The upcoming biographical drama Blonde starring No Time to Die actress Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe has been labeled NC-17, making it the first Netflix Original to receive a rating exceeding R from the Motion Picture Association.
Based on a 2000 Joyce Carol Oates novel of the same name, the fictionalized chronicle of the iconic actress’ life is directed by Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Mindhunter) and scored by Nick Cave.
In an recent interview with Screen Daily cited by Consequence, Dominik indicated that the NC-17 rating was entirely expected and part of the plan.
“It’s a demanding movie,” he said. “If the audience doesn’t like it, that’s the fucking audience’s problem. It’s not running for public office. 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.”
Parts of that story will be grim. Dominik added that de Armas gives an especially powerful performance during a rape scene originally written in Oates’ book.
“She is fucking amazing,” he said. “The one thing nobody’s going to complain about is [de Armas’] performance.”
That scene and another showing “bloody menstrual cunnilingus” were previously reported to have “horrified” executives, who then insisted Domink cut a new version of the film that could be rated R. The director apparently got his way.
Also starring Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale and Julianne Nicholson, Blonde is expected to arrive on Netflix in 2022.
