Giving it her all! Netflix’s first look at Ana de Armas in the role of Marilyn Monroe offers an emotional journey down memory lane.
“Please come. Don’t abandon me,” de Armas, 34, says in the Blonde trailer, which was released on Thursday, June 16. In the sneak peek, Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” plays in the background as viewers get a glimpse at the late actress’ most iconic moments.
Blonde, which is based on Joyce Carol Oates‘s book, explores the model’s public and private life. “From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, Blonde blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves,” the synopsis states.
The film also stars Bobby Cannavale, Adrien Brody, Julianne Nicholson, Xavier Samuel and Evan Williams.
The Knives Out actress recently opened up about her commitment to bringing Monroe to life in Blonde. “We worked on this film for hours, every single day for almost a year,” de Armas told Netflix Queue on Wednesday, June 15. “I read Joyce’s novel, studied hundreds of photographs, videos, audio recordings, films — anything I could get my hands on. Every scene is inspired by an existing photograph. We’d pore over every detail in the photo and debate what was happening in it.”
She added: “The first question was always, ‘What was Norma Jeane feeling here?’ We wanted to tell the human side of her story. Fame is what made Marilyn the most visible person in the world, but it also made Norma the most invisible.”
According to de Armas, it was important to explore the challenges that Monroe faced ahead of her death. “Our movie is not linear or conventional. It is meant to be a sensorial and emotional experience,” she added. “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.”
Blonde‘s director, Andrew Dominik, also weighed in on early concerns about the film’s NC-17 rating.
“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,” Dominik explained on Wednesday. “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.”
Blonde premieres on Netflix on Friday, September 23.
Scroll down for the film’s first look at de Armas as Monroe: