Wow, not even any of the 50 Shades of Grey movies got this rating. At the same time, considering this is a biopic about Marilyn Monroe (starring Ana de Armas), arguably the most well-known sex symbol of all time whose life was met with plenty of tragedy, this maybe shouldn't come as that much of a shock to audiences everywhere.
The Motion Picture Association confirmed that the upcoming biopic detailing the life of Monroe, which will be titled Blonde, will be getting a rare NC-17 rating. Those behind the Netflix film were half-expecting this rating given that it's based on a novel by Joyce Oates.
Because the film was given an adults-only rating, the film is no longer expected to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. de Armas is slated to star as the blonde bombshell from the 1950s, and the rest of the main cast will consist of Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavle, and Julianne Nicholson, but other than that, not much is known. In fact, the film's recent rating is one of the first public details about it. As of now, no one knows when the film is going to be released in theaters (if it's released in theaters) or on Netflix.
Given that the novel written by Oates graphically detailed Monroe being sexually assaulted, that is probably where the NC-17 rating is coming from. Then again, Netflix reportedly hired Jennifer Lame to "curb the excesses of the movie," with Screen Daily referring to the film's rape scene for context. However, since it still received the NC-17 rating anyway, it clearly must have been brutal enough that they don't want children to see what happened.
Honestly, props to those making the film for sticking to their guns with this production. We live in an era in which all the bad things happening behind the scenes are coming more and more to light. As much as we'd love for this world to be rid of all the evil that goes on, it still happens so much to the point where we mustn't ignore it. Films like these can show just how disturbing and traumatizing something like that can be to a human being, which in turn could prevent such atrocities from happening.
But, for all we know, things can change over time. Netflix may finally relent and tell Dominick to get rid of the material that is prompting the film's hardcore rating. As cynical as this may sound, Hollywood's main priority is usually to make the most profit from a film at all costs. It sounds like those involved primarily want to give a brutally accurate retelling of Monroe's exciting but ultimately sad life above all else as of now. Here's to hoping that it stays that way from now to when Blonde gets released.
Blonde does not have a release date as of now.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Screen Daily