seemed that Lucy was only 3 years older. So that would rule Banderas out.
It will be interesting to see how the chemistry works between the actors playing Vivian and Fred. They didn't get along at all well. They were even offered a spin-off and they said no. That's how much they disliked each other.
Albert Finney: Has anyone seen a recent photo of Finney. He hasn't acted in 13 years! And he was already looking rather old. He's 81!
My choices:
Desi: John Leguizamo. Alternative: Edgar Ramirez.
Vivian: Catherine Keener or Margo Martindale
Fred: JK Simmons or Dean Norris.
With Cate Blanchett as a bonafide star already anchoring the project, I'd love to see an unknown Cuban American actor get a chance to play Desi Arnaz. It could potentially be a great, star-making role for an actor we've yet to discover, which is always exciting. Barring that, Oscar Isaac (who is Cuban American) feels like a good choice (and Desi was younger than Lucy, so it works).
John Leguizamo is the ideal pick for Desi...he may be too old, but maybe not.
Javier is a joke pick...please. He's all wrong!
As Desi, the guy in Sense8 who played the supporting gay boyfriend to Miguel Angel Silvestre.
I want Oscar to play Desi just because I love him and it would be fun to see him work opposite Blanchett. John Leguizamo, who deserves better roles, is a great choice as well.
Dean Norris or JK Simmons for Frawley, Judi Greer for Vance. Simmons and Greer would need to gain weight or wear padding, though.
Judi Greer for Vance.
She's too young and thin for the role.
Judy Greer is 42, the same age as Vivian Vance was when I Love Lucy premiered in 1951.
And she does not look a day over 35.
Marcos--Albert Finney was in Skyfall, five years ago.
Cate is pulling the Meryl Streep playbook right off the shelf at CAA. You go sister.
I would like to see Oscar Isaac as Desi, with Jonah Hill and Lena Dunham as Fred and Ethel. Go big or go home. No movie on Lucy has ever succeeded, so good luck.
How about Melanie Lynskey as Vivian Vance?
She's always so satisfying as part of an ensemble and her co-workers seem to relax with her and play at their best.
I've always found Aaron Sorkin boring and has a terrible track record with female characters so I can't get that excited about this even though I love cate.
If they want certified stars then they should cast Oscar Isaac as Desi, Kate Winslet as Vivian Vance and someone unexpected as William Frawley. How about Anthony Hopkins?
Unexpected for Fred? How about Patton Oswalt?
Although I love JK Simmons, and would love to see him pair again with Alison Janney.
Besides Anthony Hopkins, maybe Jeff Bridges would be a good choice? He's got the curmudgeonly attitude almost copyrighted at this point.
A redhead? Do we think she handle a redhead? ;)
<3
What an oddly forgettable face Desi Arnaz has. I've been staring at pictures of him and nothing sticks. So any middle aged, not too lean actor with dark hair would be fine by me.
The first name that came to mind for Desi was Raul Esparza.
Love Vivian Vance. And If I recall correctly, she always maintained a pretty trim figure. No Twiggy but no Kate Smith either. I 'think Tracey Ullman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Melissa Leo or Debra Winger - gifted ladies all - could each bring a lot to the part. With maybe Oliver Platt for Frawley.
It just occurred to me that Patricia Clarkson might also make a bang-up Vivian Vance. And (if Oliver Platt played her Fred Mertz) I'd certainly be up for a reunion of the two co-stars from "Pieces of April". I thought they were terrific together in that.
Michael Pena as Desi
Kristen Wiig as Ethel
Bill Murray as Fred (Frawley was 64 when I Love Lucy first aired)
Leguizano as Desi are you kidding or blind? Oscar Isaac my first choice- and I hope the movie does not turn Desi into a villain.
Leguizamo is just PERFECT for this. Great idea!
I like Melanie Lynskey too. That's inspired. Some of these other suggestions are so left field....
If this covers only the Lucy/Desi marriage, we're talking about a movie where Lucy is 29-49yo and Desi is 23-43yo. With that said...
It must be Oscar Isaac. He's talented enough to deliver Sorkin lines and boyish enough to deliver Desi Arnaz charm. Bardem fails at the latter, Leguizamo fails at both.
The suggestion of Brian Doyle-Murray as Fred was inspired though he looks a little rough these days. Probably would have been better 10 years ago.
Yeah, I was pretty much nodding to most of these choices but then as soon as someone brought up OSCAR ISAAC, I couldn't think of anyone better. Honestly, if they somehow revived Desi Arnaz from the dead, I'd still think Oscar would be a better choice (because... well zombie).
I'm so excited about this....I believe Cate will knock it out of the park!
Cate as Lucy? I don't think so. I ain't seeing it.
Parker Posey as Vivian
Whoever said Kate Winslet as Vivian Vance knocked it out of the park with that suggestion!