Blondie (2022) is getting a lot of attention beyond the fact that it’s a biopic about Marilyn Monroe or that de Armas is the most recent actress to play her.
Marilyn Monroe is a Hollywood legend, as well known for her performance on screen as she was an iconic fashion model and often the subject of gossip from it. Marilyn returns with the 2022 film Blonde with Ana de Armas as Monroe.
It’s not the first time Monroe is the topic of a film. There have been numerous documentary films about Monroe, including 2022 as an addition to Netflix.
When will Blonde (2022) Come?
Finally, after a long time of waiting, the brand new “Blonde” is here after many delays. The highly anticipated film was based on Joyce Carol Oates’ 2000 novel with the same title is in development since at least 2010, according to Vogue.
At times two actresses, Jessica Chastain and Naomi Watts, were considered for the part of Marilyn Monroe. The film’s shooting began in 2019, but it was delayed due to the effects of the pandemic and of course to fears from Netflix regarding the film’s graphic content.
Netflix reportedly employed editor Jennifer Lame, who had been involved in the productions “Tenet” and “Marriage Story,” to ensure that the film did not go overboard, as the director Andrew Dominik told Screen Daily.
Even though he was hesitant to collaborate with her, Dominik enjoyed the experience. “I determined that no matter what she was looking to accomplish, I would assist her to achieve it. I would be there with the woman,” he said, explaining that Lame has tightened the film. “We improved it.”
Dominik had hoped that “Blonde” was set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021; however, Netflix did not want to participate due to the stringent requirement that film entries in competition at Cannes must be committed to a film’s theatrical premiere in France for 15 months before it can air on the streaming service.
Netflix’s plan to negotiate an eight-month agreement didn’t succeed, and even when it was offered to be considered for the 2022 edition, Netflix declined, per Variety. Netflix hasn’t had a film premiered at Cannes since the beginning of 2017.
“Blonde” is scheduled to premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 8th. According to IMDb, the film will then be it will be on Netflix beginning on September 23rd.
What’s the plot behind Blonde?
Blondies is an improbable biography of Marilyn Monroe’s life that is based on the novel with the same title written by Joyce Carol Oates(opens in a new tab).
The film is expected to examine the vulnerability of the woman, Norma Jeane, behind the iconic Hollywood image of Marilyn Monroe, including detailing the traumatizing childhood and “the struggle that ensues as she matures between her private and her public self.”
Ana de Armas will take the lead role in Blonde
Although there were initial doubts about how Marilyn Monroe was cast Marilyn Monroe, Cuban actress Ana de Armas has won over her fans as well as the Monroe Estate because of her performance.
“Knives Out,” the “Knives Out” actress was met with a lot of negative feedback online, with some of them pointing toward xenophobia when viewers noticed evidence from the Cuban accent when watching the teaser trailer for “Blonde.”
TMZ says that some people felt the pronunciation of her character was distracting, especially when she was portraying the real Monroe. Some defended her, too, like the tweeter who informs those complaining, “we have a long story of American actors mumbling accents of different nationalities in films and you don’t look twice. you’ll survive.”
The ongoing struggle for equality among those of color and the criteria for the roles they can play are getting better by a small margin. Still, many forget that representation isn’t only physical and how it is expressed.
As IndieWire noted, diversity is more than one’s appearance, and there are implicit biases in how people speak and accents that haven’t been addressed.
Additionally, de Armas worked with an expert in dialect for nine months to help her develop her accent and the famous Marilyn’s breathiness. She’s been praised by her Monroe estate.
“It appears that Ana was a fantastic choice for the role as she is able to capture Marilyn’s glamour as well as her vulnerability and humanity,” was the comment of Authentic Brands Group president of entertainment Marc Rosen on behalf of the estate, as reported by Variety.
And de Armas is thrilled. “Playing Marilyn was groundbreaking,” she said to Vanity Fair, saying she was chosen for the role after only one audition. “A Cuban playing Marilyn Monroe. I was so desperate to see it.”
Who else can you find featured in the movie Blonde?
Not only is the story of “Blonde” with a star-studded cast, but Marilyn Monroe had many famous people during her lifetime, and so does the film’s cast. Although the film is an adaptation of a novel, it is a fictionalized tale. Many of the well-known real-life characters are portrayed on screen by famous actors.
While they’re real, they’re not always referred to by their names in the film, and they’re not on the page of the Joyce Carol Oates novel.
In the beginning, Bobby Cannavale plays Monroe’s second husband, “The Ex-Athlete,” also known as the legendary baseball player Joe DiMaggio, to whom she was married for just a short but challenging nine months, as per Vogue.
Her third spouse, “The Playwright,” also known as Arthur Miller, who was later the subject of an FBI investigation for alleged links to The Communist organization, has been played in the film by Adrien Brody.
“The President,” also known as John F. Kennedy, to whom Monroe famously sang her breathy rendition of “Happy Birthday,” is performed by Caspar Phillipson. In addition, Julianne Nicholson took home her first Emmy award for her performance as Kate Winslet’s best friend in “Mare of Easttown” in 2021.
She is portrayed as Monroe’s mother, Gladys, who in her 30s and 40s was diagnosed with schizophrenia, which in the present may be known as manic depressive or bipolar disorder.
Blonde is creating some history by securing an MPAA rating.
“Blonde” has been the only Netflix film to be awarded the rating NC-17, which is a limit on audience size per GameSpot. However, the director Andrew Dominik thinks it’s ridiculous.
“That’s an example of the ratings board acting politically,” he told Screen Daily in a statement, blaming Marilyn’s famous status more than the film’s content.
“If I watch an episode from ‘Euphoria’ it’s a lot more graphic than what’s that’s happening in ‘Blonde.'”
“Blonde” has been the only Netflix film to be awarded the rating NC-17, which limits audience size according to GameSpot. However, Director Andrew Dominik thinks it’s ridiculous.
“That’s simply the ratings board acting politically,” he told Screen Daily and blamed Marilyn Monroe’s fame more than the film’s content. “If I watch the episode of ‘Euphoria’ it’s a lot more graphic than what’s that’s happening in ‘Blonde.'”
However, these graphic representations of “casting couch” behaviors are crucial, and the film “swim [sthrough the #MeToo-related water,” said Dominik, noting that the movement was responsible for making the film possible.
Oates is one of them. Is pleased to tweet that the film is an empowering look at Monroe’s story. She also said she isn’t sure if male directors could accomplish this feat. However, Dominik isn’t concerned about what the public thinks about the movie’s score. “If the public doesn’t like it, it’s the audience’s issue,” he said. “It’s no longer running for office.”
