Biopic on Monroe - Barbie Debuts On Big Screen

Marilyn Monroe Biopic Finally Gets Nod

Monroe and Chastain

A new movie entitled, 'Blonde', based on the life of Marilyn Monroe finally got the green light.  To star Jessica Chastain as Monroe, the film will be based upon the Joyce Oates' novel of the same name.

The project, which has been in the works since 2010 and was originally to star Naomi Watts, never got off the ground. To now be directed by Andrew Dominik, who described the project as "a really sprawling, emotional nightmare fairy-tale type movie, about an abandoned orphan who gets lost in the woods", the film is to depict Norma Jean as child to Monroe as superstar.

Oates' 700 page novel was published in 2000 and is a fictional bio but it does accurately  deal with many of Monroe's famous relationships - from JFK to Joe D. It will be quite the screenplay and edit job to get the full thrust of  'Blonde' on screen and do Monroe justice in dealing with her inner demons. Jessica Chastain, a natural red-head, has received two Oscar nominations for best supporting actor for her roles in 'The Help' and 'Zero Dark Thirty'.

'Blonde' is to start shooting in August and is being produced by Brad Pitt's Plan B Productions.

Barbie Makes Big Screen Debut

Old Barbie

55 year old Barbie (she doesn't look a day over 20) will make her movie debut in a live-action comedy.  Rumor has it that the film will depict Barbie in many of  her most popular 'looks' (of which she has over 150) from princess-to-president-to-mermaid and on and on. Which of the 'looks' will be used for the movie is currently under wraps by Sony and Mattel (Barbie's owner).

New Barbie

Columbia Pictures' (a subsidiary of Sony Pictures) President, Hannah Minghella stated that the Barbie movie concept was "unexpected, clever, and truly funny".  This will be the second team-up between Sony and Mattel, the first being the agreement to make a movie based upon the 'Masters of the Universe' characters: 'He-Man' and 'Skeletor'  The 'Masters' project is now in development.

Production of the Barbie film is scheduled to begin by year's end.