Netflix’s ‘Blonde’ Based on Joyce Carol Oates’ 2000 novel of the same name, is a biographical drama film written and directed by Andrew Dominik. It dramatizes the life and career of one of Hollywood’s most famous icons – Norma Jeane Mortenson, AKA Marilyn Monroe, who struggles with a traumatic childhood and becomes an actress in the 1950s and early 1960s.
She has managed to become world famous with her stage name, but it hides all the problems she faces in her personal life, such as exploitation, heartbreak, drug addiction, and abuse of power.
Ana de Armas takes on the burden and honor of Marilyn’s essay, while several other big names appear in the film, including Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, and Julianne Nicholson. Most of the film is presented in black and white to effectively draw the audience into the diva era. In addition, you may be surprised that the biopic was filmed in the real places where Marilyn left her mark in real life.
Where Was Blonde Movie Filmed?
“Blonde” was shot entirely in California, mainly in Los Angeles County. Principal photography for the biographical drama reportedly began in early August 2019 and wrapped up in October of the same year.
However, the filming of several more episodes was delayed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and finally finished in July 2021. Now, let’s not waste time and jump right into all the specific sites that appear in the Blonde Netflix movie!
California
All of the pivotal sequences for “Blonde” took place around Los Angeles County, the most populous county in California and the United States. The production team used the Warner Bros Studios facility at 4000 Warner Boulevard in Burbank and the Fox Studio Lot at 10201 West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles. The first consists of 37 different soundstages ranging in size from 6,000 to 32,000 square feet and various exterior sets. On the other hand, the latter is home to 15 sound stages and many scenic locations on the property.
Additionally, the cast and crew set up camp at Raleigh Studios at 5300 Melrose Avenue East in Los Angeles. The studio has 13 stages, including four Cycloramas, a production center for resources, lighting, and on-site grip services, and 309,050 square feet of studio space on 10 acres. All these features make it a favorable location for filming various film projects. In addition, several beach scenes in the movie “Blonde” were reportedly shot on the beaches of Malibu.
View this post on Instagram
The scene depicting the premiere of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” was filmed in and around the Los Angeles Theater at 615 South Broadway. The famous Musso & Frank Grill at 6667 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood also served as an important filming location for the movie.
While the initial scenes where Norma Jeane lives with her mother were ostensibly filmed on location in the real house at 6012 Afton Place in San Jose, the death scene was reportedly filmed in the same room where she died, at 12305 5th Helena Drive in Los Angeles.
View this post on Instagram
In a September 2022 interview with Deadline, Ana de Armas expanded on her experience playing Marilyn Monroe and how she and others reportedly felt her presence during production. She said: “I really believe she was very close to us, she was with us.
She was all I thought about, she was all I dreamed about, she was all I could talk about. She was with me and it was beautiful. I think she was happy… Being in the same places as her, filming in her house, it was a very strong feeling that something was in the air and I think she approved of what we were doing.”
Related – The Munsters (2022): Where Was Comedy Movie Filmed?
