Maggie Gyllenhaal experimented with artificial intelligence to transform Dakota Johnson into Marilyn Monroe for her short film "Flesh Impact," but abandoned the plan after concluding it "did not work."
Speaking at an event during the Venice Film Festival, the actress and director explained that the project revisits the life of the late Hollywood star at around age 30, with Dakota Johnson portraying her in those scenes. Gyllenhaal said the people who commissioned the project had asked her to use AI, and that she agreed to try it, describing herself at the time as curious and open to seeing what would happen.
She said the idea was to train the artificial intelligence on footage of Monroe and then place the AI-generated face over Johnson's own face on screen. The team worked extensively on the technique, but Gyllenhaal ultimately discarded it. She said what came through Johnson simply playing Monroe, without the AI overlay, was far more moving, human and alive. In her words, the AI version essentially did not work at all, and every reason the team had originally decided to make the project in the first place was undone once the artificial intelligence was applied.
Dakota Johnson's Role as Marilyn Monroe
The first image of Dakota Johnson as Marilyn Monroe in "Flesh Impact" was released on Monday, July 27, by the carmaker Genesis, which is partnering with Gyllenhaal on the production. The image was released to mark 100 years since Monroe's birth.
A press release accompanying the image stated that Johnson would portray Monroe at the height of her fame. Ellen Burstyn, the release said, would play a different version of the star, described as "the Marilyn the world never had the chance to know."
Who Is Involved in the Project
Maggie Gyllenhaal is an actress and filmmaker known for her work both in front of and behind the camera. Dakota Johnson is an American actress who rose to wide recognition through the "Fifty Shades" film series. Ellen Burstyn is a veteran American actress with a career spanning decades in film and theater.
Marilyn Monroe, who died in 1962, remains one of the most enduring icons of classic Hollywood, and 2026 marks the centenary of her birth. The Venice Film Festival, where Gyllenhaal made her comments, is one of the world's most prominent film festivals and a regular launch point for awards-season titles.
