Dakota Johnson is about to step into some of Hollywood’s most iconic heels.
The actress has been cast as Marilyn Monroe in Flesh Impact, a new film directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal that promises to tell the screen legend’s story from a fresh perspective.
Announced by luxury automotive brand Genesis, the project celebrates what would have been Monroe’s 100th birthday and is already generating serious awards-season buzz.
Rather than revisiting the same old Hollywood myth, Flesh Impact imagines Monroe at the height of her stardom while also exploring the life she never got the chance to live.
Ellen Burstyn portrays “a version of Marilyn the world never had a chance to see.”
“I’ve always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe. So, when Genesis first came to me with the idea of a celebratory project for her centennial, I knew I wanted to work together on bringing this story to life,” Gyllenhaal said.
“With ‘Flesh Impact,’ we showcase the timeless icon we know and love through a modern lens that reclaims her story.”
The filmmaker admitted she initially questioned whether she was the right person to take on Monroe’s legacy.
“I knew, of course, her major performances and I knew the general performance that she had put into the world when she was alive,” Gyllenhaal told Vanity Fair.
“But I thought, I don’t know if I’m the woman for this job. Let me just take a minute and see what comes up.”
She later added, “I find her acting so fascinating — weird and wild and very joyful, mixed with terribly upsetting all at once. I kind of wondered what would’ve happened if she’d had 60 years to herself. What might be different about the work that she would do now?”
Also starring Sepideh Moafi and Peter Sarsgaard, Flesh Impact will make its world premiere at the 2026 Venice International Film Festival in September.
