The first trailer for Blonde, Netflix's lavish new biopic of actress and singer Marilyn Monroe, has debuted online. Click below to watch it:
The movie stars No Time To Die and Blade Runner 2049 actress Ana de Armas as Monroe, with Adrien Brody, Sara Paxton, Bobby Cannavale and Julianne Nicholson among the supporting cast.
Blonde has been directed by Andrew Dominik, the man behind epic western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and bloody romp Chopper, as well as two feature-length documentaries about the musician Nick Cave.
Dominik has also written the script, which is an adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' 2000 novel of the same name, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Oates' novel tracks Monroe from her troubled childhood as Norma Jeane Mortenson, which she spent in various foster homes and orphanages in Los Angeles, right through her reinvention as the defining Hollywood star of the 1950s, and her tragic death at the age of 36.
Blonde has been adapted once before, for a 2001 miniseries with Poppy Montgomery as Monroe. Dominik's take though, has proved more controversial...
Controversial? How so?
Blonde has been the subject of controversy on account of its NC-17 rating, which is the first time a Netflix original has had such a rating. An NC-17 rating makes the movie strictly for over 18's. The rating is rare, and most movies which receive one are then re-edited to go down to an R-rating, where any under-17 who wants to watch the movie requires an accompanying parent or adult guardian.
The rating reported caused a rift between Dominik and Netflix, who brought in Jennifer Lame, the editor on hits like Tenet and Hereditary, to try and re-engineer the movie. Ultimately though, it seems like Dominik has won the day.
The movie's official synopsis, which Netflix has released today, reads as follows: "Blonde boldly reimagines the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe. From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, ‘Blonde’ blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves.”
Blonde will debut on Netflix on September 23 worldwide. It's expected to be one of Netflix's leading contenders for awards seasons, with the streaming giant's executives still determined to win a Best Picture Oscar.
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