"Blonde" Trailer: First Look of Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe

The first evocative footage from Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde”, starring Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe, has been released on Netflix. The NC-17 rating of the film based on the best-selling novel by Joyce Carol Oates is notable. Bobby Cannavale, Adrien Brody, Julianne Nicholson, Xavier Samuel, and Evan Williams play supporting roles.

Netflix’s official synopsis for “Blonde” reads as follows: “[The film] boldly reimagines the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe. From her tumultuous childhood as Norma Jeane through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, “Blonde” blurs the lines between fact and fiction to examine the widening gap between her public and private selves.

“Andrew’s intentions were crystal clear from the beginning,” de Armas recently told Netflix Queue. “He wanted to present a version of Marilyn Monroe’s life through her lens.” “He wanted the world to know not only what it was like to be Marilyn, but also Norma Jeane. This was the most audacious, unapologetic, and feminist interpretation of her story I have ever encountered.”

De Armas added, “We worked on this film for hours every single day for nearly a year.” “I studied hundreds of photographs, videos, audio recordings, and films, in addition to reading Joyce’s novel. Each scene is derived from an existing photograph. We would dissect every aspect of the photograph and debate its meaning. The initial inquiry was always, “What was Norma Jeane feeling in this situation?” We desired to convey the humanity of her story. Marilyn’s fame made her the most visible person in the world, while Norma’s fame rendered her the most invisible.

Ana de Armas in Blonde. Photo: Collected

Reportedly, the film’s NC-17 rating caused tension between Dominik and Netflix, but the director told ScreenDaily in February that he has “nothing but gratitude for Netflix,” noting that the streaming giant supported the title despite having content concerns. Netflix “insisted” on hiring Jennifer Lame, editor of “Hereditary” and “Tenet,” to “tame the film’s excesses.” Dominik added that “Blonde” is a difficult film. If the audience does not enjoy it, that is the audience’s damn problem. It does not seek public office.”

In a May interview with Vulture, Dominik stated, “There is something in it to offend everyone.” On September 23, “Blonde” is released globally on Netflix. View the film’s first footage and latest images below.