Dakota Johnson looks unrecognizable as Marilyn Monroe in ‘Flesh Impact’ first look

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Add Page Six on Google Dakota Johnson transforms into Marilyn Monroe in the first look at Maggie Gyllenhaal's new film, "Flesh Impact."

On Monday, Vanity Fair shared a picture of Johnson, 36, looking unrecognizable as the late Hollywood icon "at the height of her fame."

The outlet also gave a glimpse at Ellen Burstyn, 93, as an imagined version of Monroe "the world never had a chance to see."

Gyllenhaal, 48, directed and wrote the script for "Flesh Impact," which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September to mark what would have been Monroe's 100th birthday.

The 17-minute short film also stars Gyllenhaal's husband, Peter Sarsgaard, and "The Pitt" actress Sepideh Moafi.

Gyllenhaal told Vanity Fair she immediately wanted to cast Johnson in the lead role, but she became concerned that the "Fifty Shades" actress didn't look enough like Monroe.

"Then I thought, That’s ridiculous. Who cares?” said Gyllenhaal, who previously worked with Johnson on 2021's "The Lost Daughter."

“I don’t know that anyone even really totally knows what Marilyn looks like because she’s been so commodified and made into this myth and she’s very blurry in my mind," Gyllenhaal added.

Johnson, per Vanity Fair, used costuming including a short blond wig and signature mole to transform into Monroe.

Burstyn, meanwhile, instantly agreed to join the project when approached by Gyllenhaal.

"I think that this role met Ellen at a particular moment where what it was offering to talk about and to think about and to dream about are things that she was interested in thinking and dreaming and talking about,” Gyllenhaal shared.

Overall, Gyllenhaal said the short 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," the "Dark Knight" actress added.

The Venice Film Festival's logline for the film reads : “A mysterious old woman auditions for a play at a small blackbox theater in New York City. As she describes her qualifications and her acting experience, secrets about her identity and the misconceptions about her life bubble to the surface.”

Monroe died at age 36 in August 1962 from an accidental barbiturates overdose. Her death was ruled a "probable suicide."

Other actresses who have played Monroe over the years include Ana de Armas , Michelle Williams, Kelli Garner, Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino.

"Flesh Impact" premieres at the 2026 Venice Film Festival in September.

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