Get ready for one visually stunning biopic.

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The upcoming Netflix film Blonde is the much-anticipated fictionalised biopic of the life of Norma Jeane Mortensen aka Marilyn Monroe.

Hollywood star Ana de Armas will take on the role of the icon after having had popular turns in the likes of whodunnit Knives Out, sci-fi film Blade Runner 2049 and the recent James Bond outing No Time To Die.

Director Andrew Dominik has had this film in the works for over a decade but now the time has finally come to get our first look at the film - with images and the trailer now having been released.

So, here is everything you need to know about the Netflix film Blonde.

Blonde movie release date and time

Blonde will be released on Netflix on Friday 23rd September 2022 at 8am BST.

The film will receive its premiere at Venice Film Festival in 2022. It previously was not selected to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2022.

It is unknown if or when the film will have a theatrical run in cinemas.

Blonde movie cast

The following cast members have been confirmed for the Netflix film Blonde.

  • Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe/Norma Jeane Mortensen
  • Lily Fisher as young Norma Jeane Mortensen
  • Adrien Brody as Arthur Miller
  • Bobby Cannavale as Joe DiMaggio
  • Julianne Nicholson as Gladys Pearl Baker
  • Caspar Phillipson as President John F. Kennedy
  • Toby Huss as Allan "Whitey" Snyder
  • Sara Paxton as Miss Flynn
  • David Warshofsky as Darryl F. Zanuck
  • Evan Williams as Edward G. Robinson Jr.
  • Xavier Samuel as Charles Chaplin Jr.
  • Garret Dillahunt as TBC
  • Scoot McNairy as TBC
  • Lucy DeVito as TBC
  • Michael Masini as Tony Curtis
  • Spencer Garrett as TBC
  • Chris Lemmon as TBC
  • Rebecca Wisocky as Yvet
  • Ned Bellamy as Doc Fell
  • Dan Butler as TBC

Of course, the biggest casting for the film is Ana de Armas in the role of the iconic Norma Jeane aka Marilyn Monroe.

de Armas is best known for her roles in the films Blade Runner 2049, Knives Out and No Time To Die.

Meanwhile, Adrien Brody will play Marilyn's husband and playwright Arthur Miller and Bobby Cannavale will play her previous husband Joe DiMaggio.

Elsewhere, Monos actress Julianne Nicholson will portray Marilyn's mother, Gladys Pearl Baker.

Blonde movie trailer

The first teaser trailer for Blonde was released on Thursday 16th June 2022.

The clip showed off the stunning visuals of the film and also gave the world its first look at Ana de Armas as the Hollywood icon.

The footage ends with de Armas staring and sadly laughing into a mirror in a dressing room as Marilyn.

Catch the clip above.

A second full trailer was released for Blonde on Thursday 28th June 2022.

The clip gives our best look at de Armas in the part so far as she speaks about how she is just "Norma Jeane" and that Marilyn Monroe is a character.

The trailer also hammers home the tagline "Watched By All. Seen By None." This has also been placed on the the poster.

What is the age rating for Blonde?

Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde is rated NC-17 in the US, suggesting "adult" content in the film.

However, director Andrew Dominik told ScreenDaily that this is the US rating board being "political".

Blonde poster with Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe
Blonde poster with Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe Netflix

He said: "If I look at an episode of [HBO show] Euphoria, it’s far more graphic than anything going on in Blonde."

While denying that the film contained a scene of bloody menstrual oral sex, he did confirm that the film adapts a scene depicting rape from the book.

"It’s a demanding movie — it is what it is, it says what it says," he noted. "And if the audience doesn’t like it, that’s the f***ing audience’s problem. It’s not running for public office."

What is Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde about?

Black and white photo of Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde
Blonde will tackle "the human cost of the Hollywood system" Netflix © 2022

Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name by author Joyce Carol Oates, Blonde examines the life of the iconic Marilyn Monroe from her point of view.

The film has been years in the making, with director Andrew Dominik beginning development on the film in 2010.

In a statement shared with Netflix Queue, star Ana de Armas - who was cast in the film in 2019 - said: "Andrew’s ambitions were very clear from the start — to present a version of Marilyn Monroe’s life through her lens."

She added: "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."

Dominik told the streamer that he wanted to delve into Monroe's psyche and the film is painstakingly based on real-life photographs - with the imagery influencing "every scene".

Despite being rated for adults only, Dominik told the streamer that he made the film with "good intentions" and that it is more occupied with "the human cost of the Hollywood system, the power, and perils of female sexuality".

The film is set to examine many major moments throughout Marilyn's life and is not told in a conventional and chronological, linear fashion.

Blonde may just surprise everyone!

If you’re looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide or visit our Movies hub for all the latest news.

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Authors

Lewis KnightTrends Editor

Lewis Knight is the Trends Editor for Radio Times, covering trending titles from TV, Film and more. He previously worked at The Mirror in TV, Film, and Showbiz coverage alongside work on SEO. Alongside his past work in advertising, he possesses a BSc in Psychology and an MA in Film Studies.

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