Priscilla Presley Tried to ‘Separate’ Herself From Emotional Scenes During ‘Priscilla’ Screening: ‘Why Me?’
In May 2023, Elvis Presley‘s ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, was treated to a private screening of Sofia Coppola’s adaptation of her namesake biography film, Priscilla. Priscilla watched her story unfold as an outsider for the first time. Subsequently, she tried to “separate” herself from many of the film’s emotional scenes as her love story with the king of rock and roll played out on the big screen.
‘Priscilla’ delves into the mystique of Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s love story
Sofia Coppola wanted to bring Priscilla to the big screen to capture her “identity,” an aspect of Priscilla Presley’s story that had not yet been explored. She told The Hollywood Reporter, “Her story was so vivid in my mind and the visuals of that world, Memphis, the ’60s. It’s so American. I always like themes about finding one’s identity and teenage girls growing into adulthood.”
In turn, she reached out to Priscilla, who appeared eager for Coppola to bring her version of the book Elvis and Me to the big screen. Priscilla told THR of the director daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, “I just got who she was.”
“I felt that she could get me,” she says. “I thought we have different stories, but she could understand this better than any writer because she kind of lived it in her own way.”
In May 2023, Coppola screened the finished film for Priscilla, who tried to watch it as if it were not her own story. “When I saw the movie, I tried to separate myself and live it as if I was just a fan or someone wanting to see the movie,” she says.
“At the end, I was quite emotional. Only being 14. You look back, and you go, ‘Why me? Why am I here? Why am I driving in a limo, going through the gates of Graceland with Elvis?’ ”
Priscilla Presley says she ‘threatened’ her parents if they didn’t let her date Elvis
As a director, Sofia Coppola has historically made her young female characters relatable for moviegoers. She says. “Films weren’t made for them in a respectful way or with beautiful photography. That was something I didn’t see very often, and I wanted to express.”
However, Prisiclla’s story, at its core, is a love story between a 14-year-old girl and a 24-year-old man. The film reportedly dives into her parent’s concerns over the 10-year age difference between their teenage daughter and the rock and roll superstar.
Priscilla told THR that she would have run away if her parents didn’t let her date Elvis. “My parents were really beside themselves,” she says. “I basically threatened them and told them, ‘If you don’t let me go, I’ll find my way.’”
The couple were together for eight years before marrying in 1967. They welcomed their only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, in 1968.
Priscilla is based on the 1985 book but with additional details provided by its namesake. Coppola pushed Priscilla for even more personal information about life with Elvis to flesh out certain scenes and make them authentic to Priscilla’s experience.
Will ‘Priscilla’ fans hear Elvis’ music in the film?
Moviegoers will not hear any of Elvis Presley’s music in Priscilla. Elvis Presley’s music is primarily owned by the branding company Elvis Presley Enterprises. The company owns 85 percent of the catalog, and the Presley family owns 15 percent.
“They don’t like projects that they haven’t originated. They’re protective of their brand,” director Sofia Coppola explains.
That led Coppola to “become more creative” when using music within the film. Therefore, she relied on her husband, Thomas Mars, and his band, Phoenix, for assistance in reimagining songs for the soundtrack.
Priscilla debuts in theaters beginning Oct. 27, 2023.
