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Nicole Kidman wows with incredible transformation for new role

The actress is playing Lucille Ball in the biographical drama

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Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
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Nicole Kidman has undergone a huge transformation for her new role in the upcoming biographical drama Being the Ricardos - and she looks unrecognisable!

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Amazon Studios has released a first look at the new film, directed by Aaron Sorkin, which will see Nicole Kidman play Lucille Ball opposite Javier Bardem as her husband Desi Arnaz. The feature film is a behind-the-scenes drama that focuses on one crucial week during the filming of Lucille and Desi’s ground-breaking sitcom I Love Lucy.

WATCH: The feature film looks at the lives of Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz

The official synopsis reads: "Lucille Ball (Nicole 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."

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In the new trailer, quick flashes of the couple’s busy and colourful life are shown, accompanied by Nicole’s voiceover. Although only brief glimpses of Nicole as Lucille are revealed in the short clip, it is clear that Nicole has undergone a massive transformation in order to resemble the iconic figure.

being the ricardos© Amazon

Nicole stars alongside Javier in the biographical drama

She told Variety in June that she had to work hard to perfect Lucille’s speech patterns. She said: "I’ve had to put in an enormous amount of time on Lucille Ball right now, because she has a very particular way of speaking." The Big Little Lies star also noted that she’s "out of her comfort zone" in a comedic role.

Talking about the film itself, Nicole spoke to Chris Rock in a Variety Actors on Actors conversation and revealed: "The strange thing about Lucille Ball is that everyone thinks we’re remaking the I Love Lucy show, and it’s so not that," she said. "It’s about Lucy and Desi and their relationship and their marriage. It’s very deep, actually."

The film also gives an insight into the racial barriers that the famous couple had to face, with Desi being discriminated against for his Cuban-American nationality.

The biographical drama will be released in cinemas on 10 December and will arrive on Prime Video on 21 December this year. 

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