There’s no question that Ana de Armas’ star is on the rise in Hollywood. After breakout performances in Knives Out and No Time To Die, de Armas is headlining the John Wick spinoff Ballerina. But first, she will step into the role of perhaps the most famous movie star in history, Marilyn Monroe, in the new Netflix original film Blonde.
This may Netflix’s most daring movie to date since Blonde has already been given an NC-17 for graphic sexual content. None of that is seen in the first teaser trailer, however. Instead, we get a glimpse of de Armas as Norma Jeane Mortenson, a young woman whose life has been overwhelmed by the fame she has earned. Norma Jeane openly despairs and wonders if “she” will come back to her. The “she” in question is none other than Norma Jeane’s showbiz persona, Marilyn, which she embraces at the end of the teaser.
Here’s the official description from Netflix:
“From director Andrew Dominik, and based on the bestselling novel by Joyce Carol Oates, Blonde boldly reimagines the complicated life of icon Marilyn Monroe. Blurring the lines of fact and fiction, the film artfully explores the tension between her public and private life.”
Because Monroe’s life was filled with other famous legends and actors, those people will be featured as characters in Blonde as well. Adrien Brody co-stars as Arthur Miller, with Bobby Cannavale as Joe DiMaggio, Julianne Nicholson as Gladys Pearl Baker, Caspar Phillipson as John F. Kennedy, Toby Huss as Allan “Whitey” Snyder, David Warshofsky as Darryl F. Zanuck, Evan Williams as Edward G. Robinson Jr., Xavier Samuel as Charles Chaplin Jr., and Sara Paxton as Miss Flynn. Lily Fisher co-stars as young Norma Jeane Mortensen before she became Marilyn.
Netflix will premiere Blonde on September 23. It may also get a brief theatrical run in order to compete for next year’s Oscars.
