Dakota Johnson is completely unrecognizable as one of the most prominent pop culture icons of the 20th century. The first-look photos of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s short film depicting Marilyn Monroe’s life have dropped online.
The latest pictures show the 36-year-old dressed up as the legendary actress and hint at what viewers can expect from the film. Titled Flesh Impact, the short film will soon premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Vanity Fair released the first-look photos, showcasing Johnson flaunting blonde hair, a beauty spot, and bright red lipstick, much like Monroe. Additionally, she appears in a white button-down shirt, matching pencil skirt and some accessories.
In the 17-minute movie, written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Johnson takes on the role of younger Monroe at the height of her fame. Meanwhile, the Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn plays an older version of Marilyn Monroe.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Gyllenhaal said that she always had Johnson in mind when she was writing the script. “When I’m writing, sometimes I’ll find an actor just keeps coming up, and I almost have to actively push them out of my head so that I don’t limit what I’m doing at all.”
What else do we know about Dakota Johnson & Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Marilyn Monroe movie?
Flesh Impact is not a typical biopic movie about Marilyn Monroe. The story tells about how things could have been if she had managed to survive for another 60 years. The film includes both true and fictional elements of her life related to her legacy, fame, and identity.
The short film includes the stories of two personalities of Marilyn Monroe (the younger and older). As described in the synopsis of the Venice Film Festival, the plot revolves around the life of an old woman who goes to an audition for a play while gradually disclosing her true identity.
According to Gyllenhaal, this film draws inspiration from Monroe’s life but does not reproduce it precisely. “This film is very much a mixture of Marilyn and my fantasy of her. In a lot of ways, this movie is about Marilyn and also about actresses in general and what it’s like to have that strange, very vulnerable, and at the same time, very powerful job.”
Flesh Impact will be presented at the 2026 Venice Film Festival coinciding with Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday celebration.
