J.K. Simmons & Nina Arianda In Talks to Play William Frawley & Vivian Vance in Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Biopic

We may have found our Fred and Ethel Mertz!

It is being reported that J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda are in final negotiations to play William Frawley and Vivian Vance in Amazon and Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos, according to Deadline.

Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem will be playing Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in the upcoming biopic.

J.K.‘s character William played Fred Mertz in the beloved sitcom I Love Lucy. Nina‘s character Vivian played his wife and Lucy‘s best friend Ethel Mertz.

Being the Ricardos will be set during one production week of I Love Lucy which was a Monday table read through Friday audience filming schedule.

It will focus on when Lucy and Desi face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.

After it was revealed that Nicole would be playing Lucy, many fans were not happy with the decision. However, Lucy‘s daughter defended Nicole‘s casting.

Aaron will not only direct the film, but wrote the script for it as well.