Even after her death, Marilyn Monroe remains one of Hollywood’s most enduring cultural icons, inspiring countless films, documentaries, and artistic reinterpretations. Instead of simply narrating her life story, a significant number of contemporary filmmakers have explored the myth, legacy, and public obsession with the Hollywood icon via inventive and offbeat stories. With Flesh Impact, another high-profile Monroe project nearing completion, excitement has been building about how it will put a new spin on one of the cinema’s most iconic figures.

Rather than retelling Monroe's life, Flesh Impact re-imagines her legacy through two distinct performances by Dakota Johnson and Ellen Burstyn. 

In the new short film Flesh Impact from Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dakota Johnson and Ellen Burstyn will play different versions of Marilyn Monroes. The project is scheduled to premiere at the 2026 Venice Film Festival. Johnson is set to play a younger Monroe, while Burstyn will play an older version of the Hollywood icon. Instead of a standard biopic, the film is expected to take an artistic and unorthodox approach to Monroe’s legacy, thanks to Gyllenhaal’s distinctive artistic perspective. 

As per the synopsis provided by Venice, Flesh Impact is a tribute to Marilyn Monroe on the centenary of her birth. Ellen Burstyn’s portrayal of a version of Monroe the world never got to see is celebrated in it, while Dakota Johnson plays the screen icon at the height of her fame. The cast also features Peter Sarsgaard and Sepideh Moafi.

The short film gets its title from the phrase “flesh impact” used to describe Monroe’s exceptional on-screen presence. It meant she was so strong and bright that viewers could reach out and touch her. With that notion in mind, director Gyllenhaal tried to view Monroe’s enduring mystique through a different lens.

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Alongside the premiere of Flesh Impact, the Venice Film Festival will also celebrate Ellen Burstyn's extraordinary contribution to cinema with one of its highest honors. 

Ellen Burstyn will also be awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 83rd Venice Film Festival in recognition of her decades-long contribution to cinema.  Burstyn will receive the award at the screening of Flesh Impact. Burstyn, a six-time Academy Award nominee and Oscar winner for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, has carved out one of the most celebrated careers in film, television, and theater. 

She is also known for her roles in The Exorcist, Requiem for a Dream, The Last Picture Show, and Resurrection, among other films. She is widely admired for her emotional range. She also has had a distinguished stage and television career, winning multiple Emmy and Tony Awards and continuing to take on challenging roles well into her 90s. Her work has made her one of the few performers to have been celebrated in film, television, and theater for more than six decades. 

Meanwhile, Maggie Gyllenhaal's Flesh Impact is a gutsy new take on Marilyn Monroe that pairs two highly esteemed performers to embody different chapters of the icon's legacy. The film's Venice debut and Ellen Burstyn's Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion should make it one of the most-watched events at the festival. The project and the honor together acknowledge Monroe’s lasting influence and Burstyn’s significant contribution to film.

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What are your expectations for Dakota Johnson and Ellen Burstyn's unique take on Marilyn Monroe in Flesh Impact? Let us know in the comment.