Everything We Know About Ana de Armas' Marilyn Monroe Biopic 'Blonde'
The new Netflix drama starring Ana de Armas explores the life, fame, and demise of icon Marilyn Monroe.
Here’s some good news for all Marilyn Monroe fans: this morning, Netflix dropped a teaser for Blonde, a fictional drama chronicling parts of Marilyn Monroe’s life.
Included in the majority black-and-white trailer are parts of Monroe’s life with Ana de Armas playing the icon herself, like her flirty white dress blowing in the wind. Featuring a slowed-down version of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” viewers are left with an eerie feeling as they see Ana de Armas crying and exclaiming that "Marilyn Monroe only exists on the screen."
Accompanied with the film's teaser, Netflix wrote on Instagram, “Hollywood was her dream, but fame became her nightmare. Ana de Armas is Marilyn Monroe in Blonde."
The NC-17 film (yes, you read that right), directed and written by Andrew Dominik, is based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates.
De Armas shared news of the film on her social media. On Instagram, she posted a gallery of images, beginning with her being fitted in a white, ruched swimsuit.
“Blonde. What a beautiful dream!” She continued, “Andrew’s ambitions were very clear from the start — to present a version of Marilyn Monroe’s life through her lens. He wanted the world to experience what it actually felt like to not only be Marilyn, but also Norma Jeane. I found that to be the most daring, unapologetic, and feminist take on her story that I had ever seen.”
Fortunately, fans will only have to wait a few months. Blonde will be released on September 23.
In August, Monroe's estate announced their support for the new film following casting backlash. Many have expressed outrage over de Armas' lack of resemblance to Monroe. Despite the actress working for a year on perfecting Monroe's dialect, viewers have also criticized de Armas' Cuban accent and background, commenting that she does not look or sound like Monroe. President of Entertainment at the estate's founding company Authentic Brands Group Marc Rosen defended de Armas, commenting that she was a great casting choice and "captures Marilyn's glamour, humanity and vulnerability."
