For all the hell the Internet gives Netflix at times, it’s impressive to see the filmmaking community come to its defense or have widespread praise for the streamer. This time, we have Blonde director Andrew Dominik opening up about his latest project and how Netflix kept it alive.
In case you don’t know, Dominik helmed the new film, the NC-17-rated Blonde starring Ana de Armas, which has proven relatively controversial. Reviews have praised the lead performance from de Armas but are a bit more divisive about the movie itself, with some against the more hardcore nature of the film and its frank depiction of sexual assaults and other taboo topics.
Speaking with Deadline, the filmmaker praised the streamer for supporting Blonde, while also shooting down any rumblings that Netflix wanted to make changes to the film.
“The film would not exist without Netflix. No, Nobody else would pay for the thing except Netflix,” says Dominik. “They were the ones that were brave enough to take it on. But we’re in a time period that’s all over the place, so naturally, there were some anxieties.”
SEE ALSO: Read our review of Blonde here
“In the end, they completely supported what I wanted to do, to the point where I had actually signed a piece of paper saying I would deliver an R-rated movie,” he continued. “I think everybody realized that the NC-17 rating would hurt the film. But, they’ve supported the version of the film that I made, and you can’t ask for more than that. It’s the only film that I’ve made where I’ve not had to make concessions.”
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Based on the bestselling novel by Joyce Carol Oates, Blonde boldly reimagines the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe. 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.
Written and directed by Andrew Dominik, Blonde sees Ana de Armas leading a cast that includes Bobby Cannavale, Adrien Brody, Julianne Nicholson, Xavier Samuel, and Evan Williams.
Blonde arrives on Netflix on September 28th.
Originally published September 27, 2022. Updated September 28, 2022.
