'Blonde' Shows the Dark Side of Being Marilyn Monroe

Fans of Marilyn Monroe are about to see the film icon in a whole new light.

Netflix released the first trailer for its upcoming Andrew Dominik–helmed Marilyn Monroe film, Blonde, based on Joyce Carol Oates's book of the same name. The movie, which stars Ana de Armas as the late actress, is set to be one of the more raw and revealing looks at her life and career. Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson, starred in more than 30 films before her untimely (and mysterious) death in 1962 and has been a fixture of classic American cinema ever since.

De Armas spoke to Netflix's Queue about taking on the role and how it will showcase a completely different glimpse into the actress's life.

"Andrew's ambitions were very clear from the start—to present a version of Marilyn Monroe's life through her lens," de Armas said. "He wanted the world to experience what it actually felt like to not only be Marilyn, but also Norma Jeane. I found that to be the most daring, unapologetic, and feminist take on her story that I had ever seen."

Below is everything we know so far about Blonde.

When does Blonde release on Netflix?

The anticipated film will hit the streaming platform globally on September 23.

Who else is in the cast?

Alongside de Armas, Adrien Brody stars as "The Playwright" (assumedly Arthur Miller), Bobby Cannavale as "The Ex-Athlete" (Joe DiMaggio), and Julianne Nicholson as Monroe's mother. Ana shared images from the film which showed our first look at Brody as Monroe's first husband.

The film will have a darker tone.

Director Andrew Dominik told Netflix's Queue that though the movie will, of course, feature memorable moments from Monroe's life—like her glitzy red-carpet premieres and the filming of classic films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes—the core focus will be on how the actress suffered from an immense amount of trauma that followed her throughout her career.

"She's deeply traumatized, and that trauma necessitates a split between a public self and a private self, which is the story of everyone, but with a famous person, that often plays out publicly, in ways that may cause additional trauma," Dominik said. "The film's very much concerned with the relationship with herself and with this other persona, Marilyn, which is both her armor and the thing that is threatening to consume her."

It's rated NC-17.

The director defended the film's brow-raising rating, explaining, "The film is sincere. It's made with love. It's made with good intentions. But it's full of rage at the same time. I seem to get myself in these situations where people regard me as provocative, but it's never what I'm trying to do. I'm just trying to say it as clearly as I can. My ambition is to make you fall in love with Marilyn."

It's not following the traditional biopic format.

De Armas explained to Queue that the film will be more experimental than what most people will probably expect.

"Our movie is not linear or conventional; it is meant to be a sensorial and emotional experience," she said. "The film moves along with her feelings and her experiences. There are moments when we are inside of her body and mind, and this will give the audience an opportunity to experience what it was like to be Norma and Marilyn at the same time."

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