A spokesperson for the estate says Ana de Armas 'was a great casting choice' for the movie.
Ana de Armas has the support of the Marilyn Monroe estate ahead of the release of Netflix's Blonde, where she portrays the icon.
Last week, a trailer was released for the movie, which sparked some criticism over de Armas' accent not necessarily matching up to Monroe's voice. While the film, based on Joyce Carol Oates' book of the same name, is not authorized by the late actress' estate, they support de Armas' portrayal of Monroe.
"Marilyn Monroe is a singular Hollywood and pop culture icon that transcends generations and history,” Marc Rosen, president of entertainment at Authentic Brands Group (ABG), which owns the Marilyn Monroe Estate, said in a statement to ET. “Any actor that steps into that role knows they have big shoes to fill. 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!"
Nick Woodhouse, president and CEO at ABG, echoed these sentiments in a statement to ET. "For us at the Marilyn Monroe estate, it’s thrilling to see all of the different portrayals of her by celebrities and actors from Kim Kardashian to Michelle Williams and now Ana De Armas," he said, noting Kardashian wearing Monroe's dress to the 2022 Met Gala and Williams portraying her in the 2011 film My Week with Marilyn. "There are no rules when it comes to how an artist can honor her legacy. We embrace new interpretations of Marilyn that pay homage to her iconic star power, beauty and humanity, and bring her into relevant cultural conversations."
In a prior interview with The Times of London, before the trailer was released, de Armas shared how she prepared to take on the role of Monroe.
"It took me nine months of dialect coaching, and practicing and some ADR sessions [to get the accent right]," she said. "It was a big torture, so exhausting. My brain was fried."
On Monday, ET spoke with Brad Pitt, a producer on Blonde, who praised de Armas' portrayal of Monroe.
"She is phenomenal in it," he raved. "That’s a tough dress to fill."
Blonde also stars Adrien Brody, Xavier Samuel, Julianne Nicholson, Lily Fisher, Evan Williams, Toby Huss, David Warshofsky, Caspar Phillipson, Dan Butler, Sara Paxton and Rebecca Wisock, and is directed by Andrew Dominik, whom Pitt calls "an old friend."
"It was 10 years in the making," Pitt said of the project. "It wasn’t until we found Ana that we could get it across the finish line."
Last month, ET also spoke to de Armas herself, who teased what fans can expect from Blonde.
“Definitely not the movie people expect,” the 34-year-old actress told ET. “I don't know what people are expecting but this is definitely gonna be something very surprising and a more intimate take on her life and her journey as Norma Jeane and then the movie star that she became.”
Blonde, which depicts Monroe's biggest career highs and personal lows, will hit Netflix on Sept. 28.
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