Priscilla Presley Was Initially ‘Very Concerned’ About Sofia Coppola’s Film

Told from Priscilla’s point of view, Sofia Coppola’s new intimate biopic Priscilla delves into the famous couple’s relationship, shedding light on some of the lesser-known and more unsettling aspects of their courtship and marriage. The film initially concerned the real-life Priscilla Presley, who is credited as an executive producer on the project.

The ex-wife of the late singer Elvis revealed that she had reservations about Priscilla, which is based on her 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me. “I was very concerned about this movie,” Presley said at a Q&A event at the South Point Casino in Las Vegas on Friday, according to EW. “I think it’s right on, to be honest with you.”

“She has such a big heart and her father is very famous and she really connected with me,” she said of Coppola, the movie’s director. “I have no problems with what she did in any way.” Priscilla stars Cailee Spaeny (On the Basis of Sex) and Australian actor Jacob Elordi (Euphoria, The Kissing Booth).

Presley went on to praise Coppola’s filmmaking that’s centered on women. “I think she does a great job. She is for women, and when she approached me about doing a movie about me, I was moved by it,” the 78-year-old added.

“If anyone were to do a movie, it would be for her. I would never support another movie from anyone else doing it.” – Priscilla Presley

Coppola previously said in a roundtable discussion with EW that it was important Priscilla “felt that her story was represented in a way that was true to her.”

“When Priscilla first saw the final movie, the first thing she said was, ‘Cailee really — that’s how I felt.’ She really expressed that. And she couldn’t believe how Jacob’s voice, she said it just sounded just so much like Elvis, so that was so gratifying to hear that from her,” Coppola said.

Her comments come after the couple’s late daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, called the script for Priscilla “shockingly vengeful and contemptuous” before her death. According to two emails obtained by Variety, she asked “Coppola to reconsider her vision for the character and to spare her family public embarrassment.”

“I am worried that my mother isn’t seeing the nuance here or realizing the way in which Elvis will be perceived when this movie comes out,” Lisa Marie Presley wrote in one of the emails. “I feel protective over my mother who has spent her whole life elevating my father’s legacy. I am worried she doesn’t understand the intentions behind this film or the outcome it will have.”

The messages were sent for months before Presley passed away in January 2023 from complications from bariatric surgery she had several years ago.

Priscilla is now playing in theaters nationwide.