Blonde is a 2022 historical psychological drama film written and directed by Andrew Dominik. Adapted from the 2000 novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates, it is a fictionalized take on the life of American actress Marilyn Monroe played by Ana de Armas. The cast also includes Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, and Julianne Nicholson.
Along with shifting aspect ratios, a majority of the film is presented in black and white; other portions are set in color. Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Tracey Landon, Brad Pitt, and Scott Robertson serve as producers on the film, which, after a lengthy period of development that began in 2010, began production in August 2019 in Los Angeles. Production wrapped in July 2021, following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The film also gained notoriety for its eventual status as the first NC-17-rated film to be released via a streaming service.
Blonde had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 8, 2022, and is scheduled to be released in New York City on September 16, 2022, and in the United States on September 23, 2022, before its streaming release on September 28, 2022, by Netflix. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised de Armas’ performance, but were polarized on Dominik’s screenplay and direction.