Blonde (Andrew Dominik, 2022)

[yoloswegmaster]

Andrew Dominik's 'Blonde' has been moved to 2022 even though production has been finished for a while now.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Andrew Dominik's 'Blonde' has been moved to 2022 even though production has been finished for a while now.

Variety hypothesized that Netflix might've decided it isn't an awards contender and that they would rather focus their year-end energies on other films, but there's also scuttlebutt going around that Dominik and Netflix are fighting over the final cut.

[yoloswegmaster]

Andrew Dominik's 'Blonde' has been moved to 2022 even though production has been finished for a while now.

Variety hypothesized that Netflix might've decided it isn't an awards contender and that they would rather focus their year-end energies on other films, but there's also scuttlebutt going around that Dominik and Netflix are fighting over the final cut.

Yep, Jordan Ruimy stated that the film was actually supposed to be going to Venice but Netflix pulled it out due to them and Andrew Dominik fighting over the final cut. He provided more information today saying this:

As it currently stands, “Blonde” would absolutely get an NC-17 rating. Netflix was absolutely horrified by the cut Dominik submitted to them. They want a new version of the film, Dominik doesn’t.

I bet this premieres at Sundance.

[therewillbeblus]

Dammit, again? Someone needs to strike a deal with Dominik to release his director's cuts already

[swo17]

What does Netflix care about its marketability? It doesn't even have to sell tickets, just retain (or perhaps lure in) subscribers. Wouldn't the film being more controversial be more likely to achieve the latter? Certainly, learning that Netflix neuters its director's visions is not likely to draw anyone in

[therewillbeblus]

I wonder if they'd have caused the same fuss ~five years ago when they were greenlighting everything and giving creators unlimited financial rope (and staying absent from oversight) to realise their visions, almost to a fault where shows/films were too loose and unstructured. Netflix has been tightening their grip in the last year or so, canceling shows and making more conservative business decisions- though perhaps they would want to avoid an NC-17-level-of-content work regardless given in-home access and potential backlash, even with parental responsibility to issue controls, etc.

[swo17]

The world right now is at an NC-17-level of content but by all means let's sanitize and streamline a single film so we can pretend we have things under control.

(Or in other words, I just want every movie to be Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn)

[therewillbeblus]

I agree with all of that, and specifically related to the narrative it seems bold yet appropriate to tell the story of Marilyn Monroe with shameless candor. Plus, Ana de Armas + NC-17 sounds like a fair compromise for Emma Stone's exit from Babylon

[Finch]

Netflix releases a Polish "erotic thriller" to unanimously bad reviews saying the film is effectively high gloss and misogynist pornography but who cares when it's one of their most watched titles (though maybe not in their Top Ten) but they balk at an NC 17 cut of Blonde? So much for Scott Stuber touting artistic freedom under his stewardship.

Have they ever shown films like Requiem for a Dream that were released with no certificate?

[Finch]

I suppose, alternatively, they could shop it out to other distributors if the fight with Dominik ends in a stalemate. IFC went for The House That Jack Built in Cannes, so they could conceivably buy Blonde if Netflix isn't demanding silly money for it.

[swo17]

Note that the source book's author loves Dominik's take on it

[Big Ben]

Netflix releases a Polish "erotic thriller" to unanimously bad reviews saying the film is effectively high gloss and misogynist pornography but who cares when it's one of their most watched titles (though maybe not in their Top Ten) but they balk at an NC 17 cut of Blonde? So much for Scott Stuber touting artistic freedom under his stewardship.

Seconding this post because absolutely nothing Dominik could release could be more reprehensible than 365 Days. I wonder what could possibly have spooked Netflix here when they're releasing shit like 365 Days.

[ianungstad]

Have they ever shown films like Requiem for a Dream that were released with no certificate?

My first viewing Of Von Trier's Antichrist was on Netflix Canada.

[knives]

Netflix releases a Polish "erotic thriller" to unanimously bad reviews saying the film is effectively high gloss and misogynist pornography but who cares when it's one of their most watched titles (though maybe not in their Top Ten) but they balk at an NC 17 cut of Blonde? So much for Scott Stuber touting artistic freedom under his stewardship.

Seconding this post because absolutely nothing Dominik could release could be more reprehensible than 365 Days. I wonder what could possibly have spooked Netflix here when they're releasing shit like 365 Days.

The English language.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Have they ever shown films like Requiem for a Dream that were released with no certificate?

Netflix hosts tons of unrated films on the streaming service, but as an MPA member they can't theatrically release anything without a rating.

[yoloswegmaster]

Some details have emerged over the scenes that would have made this NC-17, and it includes

SpoilerShow

a rape scene and “bloody menstrual cunnilingus”.

[yoloswegmaster]

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have completed the soundtrack for the film. An interesting tidbit is that Andrew Dominik is making another film with Nick Cave.

[yoloswegmaster]

It's been reported that this will be released as the NC-17 version.

[domino harvey]

Good. Netflix could go a long way towards legitimizing the rating as many have been hoping for for decades-- decades ago, the MPAA actually asked Paul Thomas Anderson and New Line to not appeal their NC-17 rating for Boogie Nights because they thought such a high quality film would rehabilitate the rating's image

[tenia]

Some believe this was pretty much BS all along and Netflix would release the NC-17 cut anyway since they're not bound by theatrical rules regarding ratings. I do wonder however if the movie has been left untouched since the controversy sparked or if it will be another slightly tamer NC-17 cut.

[erok910]

Happened in some regard with Killing Them Softly and Weinstein. Reports of much longer cuts with entire characters deleted/ Dominik admitting some small things were cut after the first public screening/Dominik saying the final cut was his final cut anyway. I also remember Greig Fraser talking about sequences in the film he had wished made it in.

I don't have any theory or verdict, obviously. But I can also add I asked Dominik in person about his preferred cuts of Jesse James and he said something very similar with that one. Nothing to add past media reports, but that he liked two cuts. (A slightly longer one, he called the Garden scene. And a cut closer to an hour longer, but he still didn't prefer the 4 hour cut) I asked him at the first Jesse James revival if he could release it. "I would if I could, mate." He seemed fine with the final cuts & releases of both Killing Them Softly and Jesse James as I recall. At the end when my girlfriend hook his hand she said to him "I'm really excited to see Blonde!" He was very surprised and said "Thanks!" Back in 2013 or 2014 in Astoria.

[domino harvey]

Netflix made Dominik use the editor of Manchester by the Sea to curb the film’s excesses, but he claims the studio has overall been supportive and the film is still likely to be rated NC-17 and Dominik somehow thinks it’ll play Cannes despite the streaming rules

[Never Cursed]

Officially rated NC-17

[hanshotfirst1138]

I know an intimacy coordinator online, and they said that they heard from another IC who worked on this and said it was apparently a nightmarish production

[diamonds]

Teaser