Dakota Johnson is unrecognizable in the first look at Maggie Gyllenhaal’s short film‘Flesh Impact’. The actress, best known for her roles in‘Fifty Shades’and‘The Lost Daughter’, has transformed into Marilyn Monroe complete with a short blonde wig and signature mole. The 17-minute film is set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September 2026, perfectly timed to honor what would have been Monroe’s 100th birthday.
The cast includes Ellen Burstyn as an imagined older version of Monroe, along with Peter Sarsgaard and Sepideh Moafi. Director Maggie Gyllenhaal says the movie blends Monroe’s legacy with her own fantasy of the icon. The festival logline teases a mysterious old woman auditioning for a play, with secrets about her identity starting to surface during the process.
This is not the first time a modern actress has played the Hollywood legend, but the buzz around Johnson’s look is already intense. With so many layers to the story, this short film could be one of the most talked about projects at the festival. Are you excited to see Dakota Johnson channel her inner Marilyn?
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Local Lawton
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