Netflix Presents Blonde, the New Film by Ana de Armas About Marilyn Monroe

August 1, 2022

Netflix released the official trailer for "Blonde" by Andrew Dominik, a biographical film with an NC-17 rating (ages 17 and over) starring Cuban actress Ana de Armas as Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. The film, based on the bestselling novel by Joyce Carol Oates, will have its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival.

"Blonde" reinvents the life of Marilyn Monroe, from her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane to her rise to stardom and her romantic entanglements. The supporting cast includes Bobby Cannavale, Adrien Brody, Julianne Nicholson, Xavier Samuel, and Evan Williams.

The film is one of the most anticipated titles competing at the Venice Film Festival. The head of the Cannes Film Festival, Thierry Fremaux, previously stated that he had been trying to include it in the 2022 program, but could not reach a compromise with Netflix. The broadcaster has not returned to Cannes since 2017 due to the festival's rule that all competing films must have a theatrical release in France.

Described by Oates as a feminist film, "Blonde" aims to strike a chord with contemporary audiences. "The way Kennedy treated Marilyn Monroe was not, and still is not so different from the way many powerful men, especially in Washington DC, treat all women except their wives," Oates told Vanity Fair France.

Earlier this week, new images from the film were released, along with the confirmation that Cannavale will star in the film as baseball icon Joe DiMaggio.

"We worked on this film for hours, every day for almost a year," de Armas told Netflix Queue. "I read Joyce's novel, studied hundreds of photographs, videos, audio recordings, films, everything I could get my hands on. Every scene is inspired by an existing photograph. We meticulously examined every detail of the photo and discussed what was happening in it. The first question was always: 'What was Norma Jeane feeling here?' We wanted to tell the human side of her story. Fame is what made Marilyn the most visible person in the world, but it also made Norma the most invisible."

"Blonde" launches globally on Netflix on September 28.