Trivia / Priscilla

• Approval of God: Priscilla Presley, the main subject of the movie and author of the memoir the screenplay is based on, praised the movie's depiction of her younger self and her relationship with Elvis; she stated she initially had concerns but that after meeting with the director, she was convinced Sofia Coppola would handle the subject sensitively (to the point Presley stated she wouldn't support anyone but Coppola making a movie about her). Presley served as an executive producer on the film and praised both Coppola and Cailee Spaeny for accurately capturing how she felt during that period of her life.
• Dawson Casting: Cailee Spaeny was 24 during filming and plays Priscilla Presley from the ages of 15 to 27; Spaeny has frequently played teenagers in the past due to her youthful appearance, with Sofia Coppola stating she felt it was important to have the same actress playing the role throughout different events in Priscilla's life.
  Coppola: The character goes from the age of 15 to 27 over the course of the film, so she had to be able to act and age across a big span of time. It was really important for me to have the same actress playing Priscilla at those different stages of her life, and I think Cailee can pull it off. She's such a strong actress, and she also looks very young.
• Disowned Adaptation: Elvis and Priscilla's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, expressed disapproval of the script and Sofia Coppola's vision for the film, feeling that the depiction of her father was overly-negative, "vengeful" and "contemptuous" despite her mother's approval. As Lisa Marie died in January 2023, nine months before Priscilla was released, it's unknown what she would've thought of the finished film itself.
• Fake American: Elvis Presley is portrayed by Australian actor Jacob Elordi.
• Serendipity Writes the Plot: The decision to use practically every other musician besides Elvis for the licensed soundtrack was not a choice by Sofia Coppola, as one might initially assume, but instead the result of Elvis Presley Enterprises forbidding their use. Coppola herself saw this as a blessing in disguise, forcing her to be more creative with the needle drops.
• Underage Casting: Jacob Elordi was 25 during filming, the same age as Elvis at the start of the movie, but still plays Elvis when the character gets much older, even well into his 30s (Elvis and Priscilla separated when Elvis was 38). Elvis was also a decade older than Priscilla, while Elordi is only a year older than Cailee Spaeny (though she passed for much younger).
• What Could Have Been: Sofia Coppola stated she approached Lana Del Rey about recording a song for the film, but unfortunately the timing didn't work out.

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