Priscilla director Sofia Coppola endeavored to approach the story she was trying to tell with sensitivity and nuance. Having enlisted Priscilla Presley as an executive producer on the film offered her a confidence boost with her subject material. However, Priscilla Presley and Elvis Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie Presley had a lot of issues with the script, even as production went into day one.
The film is based on Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me. While the Presley matriarch is an executive producer on the film, several issues with the estate and Lisa Marie have come to light, highlighting issues in the script, that might do more harm than good for the Presley name.
Lisa Marie Presley emailed Sophia Coppola her concerns
In a string of emails retrieved by Variety, a heated exchange of messages has come to light between film director Sofia Coppola and Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. The email, sent from Lisa Marie to Coppola, included a list of things about the screenplay that the late singer found objectionable and hurtful. A part of the email read,
“My father only comes across as a predator and manipulative. As his daughter, I don’t read this and see any of my father in this character. I don’t read this and see my mother’s perspective of my father. I read this and see your shockingly vengeful and contemptuous perspective and I don’t understand why?”
Lisa Marie had several objections to the film’s script, which went into production despite her concerns, with no changes to the script. Lisa Marie also let the director know the consequence of her actions if she went ahead with the film:
“I will be forced to be in a position where I will have to openly say how I feel about the film and go against you, my mother and this film publicly,”
However, the promised outcry never came to fruition, as Lisa Marie Presley sadly passed away before the film was released to the public on 4th September 2023.
Priscilla Presley seemingly does not have a problem with the script
Priscilla Presley is not only credited as an executive producer but has actively participated in the film’s publicity with distribution partner A24. However, this was not endorsement enough for the daughter of the former rock star, who went on to ask the director for an explanation. She also believed that her mother did not understand the gravity of the script, saying:
“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,”
In response to this, Coppola reached out to the late songwriter via a representative, reiterating:
“I hope that when you see the final film you will feel differently, and understand I’m taking great care in honoring your mother, while also presenting your father with sensitivity and complexity,”
Critics and audiences alike have talked about the character in the story, praising the actors for their work, while also talking about the haunting situation that Priscilla finds herself in. Multiple reviews have talked about the “gilded cage” as a metaphor for Priscilla’s situation. The outcry from fans regarding Elvis only seems to prove that Lisa Marie Preseley’s concerns were not unfounded.
