Becoming Her – Untold Marilyn Monroe Story Seeks Production And Financing Partner

The Project

Hook:

Everyone thinks they know her. The blonde. The smile. The tragedy. But the woman behind the icon spent her whole life trying to tell a different story — and no one let her finish it. Until now.

Concept:

A prestige biographical drama drawn directly from Marilyn Monroe’s own diary entries, letters, and autobiography — not the myth, her words. Fast-paced and intimate in tone, it sits closest to Elvis (2022) and Judy (2019): the kind of biopic that earns awards seasons and crosses into mass audiences. Marilyn remains one of the most globally recognised faces in history, with a fanbase that spans generations and a story that has never been told on her terms. That’s the commercial case and the cultural one.

Format:

Feature Film · Biographical Drama · Standalone · Awards-season positioning

Comparables:

✓ Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) — 18× return on $50M budget · all-time highest-grossing music biopic

✓ Elvis (2022) — 3.4× return on $85M budget · #2 highest-grossing music biopic ever

✓ Judy (2019) — $46M worldwide · Oscar win for lead actress · women-led prestige biopic benchmark

What’s Ready

IP & Materials:

✓ Completed 150-page screenplay — sourced from Monroe’s own diaries, letters, and autobiography

✓ Historian endorsement — screenplay validated by Hollywood historian Tina Imel

✓ 3.7M+ social media following built organically around this project (@jbunzie / @MarilynFilm)

✓ 11,000+ petition signatures with email capture — documented, named audience demand

✓ Yahoo Entertainment coverage of project and social following

✓ Production company (CK Films) attached — full lifecycle production and marketing capability

✓ Full pitch deck and materials available on request

The Team:

✓ Jessica Vill — Screenwriter & Producer. Published author, historian, and content creator with 3.7M+ followers; widely recognised for her Marilyn Monroe expertise

✓ Ethan Felizzari-Castillo — Producer. Founder & CEO of CK Productions; marketing lead on wide-release campaigns including work with Black Bear Pictures, Fathom Events, and Roadside Attractions’ BAFTA & Emmy-nominated documentary Beyond Utopia

✓ Rosie Dean — Producer. Creative Director at CK Productions; NYU Tisch drama graduate; award-nominated editor and performer with credits across narrative and branded projects

✓ Juanes Montoya — Producer. Actor and producer with HBO credits (Fantasmas); editorial producer for Vogue and Vanity Fair; experience across independent film and television

The Opportunity

The Ask:

✓ Financing and production partnership — structure open

✓ Open to equity investment, gap financing, and co-financing partnerships

✓ Participation includes producer/executive producer credit and meaningful backend participation

Why Now:

The cultural appetite for Marilyn Monroe has never been more documented — 11,000 people signed a petition specifically calling for this film before a single frame has been shot. The post-Blonde backlash has left a clear gap in the market: audiences want Monroe’s story told with accuracy and humanity, not exploitation. This project has the source material, the social proof, and the creative team to deliver exactly that.

De-Risked From Day One:

✓ Built-in audience — 11,000+ petition signatories with email capture; 3.7M social following already engaged with this project specifically

✓ Historian-validated screenplay — sourced from Monroe’s own words, reducing IP and authenticity risk

✓ Proven comparable performance — Elvis and Bohemian Rhapsody demonstrate the ceiling for prestige music/icon biopics at scale

✓ Experienced production company attached — CK Films brings full in-house production, editorial, and marketing infrastructure from day one

Most Interesting Project For

The Financier Backing Prestige IP

You invest in biographical drama with awards potential and a globally recognised subject — and you know that Marilyn Monroe’s name is its own marketing budget.

The Production Partner Seeking a Women-Led Slate

You are actively developing or acquiring projects with female protagonists, female creative leads, and a built-in female audience — this project has all three, with documented demand to prove it.

The Distributor Who Wants Early Access

You acquire prestige biopics for theatrical and festival positioning, and you want a seat at the table before cast announcements and festival selection change the conversation.

Interested in this project, please submit your interest through the form. Rest information will be disclosed upon reviewing the details.