Blonde on Netflix: 5 lesser-known facts about Ana De Armas' film

Blonde explores the life of one of Hollywood's most popular figures, Marilyn Monroe. The film investigates Monroe's life from the beginning of her career to her rise to fame and various experiences with drug addiction, abuse of power, love interests, and ultimately, her sudden demise.

Ana De Armas essays the role of Marilyn Monroe in the film. Ever since the trailer was released, Armas has received a lot of appreciation for her honest portrayal of Monroe.

Blonde was released in the US on September 16, 2022, before which it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on September 8, 2022. The film is scheduled to release on Netflix on September 28, 2022.

Since this isn't the first film to be made about Marilyn Monroe, the kind of approach it adopted towards her life was one of the most interesting aspects about it. The fact that the majority of the film is in black-and-white further adds to the anticipation surrounding it.

Here a few things you need to know about Blonde, ahead of its arrival on Netflix.

Blonde on Netflix: 5 quick facts about the upcoming film

1) The first Netflix production to be rated NC-17

Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe (Image via IMDB)

The Motion Picture Association of America gave Blonde an NC-17 rating, which generated quite a buzz among audiences, and garnered some solid reactions from the cast and crew members.

An NC-17 rating indicates that no one of the age of 17 or below should watch the film. The rating is due to s*xually explicit content that has been portrayed in order to stay true to the story. The audience for the film's limited theatrical release was further restricted because of this rating.

Speaking against the NC-17 rating, Ana de Armas stated that there are many other shows and films that are fairly more explicit than Blonde, adding that the s*xual content was an essential element in exploring the culture in which the story is set.

2) Not a biopic of Marilyn Monroe

Blonde is a psychological drama and a fictionalized version of Monroe's life.

It is not a biopic, makes no claims of accuracy, and instead tends to focus on the cultural and social set-up that led to the rise and fall of the star.

The movie is an adaptation of a 2000 novel by Joyce Carol Oates, which further dramatizes the already dramatic life of Monroe in order to weave an effective narrative around the real events that took place in her life.

3) Ana De Armas hired an accent coach for her role

For this film, Ana De Armas hired an accent coach who her from the very beginning to the end. Playing Monroe in the Netflix film was undoubtedly a lot of pressure and the actress had to further perform in her second language, owing to her Cuban-Spanish descent.

Recalling her screen-test with Netflix for the film, Armas said:

“I hadn’t had the training and the voice and everything. So my coach was crouching on the floor, under the table."

The effort Armas put into the film is clear from the trailer. Her physical and psychological transformation into Monroe is evident in every frame.

4) Armas wasn't the first choice for the role

Playing the iconic Hollywood actress also meant that Armas had to compete with some of the finest names in the industry to clinch the role.

Naomi Watts and Jessica Chastain are known to be some of the leading actresses who were initially considered by the makers. However, both actresses weren't roped in for reasons unknown and the role eventually went to Armas.

5) Armas' dog features in the film

Anyone who follows Ana De Armas on social media knows that she has a dog named Elvis. Elvis will be playing the role of Monroe's dog in the movie. The makers seem to have dug up quite a bit into the source literature to contextually place Monroe's dog into the larger framework of the story.

Ana De Armas also has another dog named Salsa, whom she adopted in 2020.

Blonde will be released on Netflix on September 28, 2022.