Andrew Dominik has gained a reputation for delivering hard-hitting and atmospheric movies that don’t shy away from unflinching violence or tough subject matter, even though he hasn’t directed a feature in almost a decade, with 2012’s Brad Pitt crime thriller Killing Them Softly his last effort.
We’ll be waiting a while longer to see his next one, though, after Netflix boss Scott Stuber confirmed to Variety that Dominik’s controversial Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde will be streaming next fall. While we’ve seen plenty of movies featuring the Hollywood icon over the years, this one has proven to be particularly contentious given the content.
Blonde was initially scheduled to premiere at the Venice Film Festival, but it was reportedly pulled after Netflix got cold feet. The reasons are said to be down to the sexually graphic nature of several scenes, including depictions of assault and intercourse that saw it slapped with the dreaded NC-17 rating.
Knives Out and No Time to Die‘s Ana de Armas plays Monroe in Blonde, and the fast-rising star has been pegged for potential awards season recognition for what’s being called a career-best performance, even if the film as a whole is poised to be shut out due to its provocative nature.