Aaron Sorkin has a lot of ‘splainin’ to do. And he’s going to do it soon.

Sorkin’s “Being the Ricardo’s” has found its Fred and Ethel Mertz. They are J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda. He’s an Oscar winner, she’s a Tony winner. I have to say, they sound perfect.

Simmons and Arianda will play actors William Frawley and Vivian Vance, the famed second bananas to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as they shoot an episode of “I Love Lucy” over the course of a week. Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem will play the Ricardos.

This is either going to work or not, big time. But I have high hopes for it. Now Sorkin has three Oscar winners. If this goes right, Nina Arianda will finally be in the big leagues and have her own Oscar. She’s enormously talented. I can’t wait to see if they’re casting Little Ricky, Mrs. Trumbull, and Lucy’s mother.

Escape Artists will produce the film for Amazon Studios, 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 Lauren Lohman.

When does it shoot? Whenever we’re all vaccinated. In the meantime, Baba-loo!

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced shortlists in nine categories for the 93rd Academy Awards®: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, International Feature Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film and Visual Effects.

Of note: Diane Warren has only two songs on the short list this year. She’s had 11 nominations has has never won! This is ridiculous. Either of her songs, “lo si (Seen): from “The Life Ahead” and Free” from “The One and Only Ivan” could win and both could finish in the top 5.

Also, this very site featured “The Letter Room” from Elvira Lind last week exclusively. Now it’s made the short list. On to to the top 5 we go!

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Fifteen films will advance in the Documentary Feature category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  Two hundred thirty-eight films were eligible in the category.  Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“All In: The Fight for Democracy”
“Boys State”
“Collective”
“Crip Camp”
“Dick Johnson Is Dead”
“Gunda”
“MLK/FBI”
“The Mole Agent”
“My Octopus Teacher”
“Notturno”
“The Painter and the Thief”
“76 Days”
“Time”
“The Truffle Hunters”
“Welcome to Chechnya”

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Ten films will advance in the Documentary Short Subject category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  One hundred fourteen films qualified in the category.  Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Abortion Helpline, This Is Lisa”
“Call Center Blues”
“Colette”
“A Concerto Is a Conversation”
“Do Not Split”
“Hunger Ward”
“Hysterical Girl”
“A Love Song for Latasha”
“The Speed Cubers”
“What Would Sophia Loren Do?”

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Fifteen films will advance to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  Films from 93 countries were eligible in the category.

Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.

In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Quo Vadis, Aida?”
Chile, “The Mole Agent”
Czech Republic, “Charlatan”
Denmark, “Another Round”
France, “Two of Us”
Guatemala, “La Llorona”
Hong Kong, “Better Days”
Iran, “Sun Children”
Ivory Coast, “Night of the Kings”
Mexico, “I’m No Longer Here”
Norway, “Hope”
Romania, “Collective”
Russia, “Dear Comrades!”
Taiwan, “A Sun”
Tunisia, “The Man Who Sold His Skin”

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Ten films will advance in the Makeup and Hairstyling category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  All members of the Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch will be invited virtually to view seven-minute excerpts from each of the 10 shortlisted films on Saturday, March 6, 2021.  Branch members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar® consideration.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn”
“Emma”
“The Glorias”
“Hillbilly Elegy”
“Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey”
“The Little Things”
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
“Mank”
“One Night in Miami…”
“Pinocchio”

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Fifteen scores will advance in the Original Score category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  One hundred thirty-six scores were eligible in the category.  Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The scores, listed in alphabetical order by film title, are:

“Ammonite”
“Blizzard of Souls”
“Da 5 Bloods”
“The Invisible Man”
“Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey”
“The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”
“The Little Things”
“Mank”
“The Midnight Sky”
“Minari”
“Mulan”
“News of the World”
“Soul”
“Tenet”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
Fifteen songs will advance in the Original Song category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  One hundred five songs were eligible in the category.  Members of the Music Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film title and song title:

“Turntables” from “All In: The Fight for Democracy”
“See What You’ve Done” from “Belly of the Beast”
“Wuhan Flu” from “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”
“Husavik” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”
“Never Break” from “Giving Voice”
“Make It Work” from “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey”
“Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah”
“lo Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”
“Rain Song” from “Minari”
“Show Me Your Soul” from “Mr. Soul!”
“Loyal Brave True” from “Mulan”
“Free” from “The One and Only Ivan”
“Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami…”
“Green” from “Sound of Metal”
“Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Ten films will advance in the Animated Short Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  Ninety-six films qualified in the category.  Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Burrow”
“Genius Loci”
“If Anything Happens I Love You”
“Kapaemahu”
“Opera”
“Out”
“The Snail and the Whale”
“To Gerard”
“Traces”
“Yes-People”

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
Ten films will advance in the Live Action Short Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  One hundred seventy-four films qualified in the category.  Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Bittu”
“Da Yie”
“Feeling Through”
“The Human Voice”
“The Kicksled Choir”
“The Letter Room”
“The Present”
“Two Distant Strangers”
“The Van”
“White Eye”

VISUAL EFFECTS
Ten films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 93rd Academy Awards.  The Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist.  All members of the Visual Effects Branch will be invited virtually to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, March 6, 2021.  Following the screenings, members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn”
“Bloodshot”
“Love and Monsters”
“Mank”
“The Midnight Sky”
“Mulan”
“The One and Only Ivan”
“Soul”
“Tenet”
“Welcome to Chechnya”

Nominations voting begins on Friday, March 5, 2021, and concludes on Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

Nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, March 15, 2021.

The 93rd Oscars® will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2021, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Uh oh.

New Line Cinema at Warner Bros. is planning a “Wizard of Oz” remake. The 1939 classic is just that, a classic, and there’s no way it can be improved. So why not ruin it?

Instead of booking a director with musicals in their background, they’ve given the job to the director of HBO’s Emmy winning “Watchmen.” Warner’s had “Wizard of Oz” in their library, so they can do anything they want to it– and they will.

The only bright side here is that Marc Platt is one of the producers, so maybe he’ll get new songs from Pasek and Paul, his “La La Land” and “Evan Hansen” composers.

But really, no remakes every work. They are all bad. One by one they come and go and are all horrid. Think of “Psycho” from Gus van Sant. Or the updated “Heartbreak Kid.” No one wants to see these things again.

You can almost imagine a new “Wizard,” with James Corden as the Cowardly Lion, Jim Carrey as the Scarecrow, Harry Styles as the Tin Man, and Ariana Grande as Dorothy. The Wizard will be played by Cedric the Entertainer.  The Flying Monkeys will be unicorns. The Munchkins will now be Little People. All the villains will claim to be misunderstood. The Wicked Witch of the West — Meryl Streep — will be in therapy.

No. no. no. Maybe Toto’s heirs can sue to stop this.