“Priscilla” director Sofia Coppola
She defends portrayal of Elvis Presley
Sofia Coppola had many conversations with Elvis Presley’s ex-wife for her film “Priscilla.”
© A24 / lev radin/Shutterstock.com
In the film “Priscilla” Elvis Presley doesn’t necessarily shine with his charming manner. Director Sofia Coppola explains what’s behind it.
Director and screenwriter Sofia Coppola (52) defends her film “Priscilla”. She didn’t want to make Elvis Presley (1935-1977) the “villain” in it. According to Variety, she said this to film colleague Richard Curtis (67) on Saturday (December 9th) at an event in London.
Among the film’s critics was the couple’s late daughter Lisa Marie Presley (1968-2023). She complained to Coppola in emails that her father only “came across as a predator and manipulative.” as “Variety” reported, among others. Presley did not recognize her father in this figure.
In her new film, Sofia Coppola portrays the relationship between Priscilla Presley (78) and the King of Rock’n’Roll. In contrast to the 2022 film biography with actor Austin Butler (32), the focus here is particularly on the couple’s love relationship, which is told from the perspective of wife Priscilla.
The love story between the King of Rock’n’Roll and his wife consisted of ups and downs – so it was important to find the right balance in their portrayal, says the director. There is a scene in the film where Elvis Presley violently starts packing Priscilla Presley’s suitcase after she discovered a love letter from another woman. “This scene was the hardest, it was really difficult to do it like that,” admitted the 52-year-old in London.
Close collaboration with Priscilla Presley
The slightly less romantic story about Priscilla and Elvis Presley also received many positive reviews and Priscilla Presley herself also praised the work. “Sofia did a great job,” said the 78-year-old at the film premiere in Venice on September 4th. Nevertheless, it was difficult for her to “watch a film about you, about your life and about your love,” said Presley.
The Oscar-winning screenwriter based her work on Priscilla Presley’s memoir “Elvis and Me,” which she published in 1985. “It’s all based on how she describes her life in the book. I was really surprised that she expressed all of that in the book and no one seemed to notice,” Variety quoted Sofia Coppola as saying. “She was in a really difficult situation, and the fact that she got through that and had the strength to go away and live her own life and not let it get her down, I think is really impressive,” the director sums up.
The nationwide cinema release for “Priscilla” is on January 4th. Actors Jacob Elordi (26) and Cailee Spaney (25) take on the roles of Elvis and Priscilla.