Skip to main content

The first teaser for Netflix‘s Blonde revealed Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe to the world. De Armas is an upcoming star portraying one of the most legendary actors ever and it’s stunning how similar she looks to Monroe. The first full trailer features more of de Armas recreating iconic moments from Monroe’s career but also explores the darker side of her fame. 

Ana de Armas stars as Marilyn Monroe in ‘Blonde’

Bobby Cannavale as Joe DiMaggio and Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde
Bobby Cannavale as Joe DiMaggio and Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe | Netflix

Blonde is an upcoming Netflix film about the life of Marilyn Monroe. Ana de Armas stars as Monroe, capturing her rise to fame and the disturbing details of her celebrity life off-screen. It is based on the bestselling novel by Joyce Carol Oates and is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival. In addition to De Armas, the movie stars Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Julianne Nicholson, Evan Williams, and Xavier Samuel.

The Andrew Dominik film is highly-anticipated because it is the first Netflix movie to be rated NC-17. It’s unclear why, but it will be interesting to see why Blonde earned that rating. Monroe’s story is one of beauty and tragedy as she went from one of Hollywood’s biggest stars to a tragic figure representing stardom’s unfortunate side effects. 

Ana de Armas recreates classic moments in ‘Blonde’ trailer

Netflix released the first full trailer which is a blend of majesty and horror. Ana de Armas looks like a descendant of Marilyn Monroe as she recreates many iconic photographs and scenes from movies like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Seven Year Itch. The footage also transitions between various styles and colors as it is in both color and black-and-white. 

In Blonde, Monroe appears to be struggling with keeping up her dual identity. While the world loves Monroe, Norma Jeane, her birth name, is becoming invisible. She wants the world to see Norma Jeane and not just the celebrity identity she portrays. In an interview with Netflix Queue, de Armas describes the process she underwent to become Monroe and the story they wanted to tell. 

“We worked on this film for hours, every single day for almost a year,” de Armas said.“I read Joyce’s novel, studied hundreds of photographs, videos, audio recordings, films — anything I could get my hands on. Every scene is inspired by an existing photograph. We’d pore over every detail in the photo and debate 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.”

Fans are amazed by de Armas’ transformation

Related

‘Blonde’: It Took 5 ‘Incredibly Challenging’ Wigs to Transform Ana De Armas’ Dark Hair Into Marilyn Monroe’s Platinum Locks

Fans are already impressed by Ana de Armas’ performance, with many saying she nails the expressions and mannerisms of Marilyn Monroe. While de Armas’ accent does leak through at times, it’s hard not to be mesmerized by her appearance as the actor. 

Many fans also appreciate that the trailer is “hauntingly beautiful,” as a few call it. Blonde promises a detailed look at Monroe’s life, and many look forward to a movie that honors her life instead of exploiting it. 

Blonde arrives on Netflix on Sept. 28. 

Best in Entertainment