The life and image of Elvis Presley have drawn creative minds year after year, leading to reenactments, song covers, and plenty of movies. But Presley was also associated with plenty of fascinating people in their own right – one of the most famous perhaps being Priscilla Presley, and it is she who Sofia Coppola wants to make the subject of her next movie.
Actress Priscilla Presley has starred in the Naked Gun films, built a business career, and was married to Elvis from 1967 to ’73. In ’85, Priscilla penned a memoir titled Elvis and Me. It is this source material that director filmmaker Coppola wants to turn into a movie. But what does Priscilla think of this?
Sofia Coppola is working on a movie about Priscilla Presley
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Just this summer, people fascinated by the life of the King got to watch Elvis, a biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Austin Butler. Coppola wants to give viewers a look at this messy yet gilded time through the eyes of Priscilla. Over on Instagram, Coppola shared a post teasing her plans, posting, “Back to work! Excited to be telling Priscilla’s story.” It’s one of her very few, first posts on the social media platform.
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Of course, with this exciting announcement coming so soon after the Butler-led biopic, comparisons are already being raised – some eve by Coppola herself. “I loved how Baz approached his story in a very collage-y way, but I’m glad it didn’t go into much of Priscilla’s story because now I can really dive deep,” she shared. “I think Baz is so unique and his take on that story was so creative. But Priscilla is such a minor character in that film so I never felt like I was treading on the same territory. I love that people were so into his film about Elvis, and now in a few years there’ll be another film about Priscilla.”
Where does Priscilla Presley stand on the matter?
Priscilla has been known to vocalize her thoughts on any new project related to Presley and his legacy. She voiced concerns for a mature, animated project and assured fans she did not sign off on prohibiting Elvis impersonators. In terms of this new telling of the Graceland dynasty, Daily Meal claims that Priscilla reached a $1 million deal for the rights to her book, allowing Coppola to tell her story.
That means, according to The Things, greenlighting the creation of a movie that will be very intimate, with a focus on Priscilla and Presley’s whirlwind relationship that is still talked about in a divisive way to this day, most significantly because of the age gap and her youth when they met. Tasked with playing Priscilla Presley is Cailee Spaeney of Mare of Easttown fame, while Jacob Elordi from Euphoria will join the ranks of those who have played Elvis on the big screen.
What other stories about Elvis and his Memphis Mafia do you hope to see? Check out some secrets that might make it into the film with the deep dive below.