The first full trailer for Netflix’s upcoming Marilyn Monroe biopic, Blonde, has dropped — but it is NOT getting the reaction the streamer hoped for! And all over an accent?!
On Thursday, Netflix premiered the full trailer for the upcoming movie featuring Ana de Armas as the entertainment icon — and while she may look the part, she does NOT sound it! Fans were quick to call out the casting directors over what they felt was a poor casting decision based on Ana’s inability to shed her Cuban accent despite nine months of supposed prep!
Related: Jamie Lee Curtis Admits She Was Accidentally Racist Toward Ana!
Before we get into the uproar, take a listen to Ana’s accent in the clip (below)!
For reference, here’s a throwback interview of Marilyn herself so you can compare the accents:
Notice a difference?! While Ana has Marilyn’s breathy tone, hundreds of viewers were quick to comment on the inconsistencies with the voice, writing on Twitter:
“Am I the only one not surprised that Ana De Armas sounds bad in the Blonde trailer? Her accent is very heavy, it was going to take a lot for her to convincingly sound like Marilyn.”
“a lot of people forget about marilyn monroe’s thick cuban accent..”
“I like Ana de Armas but I gotta admit I’m skeptical about her playing Marilyn Monroe… Her accent is still pretty obvious in everything I’ve seen her in. It’s not like Nicole Kidman or Saoirse Ronan who can completely disguise their native accent.”
“i dunno i tried to love it but it just doesn’t feel right… she looks so much like her but the accent throws it off…. marilyn monroe was a white woman lmfaooo i need to hear the transatlantic accent”
“Damn she’s got Marilyn Monroe’s thick Spanish accent down pat!”
“I think Ana de Armas is a fantastic actress and looks great as Marilyn BUT I still hear her accent in the Blonde trailer and it’s taking her out of character for me.”
“maybe Marilyn Monroe had a Cuban accent in real life too? i dunno i wasn’t around back then. she could have sounded like anything”
LOLz!
Interestingly, not everyone is so upset about the slight difference, one person mused:
“ana de armas’ accent is the coolest thing about that marilyn monroe trailer to me cuz it’s telling me that the story itself it’s about artifice like yes ana de armas is pretending to be marilyn monroe, the real marilyn monroe was doing exactly that too”
Huh. That’s one perspective. Another person pointed out:
“let me remind those commenting on ana de armas’ accent playing marilyn monroe that we have a long history of american actors botching accents of other nationalities in film and you don’t blink twice. you’ll survive.”
Fair point! Perhaps the most important critic of all, the Marilyn Monroe Estate, is finally speaking out — and, surprisingly, its on board with the controversial accent!
Related: Ripley’s Says Kim Kardashian Did NOT Damage Marilyn’s Dress!
On Monday, Marc Rosen, the president of entertainment at Authentic Brands Group (which owns the artist’s estate) defended the Knives Out alum’s casting and accent in a statement to Variety, insisting:
“Marilyn Monroe is a singular Hollywood and pop culture icon that transcends generations and history. Any actor that steps into that role knows they have big shoes to fill.”
So true!
Marc went on:
“Based on the trailer alone, it looks like Ana was a great casting choice as she captures Marilyn’s glamour, humanity, and vulnerability. We can’t wait to see the film in its entirety.”
As mentioned, earlier this year, Ana told The Sunday Times that she put in nine months of work with a voice coach to (attempt to) master the model’s voice — though she noted that it was a MAJOR challenge! The actress revealed:
“It only took me nine months of dialect coaching, and practicing, and some ADR sessions.”
Getting candid, she added:
“It was a big torture, so exhausting. My brain was fried.”
We bet it was tough! Embodying a legend like Marilyn is no small feat!! But do U think her accent will affect the success of the film? Or are you fine with a little change? Sound OFF (below)!
[Image via Netflix/YouTube]