Elvis Presley‘s story has been retold several times via documentaries, films, or series, but it took a director like Sofia Coppola to put his widow, Priscilla, in the spotlight. The Priscilla movie teaser is rocking social media, with Cailee Spaeny (Mare of Easttown) and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria) in the lead roles.

The award-winning director, who has already produced extremely interesting biopics such as Marie Antoinette and The Bling Ring, did not care about the gigantic shadow of the work of Baz Lurhman, who with the feature Elvis was one of the main contenders for this year’s Oscar, and it is already safe to bet that she will be among the nominees in 2024 with her version.

The announcement that Sofia Coppola would adapt Priscilla’s autobiography – Elvis and Me– (published in 1985) was made just four months after the release of Baz’s film and as it will have female optics, it will not be repetitive but, as it says, “ two totally different interpretations of the same events and the same historical period.

Priscilla is not a unanimous figure among the singer’s fans. She and Elvis separated a few years before his death, and despite all the declarations of love and friendship, she took the reins of his estate (in the name of his daughter and heiress, Lisa Marie), transforming the Elvis Presley brand into a millionaire and profitable business, but under controlled management. Recently, she and her granddaughter, actress Riley Keough (Daisy Jones and the Six) fought in court over the estate, which reinforces Priscilla’s image as the main person to have managed the star’s fortune. But the film will not go into anything recent, it will retell the story of how the singer – aged 24 – fell in love with the teenager and minor, Priscilla, when he was serving in the army in Germany.

For Sofia, the feature Priscilla can easily be compared to her excellent adaptation of the book about the last French Queen, released in 2006. “Priscilla is an icon of glamor par excellence”, she told Vogue. “I was so interested in Priscilla’s story and her perspective on what it was like growing up as a teenager at Graceland. She was going through all the stages of womanhood in such an amplified world – similar to Marie Antoinette,” she explained.

Actress Cailee Spaeny, who shone in her quick participation in Mare of Easttown, will live Priscilla Presley from 12 to 27 years old, but it is Jacob Elordi who will suffer greater pressure as Elvis, especially after the “incarnation” of Austin Butler in the role. The director says he has the same kind of magnetism and charisma as the singer since she believes that “nobody would look like Elvis” physically, anyway.

The Oscar race is just about to begin…

Search

Search