The upcoming Netflix film, Blonde, is finally confirmed to have an NC-17 rating after speculation about the film’s rating, which is a fictionalized version of the life of the icon, Marilyn Monroe. The screenwriter and director, Andrew Dominik, cleared things up in an exclusive interview with ScreenDaily.
The Australian director had always intended to maintain this rating, allegedly clashing with the streaming service over the final cut. Dominik described the film as “demanding” and could not be bothered about any reactions to the film’s rating.
It’s an NC-17 movie about Marilyn Monroe, it’s kind of what you want, right? I want to go and see the NC-17 version of the Marilyn Monroe story.
The film, which stars Ana de Armas as the blonde bombshell Monroe, is said to have triggering scenes and may not be for the faint-hearted. Dominik even claimed Netflix wanted to bring on Jennifer Lame, the famous movie editor, to “curb the excesses of the movie.”
Dominik, in the interview, went on to praise Netflix for supporting and liking the film, regardless of the platform’s issues and reservations with the content. He was also confident of de Armas’ portrayal of Monroe. While he admitted that some work had gone into making her “sound American,” he added, “the one thing nobody’s going to complain about is [de Armas’] performance.”
There’s no official date for the release of Blonde yet, but with Dominik’s praise of the film and the performance of the Spanish actress, it’s definitely one of the anticipated pictures of the year. Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, and Julianne Nicholson round out the main cast.