There are lots of rumors about Netflix’s new biopic about Marilyn Munroe. The film Blonde is supposed to get its premiere at The Venice Film Festival in September, but that is yet to be confirmed. So, it may just go straight to streaming release. However, if it wants to be included in the Oscar nominations, it will need to have had a planned theatrical release of at least seven days. This is a sign of things getting back to normal after this rule was waived due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. However, it is still unclear whether a theatrical release is on the cards.
What is not unclear, however, is whether Marilyn’s depiction in the film will live up to her real-life sex bomb reputation. It is the first-ever film made for a streaming service that will be classified as suitable only for an adult audience. It has an NC-17 rating for its sexually explicit and steamy content.
The director, Andrew Dominik, has adapted the film from Joyce Carol Oates’s best-selling book about the platinum bombshell. It has been over a decade in development. Back in 2012, he first spoke about the project, which he described as an emotional, sprawling, nightmare fairy-tale type movie. It tells the tale of a childhood Norma Jean who witnesses a drama that is misinterpreted. This mistaken idea propels Marilyn into adulthood, and she perceives the world through that lens. Dominik says that it is a story of an abandoned orphan who gets lost in the woods.
The $22 million Netflix budget means that the production team has not had to cut corners to bring to life the glamorous lifestyle and troubled existence that the famous platinum blonde experienced. The NC-17 rating promises that this movie will be very different from previous sanitized versions of the star’s story. The director has jokingly promised that there will be something to offend everyone.
Marilyn is played by the Cuban actress Ana de Armas. She came to the public’s attention for her roles in No Time to Die and Knives Out. She says that she wanted to learn as much as she could about Marilyn so that she could accurately portray her in the film. This meant understanding her fragility, intelligence, and vulnerabilities. De Armas says she did not just want to transform herself physically but also fully understand the character she was playing. Her dog Elvis has a role in the film too. He plays Monroe’s pooch Mafia.
Marilyn Monroe has continued to fascinate audiences worldwide. Almost impossible to pigeonhole, she was a model, a singer, an actress, and, without a doubt, a global sex symbol. She has been the subject of TV series, films, and documentaries.
At least one road in Las Vegas is dedicated to her, and a plethora of Marilyn tribute acts are walking the boards of theaters and clubs around the world. Pop artist Andy Warhol became obsessed with her image and created a series of renowned silkscreen prints of her face.
Netflix’s official synopsis says the film is ‘the boldly reimagined private story of the world’s most famous se*x symbol, Marilyn Monroe. The film is a fictional portrait of the model, actress, and singer during the ’50s and ’60s, held through the modern lens of celebrity culture. So, we can expect a fictionalized impression of Monroe’s life rather than a quasi-documentary format.
To this end, none of the famous characters are referred to by their names. Famously, Monroe was married to both Arthur Miller and Joe DiMaggio. In the novel and the film, they are referred to as the ex-athlete and the playwright. These two parts are played by Adrien Brody and Bobby Cannavale, respectively.
One of Monroe’s most famous encounters was with John F Kennedy. In the story, he is simply known as the President. The actor who plays him, Caspar Philipson, also played JFK in the recent movie Jackie.
Also read: Have a Look at The Mysteries Surrounding Blonde Beauty Marilyn Monroe’s Death
