Actress Ana de Armas transformed into the iconic Marilyn Monroe for Netflix’s new biopic, “Blonde,” according to the trailer released today. The highly anticipated film is expected to be controversial, according to director Andrew Dominik.
The new trailer teases the depiction of the complicated life of Marilyn Monroe. The film is set to show the complex nature of the actress’s private and public life through her humble beginnings as Norma Jean to the beloved movie star she became.
Dominik worked with de Armas to prepare her to represent Monroe through the eyes of Monroe herself.
“Andrew’s ambitions were very clear from the start — to present a version of Marilyn Monroe’s life through her lens,” de Armas said in a story for Netflix’s Queue. “He wanted the world to experience what it actually felt like to not only be Marilyn, but also Norma Jean. I found that to be the most daring, unapologetic and feminist take on her story that I had ever seen.”
Entertainment Weekly reported in an interview that de Armas opened up about the preparation required to take on the iconic role.
“It was the most intense work I’ve ever done as an actress. It took me a year to prepare for that — research and accent and everything you can imagine. It was three months of shooting nonstop,” de Armas said.
Elle reported that de Armas felt pressure playing Monroe as a Cuban woman. The actress explained to the magazine that her preparation for the role was to also show the world that Latina women can act in any role if they’re given a shot.
“So that’s my hope, that I can show that we can do anything if we’re given the time to prepare, and if we’re given just the chance, just the chance. You can do any film — “Blonde” — you can do anything,” de Armas told Elle.
“Blonde” is set to premiere on the world stage at the Venice Film Festival in late August or early September before its Netflix release date of Sept. 28 this year.
In Entertainment Weekly, de Armas called the film, “the most beautiful thing I’ve ever done.”
“It’s a very special film, and Andrew’s a genius. He’s one of the best filmmakers I’ve ever worked with.”