Cate Blanchett To Play Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin Biopic

Cate Blanchett will take on the queen of comedy, Lucille Ball, in an upcoming authorized biopic written by Aaron Sorkin.

According to the breaking report in The Wrap, the story will chronicle Ball’s 20-year marriage to Cuban actor Desi Arnaz, who starred alongside Ball in life and in the wildly successful 50s sitcom I Love Lucy.  There is no word yet as to who will play Arnaz next to Cate Blanchett.

The biopic will be produced by Lucy Arnaz Jr. and Desi Arnaz Jr., the two children of Lucille and Desi (if that wasn’t clear given their names). Neither Blanchett nor Sorkin have released a statement regarding the project.

This is intriguing to me. I hold I Love Lucy in higher regard than most my age or younger. I watched every episode, multiple times, thanks to my mother who adores the series. It is antiquated, sure, but is now a fascinatingly dated look at an era where gender roles and censorship were vastly different than today. Aside from the show, the tumultuous relationship between Ball and the adulterous and sometimes abusive Arnaz should make for a fascinating familial glimpse into two of the most influential celebrities of the early days of television.

Up first for two-time Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett is Todd Haynes’ drama Carol, which may nab her another Oscar nomination, Truth alongside Robert Redford, and Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups.  Meanwhile, Aaron Sorkin’s next film is Steve Jobs, starring Michael Fassbender and directed by Danny Boyle.