Plot Synopsis

Narrated by Jessica Chastain, REFRAMED: MARILYN MONROE is a four-part documentary series that reveals a new story of Hollywood bombshell Marilyn Monroe, a complex and powerful woman ahead of her time. Immortalized as a sex icon, dismissed as a tragic victim, this four-parter dismantles the conventional narrative to tell the tale of a woman who refused to conform to societal pressures in her pursuit of a career. The series retraces Monroe's story from budding starlet to Hollywood power-broker, as she navigates the treacherous waters of Hollywood's casting couch culture and bravely speaks out about abuse at a time when silence was the norm. The biographical series showcases rare archival footage combined with first person accounts from women close to Monroe such as friend Amy Greene; expert analysis from writers who have studied her like Vulture critic Angelica Jade Bastien and film critic Christina Newland; and anecdotes from actresses who have been inspired by her including Ellen Burstyn, Amber Tamblyn and Mira Sorvino. Featuring an all-female editorial team, REFRAMED: MARILYN MONROE premieres over back-to-back weekends on Sunday, January 16 and Sunday, January 23, 2022 at 9pm and 10pm ET/PT on CNN:

"Contender" (Sunday, January 16, 2022 at 9pm): A young Norma Jeane, while showing talent and audacity, turns her back on her difficult childhood and puts herself on the radar in Hollywood as "Marilyn Monroe."

"Siren" (Sunday, January 16, 2022 at 10pm): Marilyn's defiance about posing nude catapults her to stardom.

"Rebel" (Sunday, January 23, 2022 at 9pm): Determined to become a serious actress, Marilyn departs from Twentieth Century Fox to start her own production company.

"Icon" (Sunday, January 23, 2022 at 10pm): Marilyn shows her mature talent as an actress and wins a triumphant victory over Twentieth Century Fox shortly before her untimely death.